Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Dave gets cupcakes for his birthday. Because I love him and he loves cake. So for his birthday this year, I made him these amazing cupcakes with a peanut butter cake speckled with chocolate chips and topped with a fluffy peanut butter buttercream frosting. I don't know how or why, but when these cupcakes baked up, the tops became firm and cookie-like in texture and the bottom half of the cupcakes were soft, fluffy and perfectly cakey. Maybe it was my stone muffin pan or maybe this recipe is magic, but either way, it's fine. The frosting is delicious on it's one, but I had a bit of chocolate buttercream frosting left over from a previous dessert, so for a few of these, I put both the chocolate and the peanut butter frosting in the piping bag for a yummy buttercream swirl of peanut butter and chocolate. Topped with some fun chocolate sprinkles and ta-da! Awesome peanut butter chocolate chip cupcakes for my honey's birthday.

So I let Dave loose on my Cupcake board on Pinterest. After almost blowing his mind at the possibilities, he finally narrowed it down and then chose these cupcakes from Food Snots. I made a few adjustments, including somehow ending up with 18 cupcakes rather than 12. I also added a bit of cake enhancer, as I typically do for cupcakes to create that light, airy texture. I mildly changed the process by beating the butter and peanut butter together to start, then adding the sugar and other ingredients. I'm a firm believer in beating the crap out of the your fat and sugars. This puts a lot of air into the batter by creating a creamy base before you add the flour and dry ingredients. You can't add air once you add the dry ingredients--beating the batter too much after adding the dry goods just creates a tough batter which isn't the yummiest. If you're a peanut butter and chocolate devotee like Dave, you'll love these cupcakes and their fluffy frosting tops.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon cake enhancer, optional
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cake enhancer (if using), baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand held mixer, beat butter and peanut butter on for about 2 minutes until creamy.

Add brown sugar and sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes until mixture is creamy, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Add eggs and beat until incorporated.

Measure milk into a measuring cup and add vanilla extract.

Gradually add flour mixture and stir into butter mixture, alternating with the milk mixture.  Stir just until flour and/or milk is incorporate.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Line 18 muffin cups with liners and divide batter among them. Note: I use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-28 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean and the tops are gently golden and spring back. Remove from oven and let cool in pans for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. While cupcakes cool, prepare frosting.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate sprinkles, for topping

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat peanut butter and butter for 3-5 minutes until creamy.

Combine powdered sugar and salt in a small bowl. Measure milk into a measuring cup, then add vanilla extract. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add powdered sugar mixture, alternating with milk mixture.

Once combined, increase speed to high and beat for 3-5 minutes until light, fluffy and airy.

Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large tip in your desired shape (I chose a star tip.) Pipe frosting onto cupcakes and top with chocolate sprinkles.

Serve or store in an airtight container. Refrigerate to keep for up to a week.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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