Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Since my beau's mother's birthday is coming up, I thought I would treat her to something she loves! She is a fan of chocolate, coffee, peanut butter, and yellow roses. What could I do to incorporate all four things? Why, cupcakes of course! I decided on a chocolate cupcake that uses coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, a peanut butter frosting that pairs well with the chocolate, and a yellow fondant rose on top! Enjoy!

Yields: 12 cupcakes and enough frosting to pipe onto them

Ingredients:

Cupcake
1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/8 cups good unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
*1/2 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Frosting
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1-2 tbsp. cream or milk, optional

* I did not have buttermilk on hand, so what I did was put 1/2 tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice (you can also use 1/2 tbsp. white vinegar instead) in a measuring cup and added milk up to the 1/2 cup line and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin and set aside.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and mix on low until combined.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla until blended.

Slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients by mixing on low. With the mixer still on low, carefully add the coffee and stir just to combine. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything gets incorporated. The batter should be loose.

3. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 18 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.

4. Frosting: Cream peanut butter and butter until smooth. Slowly add the sugar and mix well. Add cream or milk if the frosting is too thick.

Excuse my frumpiness, but I am at home! This silly cat (Stonewall Jackson, an odd-eyed Japanese Bobtail) decided to climb up onto my shoulders while I was making the roses!

Tada!

Done!