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]
Does the sour cream need to be room temp or straight out of the refrigerator?
I just made these today .. They are perfect! Scrumptious! Look exactly like yours and i think I may have to eat them all myself ;) thanks for a great recipe!
Hi! I’m planning to bake this tomorrow… But i don’t have sour cream.
What can i substitute for it? Thanks!
I just made these and followed the recipe to a t and they came out HUGE. I mean like totally cascading over the cupcake tin. I used a regular sized muffin tin. Any idea what I did wrong?? I’m disappointed, because I could not get them out of the tin without breaking them :(
I have made these cupcake yesterday, as my hubby’s birthday cake. They are so amazing and delicious, everybody in my family love it. Will try these frosting recipe into my next batch macaron’s filling. click here
Thanks for sharing here!
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe, it is really YUMMY!!!! I also use this peanut butter frosting recipe as my macaron filling.
I NEED HELP!!! LOL… I need a great chocolate cupcake recipe… I have looked all over for one and I can’t find anything good… I need something that is going to be very moist, and I would prefer it not to be dark chocolate… I need something ASAP I have a wedding in a couple of weeks… Help Please!
Thank You!!!
So we finally did the taste test and these cupcakes won out BIG TIME over the others I cooked– even if they didn’t rise that much which was probably a function of my baking powder being old. You could probably do these cupcakes with another kind of baker’s chocolate but the dark chocolate is fantastic– not heavy and not bitter. The cupcake overall is very moist. We even did a marshmallow filling. The peanut butter frosting is such a winner I think I’ll be putting it on all my cupcakes, maybe using it as a filling, squirting it on top of ice cream instead of whipped cream– it is absolutely fantastic! Just know that this recipe only makes about 12 cupcakes so for a wedding you’ll have to do some tweaking. Best wishes!!
Hi Cristi, I would recommend these cupcakes. The dark chocolate doesn’t impart a bitter flavor, but if you prefer, you can substitute semisweet chocolate.
Those cupcakes look really good! And I have to agree with you – cake is not high on my list of desserts either. I don’t usually find it worth the sugar intake:-) Now, cheesecake and carrot cake – yum! My first choice in desserts is pie – especially apple pie, which is in season right now!
Hey there! I was trying out this recipe for my daughter’s baking contest at church (you know, giving it a dry run so I could make sure there weren’t any steps too hard for a 6 yr old) and the batter is absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS!! However, when I took them out of the oven, they hadn’t puffed up– they kind of spread out flat. Do you think there was a problem w/ the leavening? or maybe I didn’t mix it enough? I can very easily fix it all with frosting (YUM!) I was just wondering if you had any ideas? Maybe I overfilled the cups? It made 12 cupcakes. Any ideas, let me know!
Hi Sue, My cupcakes didn’t get super puffy, but they did raise a bit. Your leavening could be on the old side, or you could have actually mixed it too much, which could have made them dense and flatter. The other possibility is that they were slightly underbaked and sunk just a tiny bit.
inspiring cook
Made the peanut butter frosting few weeks ago and it was AWESOME! The only thing I tweaked was instead of 1 cup icing sugar, I used 3/4 cup. The taste was just nice for my family and got 2 thumbs up from the kids!
Thanks!
Hi,
Cupcakes are not really common in Germany, so I thought I just might give it a go and searched for the “best” cupcake recipe. I tried out this one with the doubled amount of chocolate and these cupcakes taste like they were made in heaven!
Everybody in my family asked me to please make these again :)
Thanks for sharing this with us,
best regards
Another question: my cupcakes turned out rounded on top. Kinda difficult to put frosting as its a semi circle. May I know is it suppose to be like this or should the cupcakes be flat top?
Thanks a lot!:)
Hi Frances, Most cupcakes rise at least a little bit while baking, so you typically don’t find completely flat tops. Just pile the icing on! :)
Dear Micelle,
Thanks for repying! :)
I used heavy cream, aka whipping cream with 35% fat.:)
I tried to make the frosting. It turned out delicious. :) but also v v soft to the point that I was afraid it will melt! Did I do something wrong? I beat it at high after adding whip cream and immediately it turn soft and watery. How long approximately should we beat? Should I continue to whisk even though it has turned watery??
Thanks!:)
Hi Frances, Did you use heavy cream or did you use a whipped topping? If you beat a whipped topping, it will essentially turn to water.
All I can say about this recipe is – WOW! I’ve made so many different chocolate cakes, some tiered for weddings, some for showers, some just cause I’m in the mood ; ). BUT I have never made one that had eggs with this fluffy of a texture. The batter looked like mousse, it was so fluffy! Excellent! When it was baked, it had a moist, light texture that belies the intense chocolate flavor. And the frosting . . . what can I say about the perfect pairing of chocolate and peanut butter? I’ve added your site to my faves!!
Hmmm, what I meant was a cake / cupcake that had FLOUR that was this fluffy!!
This is some of the best peanut butter icing I have ever tasted. It is fantastic.
The cupcakes, however, were a wasted effort. The cupcakes did not rise properly and therefor were extrememly dense. I’m not too familiar with dutch processed cocoa powder so I was afraid to alter the baking powder which (from a quick google search) I know has a reaction with the dutch processed cocoa. I know something was off. Regardless of the dense nature of the cupcake, they tasted good but not spectacular. The PB icing really saved this recipe!
I cannot have sour cream. Is there anything I can replace it with?
Thanks
Hi Tracey, You can use plain yogurt in place of the sour cream.
Hi Michelle! I made these cupcakes (using yogurt instead of sour cream like you had told me when I asked a while ago!) and they were realllyyyy soft and great!! My cupcakes were always too cakey =p But unfortunately the taste wasn’t so good because I couldn’t find good dark chocolate =(
This calls for another attempt in the future, however =D
Hi Michelle! You said you usually use this frosting to fill cakes – did you make any changes to it? It looks so fluffy and silky i’m afraid my layers will slide around or won’t stay straight! Thanks :) I can’t wait to try it out this weekend
Hi Christina, Nope, no changes. It’s not a super thick frosting, but it will definitely stay put. Enjoy!
I love this recipe, but my cupcakes keep sinking in the middle. They taste wonderful, and the texture is great, but I end up with a big sink whole in the middle. Do you have any idea why this is happening? Thanks
Hi Tasha, I would make absolutely certain that the cupcakes are baked the whole way through. Usually if a cake is underbaked in the middle it will sink in as it cools.
I happened upon your website because other bloggers were referencing you–I’m so happy I did. I followed this recipe for my boyfriends birthday. They are rich and decadent—and very well received!
hey are all of these cupcake recipes minuture or full size cupcakes ??? ;-)
Hi Maddie, They are all for full-sized cupcakes unless the recipe states otherwise.
Yum, yum, yum!!!! I have been wanting to make these cupcakes since I stabled on to your blos site! I finally did it, at 1030PM the other night! I doubled the batch so I could share with coworkers! After finishing them I just have to try it immediately, soy hubby and I split one (since it was after midnight). He told me I was not allowed to take them to work, they were the best cupcakes he ever ate ( and that was without the yummy Peanut butter icing, he’s not a fan of peanut butter). Anyway, I did manage to get them to work and everyone raved about them! Even the dieters had to cave! I will definately be making these again. They were moist and chocolatey! My husband could tell that the had cocoa powder and he didn’t even see me making them! Thanks for posting this! Next up to try is the blueberry- lemon bunt cake! :)
OH MY GOSH!!!! this dark choc cupcake recipe is to die for!!! I LOVE IT!!! the cupcakes turned out moist and very decadent, and you can’t really go wrong with that.. at first i was like “why would you need sour cream??” but you i guess the most tastiest foods are made from very interesting combinations.. i love this recipe .. 5 stars :)
I am making a chocolate wedding cake with peanut butter filling…is this peanut butter frosting a frosting that can remain un-refrigerated for a day or two? The cake will be covered with fondant, which shouldn’t be refrigerated.
Hi Cathy, As long as it’s in cool room temperature (i.e. an air conditioned house) and not out in 80 or 90-degree heat, it will be just fine.
Delicious , Michelle! Its insane how moist they actually are! Amazing :) I love your blog btw :D
Just made these cupcakes. The perfect dark chocolate cupcake! Will be making these again!
I want to make these, but the event I’m making them for has peanut allergies…. could I use the chocolate buttercream instead? Or normal buttercream?
Absolutely! Either one would be delicious!
Made these on the weekend.
Used natural yogurt as I had no sour cream and added 2Tbs of red wine.
Served with a raspberry sauce and double cream instead of frosting.
Best. Chocolate. Cake. Ever.
Sour cream is not available where I live..can you suggest a substitute? Or can it be skipped from the recipe?
Hi Rida, I would use plain yogurt as a substitute. You can’t skip it, as it helps keep the cupcakes nice and moist.
The icing was great! The cupcakes had a rich flavor (not overly sweet). Unfortunately the cupcakes were really dry. I tested them at 16 minutes and they weren’t done. I took them out at 18 minutes. I will try them again but set the oven to 325, take them out at 16 minutes and put them in an airtight container for a few hours as suggested.