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Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting (Chocolate Cupcakes)

Savor the irresistible combination of creamy peanut butter buttercream frosting deliciously piped on top of moist chocolate cupcakes, creating a heavenly treat that's sure to please you peanut butter and chocolate lovers.

Creamy Peanut Buttercream Frosting

Traditional buttercream is absolutely delicious but adding creamy peanut butter to the mixture makes this frosting a peanut butter lover's dream.

It only takes a small tweak to add big flavors of peanut butter to this frosting.

When adding milk to this frosting it's important not to pour all of the milk in at once. I find that I usually don't need to add the full amount. If you want the frosting to be pipable you will want this frosting to be on the stiffer side. To pipe cupcakes, a piping bag and a piping tip are needed.

Chocolate cupcake in black wrapper with peanut butter frosting topped with chopped peanut butter cups.

Ingredients in Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

  • Unsalted butter, softened
  • Shortening
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Confectioner's Sugar
  • Peanut Butter, creamy
  • Milk - to use as needed to make creamy and pipable

Top view of chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and chopped peanut butter cups.

RELATED: Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes

Moist and Rich Chocolate Cupcakes

These chocolate cupcakes pair perfectly with this frosting and the addition of chopped peanut butter cups throws the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter over the top.

These cupcakes are a favorite of mine to make. They're perfect to make for birthdays and for parties.

They are light, moist, and rich in flavor. Adding instant coffee really bumps up the chocolate flavor and the use of buttermilk makes these cupcakes light and velvety.

If you don't have buttermilk on hand, it's easy to make a substitute! An easy and effective substitute is to use milk (in this case ¼ cup) and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the milk.

After letting the milk sit for 5 minutes, then it is added to the other ingredients before baking.

This rich and chocolatey cupcake recipe is the perfect match for this peanut butter buttercream frosting.

If you're in the mood for the ultimate peanut butter experience, check out these Peanut Butter Cupcakes. With the combination of this peanut butter buttercream frosting, it's the perfect dessert for peanut butter lovers.

RELATED: Butterscotch Cupcakes

Ingredients in Chocolate Cupcakes

  • All Purpose flour - spooned & leveled
  • Cocoa Powder - unsweetened
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Eggs
  • Granulated sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Vegetable oil - helps make the chocolate cupcakes moist
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Buttermilk - creates lift and moistness in the chocolate cupcakes
  • Instant Coffee - to increase the chocolate flavor
  • Water
Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream frosting on a white plate.

How To Make Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

It's quite easy to make these cupcakes and the trick to preparing the cupcake batter is not overmix the ingredients.

In a large bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a different bowl, beat together room temperature eggs, sugar, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients slowly, careful not to overmix.

Combine the hot water with the instant coffee and stir to dissolve. Add the coffee to the ingredients and stir to combine.

Add in the buttermilk until combined.

TIP: A great substitute for buttermilk is to add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to ¼ cup of regular milk.  Allow the milk to sit for about 5 minutes before adding it to the other ingredients. 

Fill the cupcakes ¾ of the way full and bake in the preheated oven. Check with a toothpick for doneness - the center will come out clean when the chocolate cupcakes are done baking. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

When making the peanut butter buttercream frosting, it is incredibly simple!

Start with softened butter and beat the shortening in until nice and creamy.

Add in the vanilla and the creamy peanut butter.

Slowly add in the confectioner's sugar. It will be hard to mix and using a hand mixer or stand mixer is preferred when making this frosting.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk at a time and beat until you get the creamy texture you desire.

When frosting cupcakes with this frosting it should not be too thick because it will be hard to pipe. It also should not be too thin as it will not stand firm when piping.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 16 cupcakes

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting (Chocolate Cupcakes)

A chocolate cupcake topped with peanut butter buttercream frosting and chopped Reese's cups.

Savor the irresistible combination of creamy peanut butter buttercream frosting deliciously piped on top of moist chocolate cupcakes, creating a heavenly treat that's sure to please you peanut butter and chocolate lovers.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 24 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, room temp
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup buttermilk*
  • ¼ cup hot water
  • 2 teaspoon instant coffee

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Place cupcake liners in muffin tins.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat together room temperature eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
  6. Combine hot water and the 2 teaspoon of instant coffee until dissolved. Add to bowl.
  7. Add in the buttermilk* and stir together the ingredients until just combined. Don't over mix.
  8. Fill the cupcake liners about ¾ of the way full and bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes. Check center with toothpick to see if they're done. (The center will come out clean.)
  9. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

  1. Beat together the softened butter and the shortening until creamy.
  2. Add in the vanilla and the creamy peanut butter.
  3. Beat in the powdered sugar, a little at a time. It will be crumbly.
  4. Add in 1 tablespoon of milk at at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
  5. Pipe onto cool cupcakes.

Notes

*A great substitute for buttermilk is to add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to ¼ cup of regular milk.  Allow the milk to sit for about 5 minutes before adding it to the other ingredients. 

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 cupcake

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 447Total Fat: 25.8gSaturated Fat: 8.2gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 198mgCarbohydrates: 52.4gFiber: 2.1gSugar: 41.9gProtein: 5.7g

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Coralia Varga

Monday 8th of June 2020

Never tried peanut butter in my frosting before but it seems like such a great idea for the chocolate cupcakes. I might add a drop of jam on top instead of chocolate flakes just to make them even sweeter hehe

Dana

Monday 8th of June 2020

That sounds like a tasty idea!

Sam

Monday 8th of June 2020

Omg these cupcakes are just the recipe I was looking for! Peanut butter and chocolate just go so well together. Can't wait to try this!

GUNJAN C Dudani

Sunday 7th of June 2020

Even though I ma not a very good baker but I cannot stop myself from trying these muffins. I am baking these right now. Will let you know how it went.

Mikayla

Saturday 6th of June 2020

These were really good! Chocolate and peanut butter always makes me happy but I'm pretty sure I'm going to add that peanut butter buttercream to every cupcake now, it's so good!!

Dana

Sunday 7th of June 2020

I am so happy to hear you liked these cupcakes! And yes, the peanut butter buttercream is sooo good! :)

Anna

Saturday 6th of June 2020

Just looking at these photos makes me drool! That peanut butter frosting looks heavenly, so smooth and so creamy! I wish I could just reach out and grab few of these cupcakes of my screen!

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