And the Oscar for most delightful cupcake goes to…
DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT-ALMOND BUTTER FROSTING!
I wanted something special to nosh on during the Academy Awards so I decided to bake cupcakes. I don’t bake them very often so it was quite the treat. I prefer dark chocolate to milk and didn’t have enough peanut butter to make straight peanut butter frosting so a whole new cupcake was born!
I actually LOVE the combination of peanut butter and almond butter. The almond butter really lightens up the peanut butter and somehow brings out more of the chocolate flavor. Sometimes I think peanut butter can overpower chocolate.
You should also know something about me: I loathe piping frosting. I don’t have the patience for it. Feel free to pipe these to make your cupcakes more beautiful than mine, but I think they’re perfectly delicious with a smear of frosting and semi-sweet chocolate shaved on top.
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut-Almond Butter Frosting
Makes 24
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Peanut-Almond butter frosting, recipe follows
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two muffin cup pans with cupcake liners and spray each with non-stick spray.
- Combined sugar, flour, dark cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time and stir until incorporated. Add milk, oil and vanilla all at once and beat on medium speed of mixer about two minutes. Stir in the boiling water. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
- Frost with Peanut-Almond Butter Frosting (recipe follows) and garnish with shaved semi-sweet chocolate. A peanut butter cup would be equally cute and delicious!
Peanut-Almond Butter Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup almond butter (I used Justin’s)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup half and half
- Beat together the powdered sugar, peanut butter, almond butter, unsalted butter, vanilla, and salt until creamy.
- Add the half and half and beat until light and fluffy.
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