Amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

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These amazing chocolate peanut butter cupcakes combine an ultra moist chocolate cupcake with a creamy peanut butter frosting that tastes just like the center of a Reese's cup. They are so rich and decadent but also easy to make!

One cupcake placed on a small speckled gray plate with other cupcakes in the background on a beige surface

My blog has been in dire need of some chocolate peanut butter recipes for a while. Apart from my peanut butter stuffed brownies, I've got nothing else! A tragedy. So I took my favorite extra-moist chocolate cupcake recipe and topped it with a super creamy peanut butter frosting and the rest is history. These taste JUST like a Reese's peanut butter cup in cake form. WIN.

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Ingredients
Step By Step Instructions
Decorating Tutorial
FAQ
Kitchen Equipment
Storing and Freezing Instructions
More Cake & Cupcake Recipes You'll Love
Amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

One cupcake bitten into, with its liner unwrapped and placed on a small speckled plate

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

Sugar
Flour
Cocoa powder: I like to use dutch-processed cocoa powder for a dark and rich chocolate flavor, but natural unsweetened is okay too.
Baking powder & baking soda
Salt
Buttermilk: The secret for ultra moist cupcakes! Don't have any buttermilk at home? See my FAQ below!
Oil: Using oil instead of butter creates moist and soft cupcakes.
Egg
Vanilla
Coffee: Adding hot coffee to the batter blooms the cocoa powder, creating a richer, more chocolate-y flavor. You won't taste the espresso, but you can use hot water instead if needed.

Ingredients for the chocolate cupcake portioned into individual bowls with text overlay indicating each ingredient — Not included in this graphic are the frosting ingredients, which are listed below!

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

Peanut butter: Make sure to use a creamy conventional peanut butter like Jif or Skippy, not natural, for the best consistency. Natural peanut butter is too oily and separates easily.
Butter
Powdered sugar: Sift your powdered sugar if it's lumpy. Unlike other recipes, this frosting doesn't use a ton of powdered sugar- just enough to lightly sweeten it and make it pipeable without it being tooth-aching.
Cream: A bit of liquid is needed to thin out the frosting. Make sure it's at room temperature to prevent the frosting from separating.
Vanilla
Salt

Step By Step Instructions

STEP 1: Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

STEP 2: Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla.

Buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla added to a large glass bowl but not whisked together

Wet ingredients whisked together until a smooth, light yellow color in a large glass bowl

STEP 3: Combine the dry and wet ingredients and add coffee. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and pour in the HOT coffee. Whisk until combined. The batter will be thin and that's okay!

The dry ingredients and coffee poured on top of the wet ingredients but not yet combined together

Close-up shot of thin, reddish-brown chocolate cake batter

STEP 4: Pour batter into tins. Divide the batter between 12 paper liners, filling ⅔ of the way to the top.

STEP 5: Bake. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

STEP 6: Cool. Set the pan over a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool COMPLETELY before frosting! Any warmth whatsoever will melt the frosting and create a mess.

STEP 7: Make the frosting. Beat butter for 3 minutes, then add peanut butter, powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt and beat for another 3-5 minutes or until fluffy. For more detailed instructions, see my peanut butter frosting blog post.

Close-up shot of butter beaten in a bowl, pale in color and creamy

Powdered sugar, peanut butter, and cream added to the creamed butter but not yet mixed in

Close-up shot of the frosting after 1 minute of mixing

Close-up shot of finished, creamy, smooth peanut butter frosting that has lightened in color from being whipped

STEP 8: Decorate. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes or spread with a knife. Top with any garnishes as desired and enjoy!

Decorating Tutorial

You can spread the frosting onto the cupcakes using a knife or by piping it. Piping requires a bit more technique but the results are much prettier.

Here's how to fill a piping bag: Grab a large piping bag. Cut off the end and insert a piping tip- I used Wilton 1M for the pictured cupcakes. Place the piping bag in a large, tall cup, and fold a few inches of the top of the bag over the cup. This makes sure the frosting won't spill out the top. Fill the bag with frosting, around ⅔ of the way to the top. Unroll the folded part of the piping bag and twist it until tight.

To create the pictured swirls, start in the center of the cupcake and pipe outward, then pipe more frosting on top.

Once all of your cupcakes are topped with frosting, garnish them with any desired decorations:

Salted caramel
Chocolate ganache
Melted peanut butter
Crushed peanuts
Crushed peanut M&M's
Reese's cups

If you want to drizzle your cupcakes with caramel, ganache, etc, make sure you reheat it into the microwave so it's warm and fluid first. For the prettiest, neatest drizzle, use a squeeze bottle or snip off the corner of a small plastic bag instead of using a spoon.

A clear plastic piping bag filled with peanut butter frosting with the top twisted to seal

Close-up shot of a peanut butter cupcake showing off the tall swirl of peanut butter frosting on top

FAQ

Can I make these cupcakes without buttermilk?

You can use sour cream instead OR try making this buttermilk substitute (make it and use 120 grams). You can also try using plain full-fat Greek yogurt but the cupcakes may be a bit less rich.

Can I add peanut butter to the cupcake batter?

If you want a peanut butter flavored cupcake I would try a recipe specifically created to have peanut butter in the batter. These peanut butter cupcakes would be delicious. Adding peanut butter to this chocolate cupcake batter would dry it out and require further testing.

Can I use natural peanut butter?

Natural peanut butter is too oily and separates easily, even if you stir it before using. Processed creamy peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy, will give the best results.

Peanut butter cupcake on a small speckled plate on top of a crinkled book page, with more cupcakes in the background on a cake stand

Kitchen Equipment

Glass mixing bowls
Kitchen scale
12-count muffin pan
Parchment paper cupcake liners
Large cookie scoop (to transfer batter into the liners)
Cooling rack
Disposable piping bags
Wilton 1M piping tip

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw frozen cupcakes overnight in the fridge before serving.