chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

I had this real need to bake these cupcakes ever since I found the recipe - which was yesterday. My family normally loves peanut butter and a chocolate cake, so I though it would be great!

But my brother and dad both declared that they are trying to cut down on fats and sugar,

and my mom was perfectly happy eating the unfrosted cupcake. Which is kind of bad, because now I have an excuse to eat them all.

They came out lovely. The cake is soft and moist, and the frosting isn't too sweet - there is something salty to it from the peanuts, which is great.

Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting:

(adapted from www.browneyedbaker.com) 

Cupcakes:

Ingredients (makes 12 muffins)

• 100 g butter
• 55g dark chocolate
• 40g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 100g plain flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspon salt
• 2 eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• 1/2 pocket vanilla sugar
• 110g sour cream 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180*C.

Line a muffin tin with paper cups.
Put butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in a bowl, place the bowl over a pan with simmering water. Heat, mixing, until completely combined. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
Now, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. 
Take a yet another bowl, whisk eggs until combined. Than, add both sugars and a pinch of salt. Whisk, until you get an almost white, fluffy mixture. This should take about 5 minutes. Add cooled chocolate and whisk carefully. Now, sift in 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Whisk quicky. Add the sour cream, whisk it in. Add the rest of the flour and mix until the batter is thick.
Divide the batter among muffin paper cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes. You may want to rotate the tin after 15 minutes.
Cool the cupcakes for an hour before frosting.

Peanut butter frosting:
Ingredients (makes enough for 12 muffins + surplus for enjoying on its own. Or you can just frost with more than I did)

• 3/4 cup well-sifted confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons soft butter (unsalted)
• 3-4 drops of vanilla extract
• 1/4 tablespoons salt (but you may want to taste the peanut butter - they come quite salty sometimes)
• 1/3 +  3 tablespoons cup heavy cream 

Directions:
Mix everything but the heavy cream until smooth and well combined. This should take about 5 minutes. The longer you whisk, the smoother the frosting gets. Scrape down at least once. When the frosting is satisfyingly smooth, add heavy cream and whisk for another 2 minutes.
Frost the cupcakes in whatever way pleases you: I find using spatula (or a knife) the easiest. Piping isn't quite my thing (yet!). Sprinkle with specks of chocolate and dust with some cocoa powder.


Keep refrigarated, or eat right away.