Chocolate and peanut butter. It’s a simple yet classic combination that immediately stirs up an image of one of America’s favorite candies. Let’s take the chocolate component and turn it into a fluffy cupcake and transform the peanut butter into a creamy frosting swirled across that cupcake. This might be cupcake heaven!
It starts with a moist, light cake compliments of sour cream. Much like buttermilk, sour cream provides an acid component that helps deliver a tender crumb while adding moisture to baked goods. The usual suspects are included in the list of ingredients along with pure vanilla extract to deepen the flavors, whole eggs for richness and of course the chocolate.
It’s an easy recipe and one that can be used to create a gorgeous layer cake. And of course cupcakes.
Then there’s the frosting and it’s a peanut butter delight. Thick, creamy peanut is blended into butter with a touch more pure vanilla followed by a bit of cream.
The cupcakes can be whipped up in an afternoon and the frosting comes together while the cupcakes bake. Once the cakes are cool spread a dollop or two on top and you’re ready to dive right in!
You might have already bought your candy stash in preparation for Halloween but you’ve still got time to stir up a batch of these glorious treats for your favorite ghosts and goblins!
Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
For the Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1-¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup shortening
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup water
Toss the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt together into a large mixing bowl, blending on medium speed until combined.
Add the sour cream, shortening, vanilla, eggs, melted chocolate, and the water.
Beat starting on medium speed until just combined, scraping bowl down as needed. Raise the speed to medium-high speed and beat for 3 minutes.
Place paper liners into 22 wells of your muffin tins. Fill each about each about ¾ full with the cake batter. Using a large ice cream scoop makes this an easy task.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pans for about 5 minutes then remove the cupcakes and cool completely on wire racks.
For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
5 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, measured after sifting
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â…“ cup heavy cream
Cream the butter and the peanut butter together on medium speed until they’re well blended.
Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar, the kosher salt, vanilla, and the cream. Beat together starting on low speed for about 30 seconds. Raise the speed to medium and continue beating until light and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the additional 2 tablespoons powdered sugar if needed for a thicker frosting. Spread a dollop of frosting on the top of each chocolate cupcake.
Makes 22 cupcakes.
Favorite Tools and Ingredients!
For mixing and baking, it’s hard to beat KitchenAid’s stand mixer. My Mom bought my first, a 5-quart over 30 years ago. I’ve moved up to the 7-quart, ideal for double batch of cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and breads. Sturdy enough for the thickest of doughs, efficient enough to produce creamy frostings! If you love baking, this is a must! https://amzn.to/48kGfuU
Nielsen-Massey has been a pantry staple for years. We always keep their pure vanilla extract and vanilla paste on hand plus their almond extract, coffee extract and chocolate extract. https://amzn.to/3YCVGez
We switched to King Arthur flour years ago and have never been disappointed with the quality. We primarily bake with their all-purpose flour, but they also have a wide variety of flours, including bread, cake, pasta and gluten free. Load up for the holidays! https://amzn.to/4hmjkDC
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Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Muffin pans plus paper liners
- wire racks for cooling
Ingredients
- For the Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1-¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup water
- For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
- 5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, measured after sifting
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- â…“ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven(s) to 350-degrees.
- For the Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Toss the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt together into a large mixing bowl, blending on medium speed until combined.
- Add the sour cream, shortening, vanilla, eggs, melted chocolate, and the water. Beat starting on medium speed until just combined, scraping bowl down as needed. Raise the speed to medium-high speed and beat for 3 minutes.
- Place paper liners into 22 wells of your muffin tins. Fill each about each about ¾ full with the cake batter. Using a large ice cream scoop makes this an easy task.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans for about 5 minutes then remove the cupcakes and cool completely on wire racks.
- For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
- Cream the butter and the peanut butter together on medium speed until they’re well blended.
- Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar, the kosher salt, vanilla and the cream. Beat together starting on low speed for about 30 seconds. Raise the speed to medium and continue beating until light and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the additional 2 tablespoons powdered sugar if needed for a thicker frosting.
- Spread a dollop of frosting on top of each chocolate cupcake.
