Creamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Filling

• 3 ounces peanut butter
• 2 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Chocolate Cupcakes

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa
• 3/4 cup hot coffee
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cupsmooth peanut butter
• 1-1/2 cupsconfectioners’ sugar
• Pinchtable salt
• 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
• 2 tablespoonheavy cream

Garnish

• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions

Cupcakes

1. Combine peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar in small bowl. Mix well with rubber spatula, set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Line standard-size muffin pan with baking-cup liners.
4. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth.
5. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
6. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
7. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
8. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups.
9. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon peanut butter filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 16 to 20 minutes.
10. Cool the cupcakes in the muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
11. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
12. Spread the frosting on cupcakes with a small spatula. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1. In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter and peanut butter at medium speed until smooth, about a minute.
2. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until sugar is combined.
3. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.