Decadent Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes

For the end of my summer job, one of my coworkers threw a party so that all of us could celebrate. I, inevitably, made cupcakes (this really has been a cupcake heavy summer, probably because my cupcake pans are all I brought with to DC). For this particular party I let my coworkers vote on cupcake choices. I made the first and third choices (the second was made by another coworker). The number one choice was chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes. For the cupcake base I used one of my standard chocolate-cupcakes, which I filled with a peanut-butter mousse, and frosted with a peanut-butter ganache. The cupcakes were really rich, but excellent. Key to their success was cutting out large cones from the centers of the cupcakes, so that lots of mousse could get in.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes ~26

2 sticks unsalted butter

½ cup cocoa-powder

¾ cup water

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

½ cup well-shaken buttermilk

2 T vanillas

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 T cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

2. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over low heat. Add in the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Then add the water and mix until smooth again. Remove from heat

3. One at a time mix in the sugar, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla

4. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet, and whisk until well combined.

5. Fill cupcakes using a ¼ cup measure. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let them cool thoroughly before frosting.

Peanut-Butter Mousse

1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)

1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1 T vanilla

1 cup chilled whipping cream

1. Beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth and well blended.

2. Using clean, chilled beaters, and a chilled bowl, beat the cream to stiff peaks.

3. Fold ¼ of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream ¼ at a time. Fold until smooth and well mixed. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Peanut-butter Ganache

6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

1. Put the peanut butter and chocolate in a bowl.

2. Heat the heavy cream to a simmer, pour over the chocolate

3. Let the cream sit for a minute, then stir until thoroughly mixed. Let the ganache cool until it thickens enough to be spreadable.

Assembly

1. Cut large cones out of the cupcakes. Cut the bottoms off of the cones.

2. Fill the cupcakes with peanut butter mousse. Re-cover the tops of the cupcakes.

3. Pour or spread the ganache over the top of the cupcakes. Refrigerate until 30-45 minutes before serving.