Yes. This is my second recipe for stuffed cupcakes in less than a month. The last one for chocolate-stuffed red velvet cupcakes was so fun and scrumptious I had to do it again. These cupcakes might even be better. The peanut butter filling is to die for. Try not to lick it all out of the bowl before filling your cupcakes. Same with the chocolate ganache topping. It’s pretty hard to resist licking that spoon. Alright. Enough talk about licking, let’s get to the recipe.
Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like a Reese’s but WAY better.
Texture: Again this cupcake reminds me of a candy bar – the smooth peanut butter filling, fudge-y ganache, and crunchy peanuts.
Ease: Really nothing difficult, just a little messy. The result is so worth it, though.
Appearance: I think these cupcakes are adorable topped chocolate and peanuts. And a luscious surprise is waiting inside!
Pros: Combines two of my favorite things – chocolate and peanut butter!
Cons: None, except the dishes. But that’s nearly impossible to avoid.
Would I make this again? Yes.
Yield: about 18 cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot strong coffee
For the filling:
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup confections' sugar
For the ganache topping:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin tins with 18 paper liners.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar on high speed until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Continue beating at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 6 more minutes. On low speed, add a 1/3 of the flour mixture. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla, then another 1/3 of flour mixture. Beat in coffee then remaining flour until combined. Divide batter evenly between muffin tins, filling each cup a little more than halfway. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the centers spring back slightly when pressed. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.
For the filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and peanut butter until combined. On low speed add the sugar. Increase speed to high and beat for 3-5 minutes, until smooth and light. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip. Insert tip into the center of each cooled cupcake and fill with about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter filling.
For the ganache:
Place the chocolate in a medium, heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until scalding then pour over chocolate. Let sit 1 minute then stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let ganache stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, or until thick but still pourable. Dip each cupcake into ganache then sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Transfer to the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set. Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
From Food Network Magazine March 2012
