Hello, hello!
How was everyone’s weekend? Did you do anything fun?
We didn’t do anything super fun – watched pre-season football, watched some of the World Championship Track and Field events in Moscow, went grocery shopping and tried to pretend that it didn’t rain ALL. WEEKEND. LONG.
Hopefully, we’ll dry out a little this week.
Anywho, enough about rain – do you EVEN know what today is?! Besides Monday, of course. It’s Cupcake Day!
How will you celebrate? 🙂
Will you stop by a cupcake shop today and grab yourself a treat? Will you remember to pick up enough for your family? Don’t worry – I won’t tell if you don’t. 😉
Or, you could make these amazeballs cupcakes.
They really don’t take that much work. And, you probably already have most of the ingredients. And, they’re worth it.
Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.
Did you read that? Chocolate cupcakes with PEANUT. BUTTER. FROSTING.
I’ve died and gone to heaven.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
makes 12 ginormous cupcakes or about 15-18 regular-sized ones
*Recipe adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup nonfat buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, at room temperature
2 tablespoons brewed coffee (no cream or sugar, please!)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup good cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows
Chopped salted peanuts, to decorate, optional
1, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners or spray with nonstick spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended.
3 Divide the batter among the cupcake pans. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. *NOTE: ginormo cupcakes will take approximately 30 minutes to cook. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.
Peanut Butter Frosting
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup chunky natural peanut butter (use creamy if you prefer)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
1. Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
2. You can use a spreader and frost the cupcakes or place the frosting in a pastry bag – if you use chunky peanut butter, make sure you have a wide tip otherwise the peanuts will get stuck – and pipe decoratively onto cupcakes.
3. OM NOM NOM!
Questions:
1. Cupcakes – YAY or nay?
2. If YAY, what’s your favorite flavor?
– jennifer
A Hungry Runner 