Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

18 Comments on Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
peanut butter cupcakes

Edible engagement rings made from modelling chocolate

This weekend just gone, we celebrated our engagement for the second time in as many months (with a big group of people, that is, I can’t even begin to count the number of times we’ve raised a glass in smaller circles), inviting just over sixty of our favourite friends to drink, dance and generally make merry whilst using our upcoming wedding as the perfect excuse to do so.

peanut butter cupcakes

Squidgy chocolate cupcakes with creamy peanut butter frosting

Where the family party involved an incredible amount of food and quite a bit of alcohol, it’s fair to say that the celebration with friends was a little more focused on the booze. However it wouldn’t be a proper celebration without some sort of cake (in my eyes anyway) and after a poll of all the people coming saw near unanimous requests for some sort of chocolate/peanut butter combination, these cupcakes were born.

engagement rings

Homemade engagement rings – some rocks are bigger than others!

Delivering the cupcakes to the party wasn’t without its problems. I didn’t have any containers big enough to house the sixty or so cakes I’d made, so we decided to take the trays on our knees in the taxi. Suffice to say a couple of cakes slid off onto the pavement, another onto the taxi floor (the driver was surprisingly cheery about it, perhaps caught up in our unashamedly overexcited engagement mood) and several smears of peanut butter frosting ended up on coats and sleeves as we made our way to the party.

peanut butter cupcakes

Clouds of salty sweet nutty frosting deliciousness

There may have been some minor delivery problems, but it was absolutely worth going to the effort of making them. The cupcakes added to the sense of occasion, induced smiles on the faces of everyone who ate them and I’m pretty sure my tactical consumption of a second cake late into the evening is what prevented me from what could have been the hangover from hell on Sunday.

What more could you ask for in a cake?

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

The instructions below look quite long but the cupcakes and frosting are both very simple recipes. The homemade engagement rings are a little more involved but entirely optional. You can also make them well in advance and store in an airtight container until you want to use them.

Ingredients:

For the engagement rings
Modelling chocolate
Edible gold and silver lustre dust

For the cupcakes
125g plain dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids minimum
165ml full fat milk
285g light brown sugar
105g unsalted butter, softened
2 large free range eggs, beaten
180g plain flour
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
8g cocoa powder

For the frosting
75ml double cream
195g icing sugar, sifted
165g unsalted butter, softened
125g smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch fleur de sel

Method:

For the engagement rings
Work the modelling chocolate until smooth and pliant. Divide into two thirds and one third.

Take a tiny pinch of the third portion and roll into a ball. Pinch the end between your finger and thumb, flattening the top of the ball with your other finger to form a rough diamond shape. Repeat with the full quantity.

Roll the two thirds portion into a long thin strip. Cut approx. 5cm long strips.

Take one diamond shape and one strip. Shape the strip into a circle, placing the diamond shape in the middle then press together. Use a small, blunt ended stick to smooth the diamond shape to the strip. Repeat with all the remaining modelling chocolate.

Using a paintbrush, dust each ring with gold dust then paint the diamonds with silver lustre dust. Set aside until ready to use (I made them a week in advance).

For the cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Line two muffin trays with 24 large cupcake cases.

Gently melt the chocolate, milk and 140g of the sugar in a small saucepan then bring to the boil whilst stirring. Remove from the heat.

In a medium sized bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Slowly stir in the beaten eggs until combined.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder and salt together then add to the batter in two batches, slowly mixing until combined.

Slowly pour the hot chocolate into the batter and mix, scraping down the sides until well combined. Divide the batter between your prepared cupcake cases, filling only two thirds full.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the tops spring back and the edges have shrunk away from the side. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave for a couple of minutes in the trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting
Combine the double cream and 10g icing sugar in a large clean bowl and whisk until light, fluffy, stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overmix.

In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and peanut butter.  (You could also do this with a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease.) Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 45 seconds.

Add the remaining icing sugar to the bowl a little at a time, mixing slowly so it doesn’t all billow up in the air. Once loosely combined, turn the speed to full and beat for 2 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract and salt, and continue to whip on high speed until very fluffy, about 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Using a large spatula or metal spoon, gently fold one third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture before adding the rest and folding carefully to combine.

 

18 RESPONSES TO Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

  1. daisyandthefox -

    congratulations on your engagement!!
    and these cupcakes look simply divine!! 🙂 i can see why everyone loved them!

  2. These are the most adorable, and delicious looking cupcakes!! I just love the modelling chocolate engagement ring. I can see why everyone loved them. You are so talented making the rings.

  3. Love the little rings! I’ve (shock horror) never actually ever eaten any form of chocolate/peanut butter item but I reckon these would be the perfect introduction!

  4. Amy -

    Absolutely fantastic. I love the rings and they look perfect resting on top of the beautifully simplistic cakes. Have you tried making your own modelling chocolate? Surprisingly easy! I love the tale of the journey too. It is good to know that I am not the only one who has ended up with frosting on clothing mid-transportation! I am impressed with all the celebrations too. Will just one wedding day be enough or will you stretch that one out too!? At least two honeymoons too?! Go for it!

  5. Obviously I love the chocolate/peanut butter combination and the engagement rings are utterly adorable too! I may steal this idea for my best friend who is getting married next year too 🙂

  6. That’s a brilliant idea to celebrate your engagement. Congratulations! Also chocolate and peanut butter is a fanatastic choice for indulgent, celebratory cupcakes.

  7. These are absolutely amazing! I can’t begin to imagine the effort you must have gone to to make those rings.

  8. Lovely cupcakes! Those modeling chocolate rings are such a cute touch. I chuckled when you talked about your delivery problems 🙂 I can relate! I can’t even tell you how many times I had to juggle baked goods and a dog or 2 in NYC cabs when I lived there. Also, I love that you have had multiple engagement celebrations! It’s such a short and exciting time, you should celebrate it as much as you can!

  9. I love how rustic the faux engagement rings look! Can´t beat chocolate/peanut butter. Gorgeous and perfect cupcakes!

  10. Congratulations on the engagement and the cakes! Both amazing 🙂

  11. Amy -

    Oh those are so cute! Crazy creative with the molding chocolate– I love the rings. Haha, and I loved how the taxi driver wasn’t too mad about frosting on his car floor. I guess love puts people in good moods.

  12. Love the rings! Lots of effort but what a great result. The ones with hearts on top are cute too. You must be enjoying your engagement!

  13. I’ve been pondering some sort of peanut butter frosting for a while…then this, with cream no less! Looks delish.

    • Daisy & the Fox – thank you!

      Jennifer – thank you. They don’t really look like any engagement ring I’d want to receive, but they look quite cool 🙂

      Food, Photography & France – thanks!

      Elly – what?! You need to rectify that right now young lady!!

      Amy – aha, probably not two honeymoons, although that would be lovely 😉

      Kathryn – do it!

      Jen – thank you, they were the perfect simple celebration.

      Nicky – I made them well in advance so I didn’t have lots to do on the day!

      Connie – oh wow, I can’t even imagine trying to juggle dogs alongside as well!

      Paula – you really can’t, it’s a classic for a reason 🙂

      Bakerama – aw, thanks 🙂

      Amy – I really think it does 🙂

      Leaf – I’m loving every second!

      Bianca – thanks.

      Things We Make – the cream gives it a lovely, light, cloud-like texture.

  14. Pingback: Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting « The Best Cupcake Recipes

  15. Laura -

    You’re certainly a fan of chocolate and peanut butter, they do sound yum. You know the first thing to add if you have a wedding list – a cupcake holder. The engagement rings are such a cute addition.

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