Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes

🧂 Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

  (spoon and leveled)
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ tablespoon espresso powder

  (optional)
• 1 cup milk

  (warmed to room temperature)
• ½ cup coconut oil

  (or your preferred vegetable oil, or melted butter)
• 2 large eggs

  (beaten, at room temperature)
• 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup water

  (boiling)
• 1 cup butter

  (softened, at room temperature)
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

  (optional)
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoon milk

Instructions

• 1 Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) then lightly grease the divots or cavities of
  your muffin tin or line them with cupcake liners.
• 2 Combine your dry ingredients until well combined (I used a whisk to mix, or you
  can sift the cocoa powder after you measure). Include the optional espresso
  powder or swap your unsweetened cocoa powder for Dutch process cocoa to achieve
  the best possible chocolate flavor.
• 3 Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid
  ingredients into it: beaten eggs, milk, coconut or vegetable oil, and vanilla
  extract. Mix well.
• 4 After mixing your batter, add 1 cup of boiling water.
• 5 In your preheated oven, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes or until an
  inserted toothpick comes out clean. *The toothpick, knife, or cake tester may
  still have crumbs on it but should not be wet or gummy.
• 6 Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes
  before popping them out of the pan and cooling them completely on a wire rack.
• 7 In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter for 2 full
  minutes until you get a smooth consistency. Then, add the creamy peanut butter
  and beat for an additional minute or two.
• 8 Add in the vanilla extract and pinch of salt and beat until smooth again.
• 9 Add the confectioners' sugar in 1-cup portions gradually while mixing at medium
  speed.
• 10 Drizzle milk into the frosting as needed to get a smooth consistency. Make sure
  to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl while you mix in order to
  include all of the powdered sugar.
• 11 Increase the speed of the mixer to high and allow it to whip the frosting for
  1-2 minutes, or until it reaches a creamy and smooth texture.
• 12 Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a large piping tip, an apple
  corer, or a knife to make a hole in the center of each chocolate cupcake.
• 13 Transfer your peanut butter frosting into a piping bag or a plastic storage bag,
  then snip the tip for piping into the cupcakes. Fill each cupcake and frost the
  tops.

Nutrition Info