Saturday, July 27, 2013

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream


This is going to just be a quick post today.  It's my Birthday!  To celebrate, the boys and I packed up the car, put on some music, picked up my Mom and headed up North to my visit my Sissy and family in Washington!  This has become our annual summer trip, heading up away from the Bay Area, away from work, away from electronics!  (yes, I realize I'm on the computer posting this right now....but I'll turn it off soon....I promise).

I'm sure the car ride was a treat for my Mom.  11 1/2 hours in a car with two teenage boys is a treat for anyone!  Luckily...they were on their best behavior for Grandma and we made it here without me strapping either of them to the roof!  It helps that they think Grandma walks on water and is the most perfect human alive.  Not once was I subjected to their usual fighting, hitting, burping, or farting contests.  Maybe I should take her on all of our road trips!

Today we head up to the cabin and off the grid, so I will leave you with these yummy cupcakes!  I LOVE Ina Garten!  Most of her recipes turn out great and are foolproof.  The only changes I made to this recipe was to not add espresso to the cupcake batter.  Ina has a thing for espresso powder and as much as I love coffee....I really don't like it in my cupakes when mixed with peanut butter!  Next time I make these cupcakes I will play around with them a bit.  I think it would be fun to bake a mini reese's in the middle of the cupcake and then sprinkle the top of the frosting with chopped reese's.  Overkill? I think not!!!  :)


Before I leave you with the recipe.....BIG shout out to all of my Baker Becky followers in the Ridgefield/Vancouver area!!!  I'm here...I'm here!!!  I'm soooo close....but without any of my baking supplies!  It would be so much fun to come up with my supplies sometime and do some baking at my sister's house for all of you!  Hmmmmm.....maybe next summer!

Enjoy the recipe!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream via Barefoot Contessa At Home

Cupcake:
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup good cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Peanut Butter Buttercream:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and two sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with peanut butter buttercream.

Buttercream:
Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Recipe Shared On:
Foodie Friends Friday
Esskunst Coffee Klatch Friday
Love Bakes Good Cakes - All My Bloggy Friends
Chocolate, Chocolate and More - Thursday's Treasures

8 comments:

  1. We share a birthday! Happy birthday twin! :)

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    1. Awww....Happy Birthday Anita! Hope you had wonderful day! :)

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  2. Happy Birthday and glad you car ride was uneventful - I know what you mean having 3 boys in the backseat for so many hours. Thanks for the cupcake recipe from Ina - I too have made a few of her baked goods recipes and they all turned out delicious. Thanks for sharing this with Foodie Friends Friday.

    We hope to see you again soon,
    Joanne/WineLady Cooks

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    1. Thanks Joanne! :) You will absolutely see me again, I get so many wonderful recipes from Foodie Friends Friday! :)

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  3. Happy birthday! These look fabulous! :)

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