I don’t think this needs to be said, but I’ll say it anyway.


I LOVE CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER!!!!



There. Got that out. Now, really, I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t like chocolate and peanut butter. And there are a million bajillion recipes out there for chocolate peanut butter cupcakes. So I’ll just add to the pile. 


BUT, my difference is that I have 2 icing options to offer you. One on the sweeter side, one, still sweet, but a little more peanut-buttery than not. 


Let’s start with the cupcake! I used the recipe for chocolate cupcakes from Glorious Treats (this one uses oil and I didn’t have enough butter to make my usual recipe). I also used her recipe for the peanut butter icing, but found it just a tad too sweet for my liking. Hence the icing re-do! :0)


Chocolate Cupcake Base

(makes about 2 dozen standard sized cupcakes)

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Directions-
1.  Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350 F.
2.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
4.  Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).
5.  Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and     then pour the batter into the liners.)
6.  Bake cupcakes for approximately 22-24 minutes.
7.  Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.


Peanut Butter Frosting (with cream cheese)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup smooth peanut butter (I went to the Bulk Barn and bought some without added sugar – believe me, you don’t want any more sugar in this icing!)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (ROOM TEMP! :D)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cream or milk

Beat the butter until smooth.  Add the cream cheese, and continue to beat until smooth and fully combined with the butter.  Add the peanut butter and beat until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until the frosting is smooth. Add in the cream, and beat another 30 seconds.  Frost cupcakes.


Now, here is where I goofed. I decided to 1 1/2 times the recipe, but since I only had enough cream cheese out for 1 recipe, I had to quickly heat up the cream cheese so it was soft.


And in doing so I think I curdled it. Thus the reason for the  funky look of this icing. It is supposed to come out smooth. Mine  came out clumpy. So there was no swirling, only plopping (for lack of a better term). Thankfully, the mini chocolate peanut butter cups helped to improve their appearance. And they still tasted great!



Peanut Butter Icing 2
1/2 unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar free (IE just peanuts) smooth peanut butter
3-4 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup cream or milk


Beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. On low, beat in half of the icing sugar. Mix in 1/4 of the cream. Beat in remaining icing sugar (adjust the amount of sugar and cream for how stiff or soft you want your icing). Pipe onto your cooled cupcakes!