The Mister celebrated a birthday a few weeks ago.  He requested cupcakes instead of a full cake.  He’s all about chocolate, so I decided on Chocolate cupcakes with Peanut Butter frosting and I must say, they were mighty good.  Moist and chocolatey and sweet but not overwhelming.

Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

I took my mom’s yummy Moist Chocolate Cake recipe and cut it in half.  This yielded about 16 cupcakes.  (To make a 2 layer cake or a 9×13, just double the ingredients.)

Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Egg, Beaten
• 1 1/8 Cups Flour
• 1/4 Cup Dutch Process Cocoa
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup Buttermilk (or regular milk with 2 Teaspoons Vinegar)
• 1/2 Cup Boiling Water

 Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prep cupcake liners, (or if  you are making a cake, grease and flour tins.)  Cream butter.  Add sugar and eggs, beat well.  In another bowl, sift flour with cocoa.  Add baking soda to buttermilk.  Alternately add the flour/cocoa and the buttermilk to the butter/sugar/eggs.  Beat thoroughly.  Gradually fold in boiling water.  Pour batter into cupcake liners, about 2/3rds full.  Bake.  Test with cake tester or toothpick for doneness.  Cupcakes should take around 18-22 minutes, cake layers about 30 minutes.

I made the Peanut Butter Frosting recipe from  Sally’s Baking Addiction ,  It’s more than enough frosting for 16 cupcakes and more importantly, it’s REALLY good.  Here’s the recipe…

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 Cup Confectioners Sugar
• 5 Tablespoons room temp Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/3 Cup Heavy Cream

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or an electric handheld mixer),  add the peanut butter, confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla and salt.  Mix on medium-low speed until creamy and smooth.  Slowly add the cream and beat on very high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Spread on cooled cupcakes.