Time out. Let’s break for cupcakes.

Tom has always had a sweet tooth, but me? Not so much. Although, I have found myself indulging a bit more lately … super rich dark, dark chocolate brownies a friend made, a heavenly strawberry macaron ice cream sandwich … you get the idea.

This chocolate/peanut butter combination is so well-loved, and these cupcakes are no exception. It’s hard to go wrong with dark chocolate cake spiked with coffee, rich ganache, and dense peanut butter frosting shaped like the cookies that everyone’s mom made growing up.

I mean, how can you even resist?

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT BUTTER “COOKIE” FROSTING
makes about 30 cupcakes

FOR THE CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups hot, brewed coffee
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

FOR THE GANACHE:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

FOR THE FROSTING:
9 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 – 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a glass measuring cup, whisk together hot coffee and cocoa powder until all lumps are dissolved. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Next, add butter and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and fully combined. Turn the speed down to low and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Slowly add the vanilla and mix until combined. Continuing on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, adding half the coffee/cocoa mixture in between. Start and finish with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition until just combined. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cupcakes. Let cool for a bit in the pans, then transfer to a cooling rack until they come to room temperature.

While the cupcakes cool, make the ganache. Add the chopped chocolate to a medium heatproof bowl. In a small pot over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Pour over chopped chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Whisk together gently, until a smooth, shiny ganache forms. Set aside.

For the frosting, add the peanut butter and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high for 1 minute. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated and the consistency of a cookie dough. Bump the speed up to medium to fully incorporate the sugar.

Line the counter with wax paper and scoop out the icing, one heaping tablespoon at a time, rolling into a ball, and flattening into a patty. Using the tines of a fork, make a crosshatch pattern on each patty. Repeat until there are enough for each cupcake.

Once the cupcakes are cool, spread the ganache over each cupcake, smoothing out with an offset spatula, or the back of a spoon. Top each cupcake with a peanut butter “cookie” and dig in!

from Savory Sweet Life via Annie’s Eats