Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Note: If you don’t have buttermilk … No worries! Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a bowl and add 1 cup of milk. Mix to combine, then let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Then use the amount specified in your recipe.

For the frosting:

I suggest starting by making your ganache first because it takes some time (about 2 hours) to cool to room temperature.

In a medium-large sized microwave safe bowl heat the heavy cream until it simmers (make sure that it does not boil), about 3-4 minutes. Just watch it and if it gets to a hard boil, remove it from the microwave.

Pour chocolate chips into the bowl of a food processor. Add the hot cream. Carefully process until creamy. Set aside until it cools to room temperature, about 2 hours.

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners (recipe makes roughly 18 cupcakes).

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, and mix them in. Add the vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

On low speed, add 1/3 of the the buttermilk mixture then 1/3 of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Continue adding the rest of the buttermilk and flour mixtures, adding 1/3 at a time, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Then fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended.

Pour batter into cupcake pan so each cup is filled about ¾ of the way. I used a gravy ladle and it was almost just enough.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

For the filling:

In a medium mixing bowl combine softened butter and peanut butter and beat on medium-low. Add sifted powdered sugar and continue to beat mixture until smooth and blended.

Add to a frosting bag with tip. Set aside.

For the ganache frosting final step:

Once ganache has cooled to room temperature add it into a standing mixer bowl and beat on high until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Transfer to a tipped frosting bag and set aside.

Assembling the cupcakes:

Once cupcakes have cooled fill each cupcake with the peanut butter filling by inserting the tip of the bag into the center of a cupcake and lightly squeezing the frosting bag until the cupcake is filled. The top of the cupcake with expand slightly.

Repeat until each cupcake is filled.

Frost each cupcake by slowly squeezing the frosting bag with the tip slightly touching the cupcake. You can either spin the cupcake or move your bag creating a spiral around the perimeter of the cupcake working your way to the center.

Top with chopped salted peanuts (optional).

Enjoy!!!

My chocolate cupcake recipe came from one of the best bakers ever — Ina Garten.