If you can’t pick a dessert, choose chocolate cake — or better yet, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes. These are rich, dark, and moist chocolate cupcakes topped with light, creamy peanut butter frosting. Simple to make and utterly irresistible.
The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Every Father’s Day I experiment with desserts, and these cupcakes are my go-to because my dad loves them. The cake is tender and moist, and the frosting stays smooth even when chilled. In warmer months I store them in the refrigerator so the peanut butter frosting stays firm and silky.
Tips for Making Chocolate PB Cupcakes from Scratch
Making cupcakes from scratch is straightforward with a few simple rules. Here are practical tips to help your cupcakes turn out light and delicious.
Use room-temperature ingredients. Eggs, butter (when used), milk, and sour cream should be at room temperature so they incorporate evenly. This helps create a consistent crumb without air pockets or a dense, wet layer on the bottom.
Mix only until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and can make cupcakes tough. Stir until the batter is smooth and uniform, then stop.
Pick the right peanut butter for the frosting. For the creamiest, most stable buttercream, use a non-natural creamy peanut butter. Natural peanut butter can separate in the frosting and make it greasy.
How to Frost Your Chocolate Cupcakes
Decide whether to pipe or spread the frosting based on the occasion. A closed piping tip creates a classic, decorative mound for special events. For a casual treat — like a Father’s Day batch — a simple spread with an offset spatula or a knife works perfectly and saves time.
Customize Your Cupcakes
These cupcakes are a great base for additions. Try one of these ideas to tailor them to your taste:
Top with a Reese’s cup. A classic pairing — peanut butter and chocolate is a no-brainer.
Swap chopped peanuts for salted pretzels. Chopped salted pretzels give a crunchy, salty contrast to the soft cake and frosting.
Try caramel. Replace the chocolate drizzle with caramel or core the cupcake and fill it with caramel before frosting for a gooey surprise.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate cupcakes
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup cake flour
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 7 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup sour cream(Greek yogurt works too)
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ cup olive oil(any neutral oil works)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut butter frosting
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk(or heavy cream)
Garnish
- ¼ cup dark chocolate, melted (optional)
- ¼ cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Chocolate cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the light brown sugar, cake flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the egg, sour cream, whole milk, warm water, oil, and vanilla. Stir until just combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Peanut butter frosting
- In a bowl, cream together the unsalted butter and peanut butter until pale and fluffy. If the mixture looks too soft, chill it for 10 minutes and beat again.
- Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add the milk a little at a time to reach your desired consistency.
- Pipe or spread the frosting onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with chopped peanuts and melted chocolate if desired.
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Nutrition
Calories: 476 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 50 g |
Protein: 8 g |
Fat: 29 g |
Sodium: 324 mg |
Fiber: 3 g |
Sugar: 38 g
More cupcakes
- If you prefer chocolate on chocolate, try the super moist chocolate cupcake recipe.
- These dairy-free vanilla cupcakes are moist and fluffy — you won’t miss the dairy.
- For something different, corn cupcakes with blackberry corn buttercream are a fun twist.
- Vegan banana cupcakes are moist, easy, and surprisingly indistinguishable from non-vegan versions.
- If you need gluten-free options, a gluten-free chocolate cake works beautifully for celebrations.
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