Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Is there any combination better than the classic chocolate and peanut butter match up?  Not for this pregnant chick.  I’ve craved it this whole pregnancy.  Oh, how I love the sweet/salty combination!  These chocolate cupcakes are light, decadent, and moist and the peanut butter frosting I could have eaten with a spoon.  Make sure you have a glass of nice cold milk nearby.  These babies are rich.

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temp
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk (I put 1 tbsp white vinegar in a measuring cup, then fill to the one cup line with milk.  Allow to sit 5 minutes and you have homemade buttermilk!)
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp dark coffee, brewed
• 1 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on high for about 5 minutes.  Add in eggs, one at a time and then vanilla, beating on medium speed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, greek yogurt, and coffee.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  On low, add buttermilk mixture and flour mixture alternatively to the stand mixer.  Being with buttermilk and end with flour.  Do not overmix.  Mix by hand with a spatula to ensure it’s completely blended.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill cupcake liners evenly using a rounded ice cream scoop’s worth of batter.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until done.  (Test with a toothpick).  Cool completely before topping with the frosting.

Icing Ingredients:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tbsp salted butter, at room temp
• 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup half and half

Mix all ingredients except half and half on medium-low with an electric mixer until creamy and well-mixed.  Add half and half and beat on high until frosting is light and smooth.

I used a piping bag and decorative tip to frost my cupcakes.  I saw this tip on Pinterest that made it so much easier to fill a piping bag (or Ziploc bag if you run out of piping bag like I did!): Put you bag in a cup and then fill with a spatula.  So much easier.