Julia Child once said “A party without cake is just a meeting”.  So I am wondering if I bring cupcakes to our next meeting at work will my coworkers will think it is a party?  I think maybe if I brought these these little beauties they might at least be fooled into some celebratory giddiness.

I made Deep Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing and Chocolate Peanut Butter Drizzle for my son’s birthday.  The recipe is 100% taken straight from Sky High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne.  (This book totally rocks for cake recipes!!) The only change I made to the recipe was to make cupcakes instead of a giant cake.

Oh my goodness these cupcakes were a little slice of heaven!  The flavors melded together into a perfect symphony of peanut butter and chocolaty deliciousness.  And if you microwave one for a few seconds to warm it up before you eat it, then you move beyond deliciousness somewhere close to ecstasy.

Two days after making cupcakes I took the extras into work.  I had to get them out of the house because I seriously had no will power at all against these chocolaty bits of goodness.  They insistently called to me even after I confined them to the refrigerator.

I felt a twinge of guilt as I set the cupcakes on the counter at work with a big sign inviting everyone to enjoy.  Several coworkers are participating in our work version of the Biggest Loser Competition.  Normally very supportive of their efforts with healthy recipe ideas and invitations to join me at the gym, however I decided at this point it was choice between risking their waistlines or mine so….. I promise to bring in a big fruit salad next week to share and atone for my sin.  Enjoy!

Deep Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Icing and Chocolate Peanut Butter Drizzle

Makes about 32 cupcakes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 large eggs
• Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing (recipe below)
• Chocolate Peanut Drizzle
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Place cupcake liners in muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.  Whisk together until well combined.  Add oil and sour cream and whisk again.  Gradually add water and use electric mixer to blend.  Blend in vinegar and vanilla.  Blend in eggs until well blended.  Use a spatula to scrape down the sides.  Blend again if necessary to make sure batter is well mixed.

Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to portion batter into prepared cupcake cups.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until full cooked.  Remove cooked cupcakes from oven and set aside to cool.

Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing.  Drizzle Chocolate Peanut drizzle over the icing.  Let icing cool.  Finish cupcakes by sprinkling with coarsely chopped peanut drizzle.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing

• 10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 (4 oz) stick unsalted butter, room temperature\5 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter*

Place cream cheese and butter into a large bowl.  Use an electric hand mixer to beat them together until light and fluffy.  Add confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Blend on medium speed for 3-4  minutes.  until mixture is light and fluffy.  Finally add the peanut butter and blend until thoroughly mixed.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Drizzle

• 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter*
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup half and half

Place chocolate, peanut butter and corn syrup into a double boiler**.  Bring water in the double boiler to a simmer.  Whisk often until chocolate is melted and ingredients are fully combined.

Remove from heat.  Whisk in half and half.  Use while mixture is still warm.

 

*Note: this is one of the few times you will see me recommend against all natural.  Regular hydrogenated peanut butter works better than all natural peanut butter in this recipe because the oil won’t separate out. 

**If you don’t have a double boiler you can use a bowl set over a pot of water.  The bowl should be wide enough so that does not go all the way down in the pot.  The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl while you are melting the chocolate.

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