I've made literally dozens and dozens of different kinds of cupcakes and a peanut butter cupcake sounded like a no brainer when someone first suggested it to me. Smooth, creamy peanut butter baked into a moist, yellow cupcake - what's so hard about that? (Famous last words.) So after a least 2 failed attempts at a peanut butter cupcake - I finally found one that was up to my standard of cupcake perfection. It was not without some serious chemistry work in the kitchen though. What I found out (the hard way) is that there is so much oil in the peanut butter that it really messes up the fat ratios in the rest of the cake. Once I figured out how much I needed to reduce the amount of butter in the cake recipe and how much peanut butter to add, I was well on my way to a delicious peanut butter cupcake. My first batch was so oily that the cupcake papers were even greasy. My second batch was like rock solid. (Ok, so maybe not ROCK solid but at least as hard as an apple.) My third batch was the winner - creamy, moist, peanutty cupcakes with a swirl of chocolate buttercream and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts. Ahhhh, peanut butter cupcake perfection. Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2/3 cup whole milk Chocolate Buttercream
Add peanut butter, egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, then mix until just combined. Divide batter among lined muffin cups (about two-thirds full) and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and a tester inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto a rack and cool completely. Add a swirl of chocolate buttercream and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts. Peanut Butter Lovers Rejoice!
Ciao!
0 Comments
2015 has me thinking about cleaning out and organizing my house. Straightening out junk drawers, cleaning out the filing cabinet and organizing closets are top priorities on my list for 2015. I've tried to capitalize on this motivation and do some blog cleaning as well. Here's to 2015 and to getting my blog posts out a little earlier. Double Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes For the cupcakes: 3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 1½ cups hot brewed coffee 3 cups sugar 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tsp. baking soda ¾ tsp. baking powder 1¼ tsp. salt 3 large eggs ¾ cup vegetable oil 1½ cups buttermilk ¾ tsp. vanilla extract For the filling: 1 (12 oz.) bag frozen raspberries, thawed ¼ cup sugar 1 tbsp. cornstarch To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl; add the hot coffee and let stand a minute or two, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add the dry ingredients and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan to remove the seeds. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan to remove the seeds. Once it has thickened, remove the pan from the heat. Chill before using. Fill each cupcake hole with a spoonful of cooled raspberry mixture. Top each cupcake with a layer of chocolate ganache. To make raspberry buttercream, stir all but 2 Tablespoons of remaining raspberry puree into vanilla buttercream. To finish, top each cupcake with a swirl of raspberry buttercream, a drizzle of the remaining raspberry puree and a dark chocolate garnish. New Year's resolutions start tomorrow - tonight -it's cupcakes!!! The only thing that bothers me a little about these cupcakes is that the raspberry sauce looks a little like blood. Maybe I'll skip the drizzle the next time I make these. (Which will be soon.) Ciao!
I have a love-hate relationship with homemade caramel. I would LOVE to be able to make it and I HATE the fact that I haven't been able to master the technique yet. The thought of a homemade salted caramel sauce is incredibly appealing. There are so many things that I could do with a jar full of homemade caramel - swirl it into buttercream and cupcake batter, drizzle it over ice cream and cakes. I found this recipe for salted caramel chocolate cupcakes on Annieseats.com and I decided to give homemade caramel one more try. The problem that I've had is that my caramel seems nice and smooth and creamy while it's warm but once it cools to room temperature, it turns grainy and gritty. (Anyone out there that can tell me what I'm doing wrong?) Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes For the cupcakes: ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon hot water 2¼ cups all-purpose flour ¾ tsp. baking soda ¾ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 2/3 cups sugar 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 tbsp. vanilla extract ¾ cup sour cream For the filling: 2½ cups sugar 2/3 cup water 1 tbsp. light corn syrup ¾ cup heavy cream, warmed 2¼ tsp. sea salt Salted Caramel Buttercream
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. To make the filling, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has melted into a syrup. Stop stirring and gently swirl the pan, using a pastry brush dipped in water to wipe down any bits of sugar stuck to the sides of the pan. Continue to boil, swirling occasionally, until the mixture is a deep amber color (but not burned!) and it registers 340˚ F on the thermometer. Very slowly pour in the cream in a slow, steady stream down the inside edge of the pan, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt. Cut a hole in each cupcake. Fill with caramel sauce. Top with caramel buttercream. Decorate with a chocolate dipped - salted caramel. My caramel sauce actually turned out better this time. It didn't seem to get grainy when it was refrigerated and I'm hoping that it will last in a Tupperware container for a few weeks. I really don't know what I did differently so if you can help me out on this one - send me a comment please.
Ciao! |
Like my page on facebook.
Follow me on Instagram
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|