Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

Have you seen the new trend on Pinterest lately where they stick a candy bar inside a baked good?  Well I decided to try it out on some cupcakes I was making for a dear friend of mine.  I must admit, they tasted pretty delicious!

So here is the recipe for my Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes...

Chocolate Cupcakes

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Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder½ cup plus 1 tablespoon hot water2¼ cups all-purpose flour¾ tsp. baking soda¾ tsp. baking powder½ tsp. salt2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature1 2/3 cups sugar3 large eggs, at room temperature1 tbsp. vanilla extract¾ cup sour cream

Directions:Line cupcake pans with paper liners and place peanut butter cup at the bottom of each one.  In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and hot water and whisk until smooth.  In another medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to blend.

Combine the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and the butter is completely melted.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-low speed until the mixture is cool, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture until smooth.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Add the batter on top of the peanut butter cup and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. 

Peanut Butter Frosting
1 C. Creamy Peanut Butter (I used organic no sugar added)3 C. Powder Sugar2 cubes of unsalted butter (@ room temperature)1 tsp. Vanilla1/2 C. Heavy Cream
In a  mixing bowl add softened butter and peanut butter together and mix until smooth.  Add the vanilla and mix in well.  Next, add in one cup of powder sugar and mix into the frosting until it is well mixed.  Add half of the heavy cream with the rest of the powder sugar and mix together.  Finish with the rest of the heavy cream mixing on high until its nice and fluffy. If the frosting is to thin add some more powder sugar, if its too thick to spread on the cupcake then add a little milk.  
To finish the cupcake, I frosted them with a knife instead of piping them, so that I could have a flat surface to work with.  Then finished it off with a small of piece of a peanut butter cup on it.