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]
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, made these a couple days ago for my colleagues and they were definitely a hit. The frosting is to die for!
Hey there! These cupcakes were a huge hit with my friends and family! The frosting was to die for. Hehe. It’s so light and creamy and full of peanut butter flavour! :)
However my peanut butter frosting did not turn out like yours did. After whisking in my frosting with the heavy cream, it started to separate and kind of clump together like how a whip cream looks like when it is over beaten. :( I did the second time and it turned out the same. Is my method wrong?
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry you’re having some trouble with the frosting. You mention that you’re whisking; are you mixing this by hand or using an electric mixer? I would recommend using an electric mixer (even a hand held is fine if you don’t have a stand mixer) for best results.
Hi again Michelle!!!, i want to try your recipe for chocolate cupcakes but (as i told you in your post about apple pie) i’m from Venezuela and i can’t seem to find some of the products you use for your recipes, in this case, i can’t find Dutch-processed cocoa powder, can i substitute it with something else? Thanks in advance!!!
Hi Anaisa, You can substitute regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
Does the frosting freeze well?
Hi Kirsten, I wouldn’t freeze the frosting, I would make it fresh before frosting the cupcakes.
YUMMMM-MMYYY!!! Can’t wait to try these out! :)!
I was wondering does this frosting do well sitting out or put in the fridge over night of for a couple of days?
It’s been fine for me at room temperature; I try not to refrigerate cupcakes unless absolutely necessary since they can dry out.
Hi there – I ran across a pin of this recipe, but stolen by another site, here: http://www.easykitchenrecipes.com/2013/01/dark-chocolate-cupcakes-with-peanut.html
I have seen almost of your cupcake recipe have been adding sour cream to the recipe. But I’m having the difficulty finding sour here. I’m wondering if I can take sour cream out of the recipe or not? Is that going to make any difference? Can I substitute sour cream with anything else to make the same outcome? Please advice.
Thank you!
Hi Ying, Don’t just omit it; the sour cream is what gives the cupcakes a really moist texture. You can substitute plain yogurt (preferably) or buttermilk.
I mix cream with yogurt in equal quantities to substitute for sour cream. Should I ditch the cream then?
Hey Ying! You can add vinegar to your Greek yogurt and it’ll work just like sour cream :)
I love so many and tried a lot but if I had to pick one it would be buckeye peanut butter cup cookies. Yummy!!!!
This is way too delicious, i have to add it to my blog if you dont mind :)
These are fantastic!!! I had some friends over for movie night last night and they were a hugh hit! The frosting….hmmmm…it so creamy and peanutty and delicious. You have changed my mind about cake, which I though was all the same and never bothered to have any, I think you have just got me into big trouble, its all I want to eat now…..but thank you!
hey! I must say that I made these cupcakes and they were fantastic!!!!! loved the chocolate taste, so perfect! i just wanted to ask what kind of tip do you use for piping the frosting? cuase your cupcakes look so beautiful and it’s always so hard to get them so perfectly done!
thanks!
Hi Daniela, So happy to hear you loved the cupcakes! I used a Wilton 1M decorating tip.
I made this cupcakes for my BBF’s birthday last wednesday and they were a total success. Here in Chile the peanut butter is not a typical thing, but all of my friends loved the combo chocolate-peanutbutter. SO GOOD!!! And best of all the birthday girl told me that these were her favorites so far.
Just found your blog and I LOVE it! Today is Christmas and it is also my daughter’s birthday. She is turning 9! I was googling for the BEST cupcake recipe and found you. She also LOVES cupcakes & Tiramisu and you happen to have THE recipe. However, since it’s Christmas and whole food is likely to be closed, I will have to save the recipe. But I will be making your delicious chocolate cupcake with butter cream frosting and dust with cocoa instead. Wish me luck as I DO NOT have good luck with cupcakes. Luckily I have all the ingredients on hand,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I just made these and gave them away for Xmas (but kept a few for myself! ;) Mine came out fine – not super duper moist but not dry either. Also, I used Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa since I didn’t have Dutch Processed and used European baking chocolate. The cupcakes were a hit with my peeps and myself. The frosting – OMG. To DIE for. I sprinkled chopped lightly salted cashews on top since I didn’t have peanuts. People were eating them and rolling their eyes behind their heads. I froze the leftovers otherwise I KNOW I would’ve eaten them all! Really delicious and I’m not even a cupcake fan!
These were amazing! I was pressed for time so I used a devil’s food cake mix for the cupcakes. But the frosting was so good! I also featured it on my blog, feel free to check it out here: http://www.cupcakesandcombatboots.com/2012/12/devils-food-cupcakes-with-peanut-butter.html
Thanks again!
Jennifer
Cupcakes and Combat Boots
I’ve baked these cupcakes for a friend’s tea party and again for a graduation party – they turned out DIVINE both times!! the cake it is moist and fluffy but rich and mousse-like at the same time!! I’ve tried them with a salted caramel buttercream and vanilla buttercream which went very well with the cupcake. Next time i’ll need to try out this peanut butter frosting of yours!!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe! You are amazing :)
I just made these for a close friends’ birthday, and I have to say: they look delicious! I tried one already, and it tasted incredible, but I’m sure it’ll be even better tomorrow, since it was half frozen today. I’m looking forward to sharing these, especially the peanut butter frosting! Fantastic.
Our family motto is “Why have cake when you can have pie?”
Wow, these are decadent! I made these for Thanksgiving as well (along with 2 of your pumpkin rolls). I made them as mini cupcakes, figuring with all the desserts and the richness of these, guests probably wouldn’t want a whole cupcake…instead they ended up having 3 or 4 mini ones! lol…The cake was moist and of course I couldn’t stop tasting the the frosting! Thanks :)
Hi Jenn, how long did you bake the mini’s for? I am contemplating baking mini’s rather than full cupcakes. Thanks!
We’ve been making this combination of dark chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting for more than 40 years! This is my dad’s birthday cake, and made even on other special occasions. If you’re in a big hurry, you can use a container of buttercream frosting and mix in a 1/2-cup of peanut butter. Then refrigerate the leftovers (hah!) and spread on crackers for a sweet yummy snack!
This were the best cupcakes I have ever eaten!!
Hi, I made these last week for my sibiling’s birthday party, and they are absolutely out of the park delicious. I think they will be my signature cupcake now, but first I have to fix some things. Maybe someone can help? I made the recipe exactly (was happy to use my dutch cocoa that I ordered from King Authur!), except that I doubled it. I used Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips for the chocolate. The batter is very foamy – I used my ice cream scoop to fill the tins, overfilling it to the size of just a little larger than a golf ball. It’s hard to tell if they are 3/4 full because the batter is so airy. I only had batter left over for 1 cupcake this time, so I was happy. Until I saw them baking, and most of them overran the tin :-( I had set the timer for 15m based on some of the comments of over-baking, but I ended up having to bake them for 25 minutes to get the tester to come out clean. Then, once I took them out of the oven, they all fell into a concave! The few that weren’t too overfull only fell a little, but all the rest had a crater top. So, my first question is about what I did wrong to have that happen? Is it just a symptom of them being a little too full? Even so, when I tried the extra cupcake, I thought that the texture and taste were phenominal. I doubled the frosting, and it was not stiff, I used every bit of it on the cupcakes with a large open star top – I always seem to be literally scraping the bowl to have enough frosting to cover the cupcakes, and I never have enough to do the 2nd swirl. I put them in the fridge to keep the frosting from melting on the cupcake. I would have added more sugar, but I didn’t want it too sweet. All and all, it’s a really yummy cupcake, and I would recommend it. The cupcake itself would taste great with vanilla buttercream or meringue buttercream – it’s so rich and flavorful.
This is the best peanut butter frosting ever i had. I use it as my macarons filling, it is really yummy, can’t stop myself to stop eating. Even my friend also like it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe here.
What’s up with the measurement for the heavy cream? Is that supposed to be 1/3 cup?
Hi Lynne, Yes, it is 1/3 cup. There seemed to be an issue with the HTML code for the fraction when it’s viewed on certain browsers. I changed it and it should look fine now. Let me know if you continue to have issues. Thanks!
Wow! Just made this icing for a wedding cake I’m doing for a friend, and it is PHENOMENAL! I actually needed a thicker consistency, so I simply added more powdered sugar, and I almost liked it even more with the extra sweetness. This is definitely a recipe that I am keeping in the books! Thank you for sharing!
Ok I was having a serious panic attack but in reading an above post I see that the last 3 ingredients in the frosting should be the last three of the cupcake itself. Whew!
Hi Debbi, My apologies! It looks like we had a reformatting glitch with the new design. I’ve corrected the problem; so sorry about that!
I have made these cupcakes dozens of times and they are awesome. When I went to make them tonight, though, I just noticed that the amount of salt called for in the instructions is not listed under the cake ingredients. I can’t believe I never noticed that before! Can you please advise how much salt should be used. Thank you!!!
And the vanilla is missing too! Something must have happened to the post.
I make these every month for my classmates! They’re delicious! :) Can’t quite get the icing right though.
Someone may have already pointed this out but I think the last three ingredients listed under the frosting should actually go under the cupcakes. I’ve made these many times and the recipe looked different today?? very bizarre!!
Love this recipe soo much!! :)
Hi April, My apologies! It looks like we had a reformatting glitch with the new design. I’ve corrected the problem; so sorry about that!