Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
These dark chocolate cupcakes are loaded with rich chocolate flavor, and topped with a light and creamy peanut butter frosting. If you are a chocolate/peanut butter fan, these are your jam!
I have a secret that I’m about to blab. It’s about me. And it’s a doozie. It’s going to rock your world…
I don’t really like cake…
Shhh…
Can you believe it? It’s the truth. Hard to fathom, with all those cakes that I decorate.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I will eat cake. But it pretty much ranks at the very, very bottom of the dessert hierarchy for me. Given options, I would choose pretty much anything over cake. Now, if you’re talking cheesecakes, flourless chocolate cakes, coffee cakes, crumb cakes, and things of that nature, well then that’s a whole different ballgame. But regular cake? Like birthday cake-cake? Meh. It’s just never really been my cup of tea.
But what I do love is frosting. And phenomenal frosting can absolutely make my day. Peanut butter or cream cheese frosting? It may as well just be Christmas. As a result, I love cupcakes because I can pile them sky-high with dreamy frosting and enjoy each and every bite. These dark chocolate cupcakes are a dream come true for anyone who is a cake or frosting lover – they are truly the best of both worlds.
These cupcakes are insanely rich and moist, and are made using the same type of method used for making brownies – melted chocolate is added to a whisked mixture of eggs and sugar, and then flour is stirred in.
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The resulting batter almost resembled a mousse; both thick and light. It creates incredibly moist cupcakes that also have a light and fluffy texture.
And the frosting. Oh the frosting. Bestill my heart.
I have been using this recipe for a couple of years now (how has it never made it on here before?!), mostly as a filling for chocolate cakes. But on top of cupcakes? Where I purposefully try to create a 2:1 frosting to cupcake ratio? AH-MAZING.
I cannot make this without taking spoonful after spoonful out of the bowl before decorating. It’s seriously irresistible.
Sometimes I’m tempted to make it to just have. Smeared on toast? Used as a dipping vessel for bananas or apples? So many possibilities. The “secret ingredient” in this frosting, just as in the Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream, is the heavy cream. It creates a smooth and fluffy frosting that is easy to slather or pipe on.
If you are a fellow chocolate/peanut butter-aholic, you will love, love, LOVE these cupcakes. Put them on your baking list NOW!
Can’t Get Enough? More Favorite Chocolate/Peanut Butter Recipes:
- No Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies
- Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars
- Peanut Butter Cup Overload Cake
- Salted Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Buckeye Brownies
- Peanut Butter-Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
One year ago: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Two years ago: Fresh Strawberry Tart
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (43 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) baking powder
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) table salt
- ½ cup (115 ml) sour cream
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (258 g) creamy peanut butter
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- ⅓ cup (79.33 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325 degrees F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.
- Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.
- Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and set on wire rack to cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.
- Make the Peanut Butter Frosting: Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
- Assemble the Cupcakes: Frost the cupcakes with an offset spatula, or with a decorating tip (I used a Wilton 1M tip). Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Since first making these cupcakes, this chocolate cupcake recipe has become my favorite. Feel free to use either!
- If you do not have sour cream, you can substitute plain yogurt or buttermilk.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[photos by Whitney Wright]
I am in awe of that cupcake!!!! Its funny my post on salmon said the same thing I dont like it…lol….I am going to have to improve my icing skills, that icing looks so impressive sitting on top of that beautiful cupcake!! I guess its time to get the pastry bag out and practice, and of course since you love that frosting I will try to duplicate it!!
thanks so much for the inspiratation!
Those are sinfully delicious looking!
How amazingly wonderful these look! Funny about your cake thing:)
I made these today
OMG they were so good
I didn’t do the frosting but Im eating them on their own and they are so so so good
Fox! No frosting?! So glad you’re enjoying them plain (aren’t they delicious and moist?). You must try the frosting next time though!
michelle, you inspire me to be a better baker…i love this recipe…thanks & happy baking!
ps: your website is perfect!!! :)
This is sinful but so tempting! Wish I can sink my teeth into it right now!
Well in a way it’s a good thing you don’t like cake! Otherwise you’d be eating all the ones you had to decorate :P These look absolutely amazing, though! Peanut butter and chocolate are a dangerous combo- incredibly addicting!
I made Ina´s chocolate cupcakes with this pb frosting last week. Fantastic! I dont really like cake much either, but chocolate I love and with this pb frosting it was heavenly!
It’s funny… I was just leaving a comment elsewhere about how I’m not really a cake person. I make plenty of them, but they aren’t my favorite. This looks like a recipe I’d like, though… and I’m sure the rest of my family would LOVE it!
Unbelievable that you don’t like cakes! This sounds (and looks) like a lovely recipe – will try it soon!
OOO beautiful! And I would think very tasty :) It’s ok you aren’t a cake lover hehe :) means more for me!
I am TOTALLY with you on the love for frosting! And this recipe is a MUST!
This is the creamiest peanut butter frosting I have ever seen. I’ll have to try the heavy whipping cream next time!
These look really good, Michelle! My husband doesn’t like cake but he likes cupcakes too. :)
oh girl, i just gained 20 lbs reading this post…oh, wait, make that 30 because i would totally eat the whole batch :)
I usually don’t like frosting, but I am sure I could eat the whole bowl of this PB frosting! Mmm!
SAME
I wish you could come down and make those for us after Sam’s born MMMMMMMMMM. Dark chocolate and PB are two of my favorite things! :D
I understand you not liking plain cake! Most of the times, it’s too dry or overly sweet or just badly made! I love frosting too…cream cheese frosting will make me do bad bad things! :) I love your recipe because I heart dark chocolate and my husband loves all things peanut butter… this is perfect for us!
For mother’s day my 12 yo daughter offered to bake me anything in this world. I picked chocolate brownies with peanut butter icing. Yum! Can’t wait to make these for daughter’s day:)
*gasp* I have been visiting the site for quite some time and have really enjoyed some of your recipes but… we have just made a connection! lol Cake is at the bottom of my dessert list as well though I will eat it. And, if I have to choose a cake – it is ALWAYS devil’s food with PB icing. But I’ve never made it homemade. I cannot wait to try this! YUM!
I think you and I could throw birthday parties for one another. Like you, I’m not a cake fan either, but I DO loooove icing. This cupcakes look so awesome!
3 of my favorite things, chocolate, peanut butter & cupcakes! Can’t go wrong with that combination! These look amazing!
You know, I don’t like cake either. I can walk past a sheet of cake like it was a tray full of brussel sprouts. Hahaha. I do enjoy dark chocolate cupcakes. I have a recipe that I always make that my husband loves. I might try my recipe with your frosting. ;)
We must be frosting soul mates–I am the one who eats all the frosting excess that my family leaves behind. Cake? Meh. Frosting? Oh YEAH!!! I made that PB frosting to go on the PB Fudge cheesecake. It is lethal. Have a great day! :)
I’M SORRY ICING LOVERS I DON’T LIKE ICING THAT MUCH
Those cupcakes look lovely. I may have to make them asap.
These look fantastic! I love chocolate and peanut butter together and will have to try out this recipe.
I feel exactly the same way. I only eat cake for the frosting. I’ve made this peanut butter frosting many times, and it’s fabulous!
I love PB and chocolate!! These look amazing, I must try these soon. That frosting is to die for. Thanks for shaeing :)
I absolutely adore that peanut butter frosting recipe! It’s a favorite in our house and definitely one that has me standing over the bowl with a spoon :)
i made these cupcakes ONCE in college (probably about four years ago) and I still remember them like it was yesterday! the dark chocolate cupcake was moist and rich but not too sweet – actually alone it was quite bitter – but it was beautifully balanced out by the sweet, rich, creamy peanut butter frosting. SO delicious!