Double Dark Chocolate Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Filling Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350° and position 2 racks in the lower and middle third of the oven. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
• Put the cocoa powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Whisk in the buttermilk until combined. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 sticks of the butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then beat in the dry ingredients in 2 batches, alternating with the cocoa mixture. Carefully spoon the cupcake batter into the lined muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are springy. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, beat the peanut butter with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter until creamy. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon all but 3 tablespoons of the peanut butter filling into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch star tip. Holding a cupcake in your hand, plunge the tip into the top of the cake, pushing it about 3/4 inch deep. Gently squeeze the pastry bag to fill the cupcake, withdrawing it slowly as you squeeze; you will feel the cupcake expand slightly as you fill it. Scrape any filling from the top of the cupcake and repeat until all of the cupcakes are filled.
• In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Off the heat, add the semisweet chocolate to the cream and let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk the melted chocolate into the cream until smooth. Let the chocolate icing stand until slightly cooled and thickened, about 15 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the icing, letting the excess drip back into the pan. Transfer the cupcakes to racks and let stand for 5 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes again and transfer them to racks. Spoon the remaining 3 tablespoons of peanut butter filling into the pastry bag and pipe tiny rosettes on the tops of the cupcakes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners (yields 22). Peanut Butter Filling: Cream all ingredients until well combined and set aside. Chocolate Cake: In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil and vanilla (do not over beat the eggs). Add sour cream, yogurt and milk and stir well. Add cake mix (for easy mixing sift cake mix into batter). Fill cupcake liners ½-3/4 full. Place about 1 ½ teaspoons peanut butter filling on top of batter. Then, do your best to push the filling down into the batter. (Unlike my photo where it is just sitting on top.) If you don't push the filling into the middle, it may slide over while it bakes, that is what mine did.
• Bake for about 18 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Buttercream: Beat butter and cream cheese. Add remaining ingredients and adjust as needed to reach desired consistency. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with half of a peanut butter cup. (To cut easily, put peanut butter cups into the freezer for a few minutes.)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 12 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups.
• In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, peanut butter, sour cream, egg and egg white with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Beat in remaining ingredients except powdered sugar on low speed just until mixed. Divide among muffin cups.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar.