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But First We Brunch ยป Recipes ยป Dessert

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Modified: Oct 22, 2021 by Cynthia Christensen ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท Leave a Comment

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These Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes have a rich dark chocolate cake and a fluffy peanut butter frosting, all in a perfectly portioned bite!

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting topped with chopped chocolate covered peanuts

Save This Recipe! ๐Ÿ’Œ

I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!

Most of the cupcake recipes Iโ€™ve found online are for, at a minimum, 18-24 cupcakes. I developed this recipe for those times when I donโ€™t feel like supplying the neighborhood with baked goods. I just want enough cupcakes to feel like maybe I shouldnโ€™t eat another cupcake, but oh look thereโ€™s only 4 cupcakes left, I better eat another before theyโ€™re all gone. Like, that many cupcakes.  

I also made the recipe for an appropriate amount of frosting to frost these cupcakes and then turn around and stick one spoonful of frosting in your mouth before giving someone else the bowl to scrape with their finger. So, a โ€œlove yourselfโ€ amount of frosting. Stick with me guys, I got all the tricks ๐Ÿคซ

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๐Ÿ“– Recipe

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

These Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes have a rich dark chocolate cake and a fluffy peanut butter frosting, all in a perfectly portioned bite!
No ratings yet
Author: Cynthia Christensen
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 cupcakes

Equipment

  • Standard size muffin pan
  • Small scoop
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Ingredients
 

Cupcakes

  • 1 โ…“ cup all-purpose flour 169 g
  • ยฝ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder 41 g
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
  • ยฝ teaspoon fine grain kosher salt
  • ยฝ cup brewed coffee 120 g
  • ยฝ teaspoon instant espresso
  • ยฝ cup buttermilk 120 g
  • ยฝ cup canola or other neutral oil 120 g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • ยฝ cup granulated sugar 100 g
  • ยผ cup brown sugar

Peanut Butter Frosting

  • ยฝ cup unsalted butter 113 g, at room temperature
  • ยพ cup creamy peanut butter 192 g
  • 2 cups powdered sugar 240 g
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk

Garnishes (optional)

  • chopped peanuts
  • chopped peanut butter and chocolate candies

Instructions

Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard size muffin pan with muffin cup liners.
  • Brew coffee. Dissolve instant espresso in hot coffee. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and eggs with the sugars.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, alternating with the coffee and stir until just combined; do not overmix. The batter will be thin.
  • Using a medium cookie scoop, place ยผ cup of batter in each cupcake liner, filling them about โ…” full.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes, turning your pans around halfway through. They are done when a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out almost completely clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

Frosting

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and peanut butter on low speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, ยฝ cup at a time, beating until smooth. Add in the milk and increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Frost your fully cooled cupcakes by whatever method you are comfortable using. That can mean just using a butter knife to schmear a good dollop of frosting over the tops, or you can use a plastic zip top bag or a piping bag fitted with a tip and pipe the frosting on top in swirls or dollops. Finally, you can garnish the tops of your cupcakes fancy-like with chopped peanuts or, like me, crush up some Reeseโ€™s Crunchers and sprinkle them on top. Itโ€™s all delicious and headed straight for a mouth near you ๐Ÿ˜‹

Save This Recipe! ๐Ÿ’Œ

I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!

The nutritional and caloric information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It does not assert or suggest that readers should or should not count calories, and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโ€™s or doctorโ€™s counseling.

Tried this recipe?I would love for you to leave a comment!

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Picture of the author with a banner, stating welcome to my blog I am Cynthia.

In our house we get up with the sun, and most of us don't stop working until late in the night, so breakfast and brunch are our family meals. So join me at the kitchen counter, where I cook up delicious food for my busy family, starting first thing in the morning!

More about me โ†’

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