ingredients: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes 1 tablespoon vanilla 1/3rd cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water 1/3rd cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose cocoa powder 2 teaspoons instant espresso granules 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) 1 1/8 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup buttermilk Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1 cup creamy peanut butter 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup heavy cream Chocolate Ganache 3 oz dark chocolate (around 60% cocoa), chopped 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon unsalted butter directions: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. In a small bowl combine vanilla extract, warm water, cocoa powder, and instant espresso granules. Whisk till well combined and set aside. In a medium microwave safe bowl, microwave butter till bubbly, about 1 minute and 15 seconds. Pour butter into stand mixer, add sugar, and mix on medium until cooled, about 4-5 minutes. Once cooled, add eggs one at a time, mix until incorporated. Add cocoa powder mixture, scraping down the sides as needed. Reduce speed to low and add flour, alternating with the buttermilk, until just combined. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting 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. Pipe onto cupcakes and place in fridge afterwards for 15 minutes while you make the ganache. You want the frosting to be cooled just to ensure the ganache does not melt the frosting. Chocolate Ganache Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand, without stirring, for a few minutes. Stir gently (as you do not want to incorporate air into the ganache) with a spoon or whisk until smooth. Allow ganache to cool on the counter for about 10 minutes, stirring every so often, or until it cools and thickens slightly. Once it is has thickened to a good pouring consistency, pour on top of Creamy Peanut Butter frosting. Top each cupcake with Reece's Pieces.
ingredients:Dark Chocolate Cupcakes1 tablespoon vanilla1/3rd cup
plus 1 tablespoon warm water1/3rd cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose
cocoa powder2 teaspoons instant espresso granules1 1/2 cups all
purpose four1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2
teaspoon salt1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)1 1/8 cup sugar2
eggs1/2 cup buttermilkCreamy Peanut Butter Frosting1 cup
confectioners' sugar1 cup cream peanut butter! tablespoons unsalted
butter" room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla e#tract1/$ teaspoon
salt1/3 cup %eav creamChocolate Ganache3 o& dark c%ocolate
(around '() cocoa)" c%opped1/3 cup %eav w%ipping cream1 tablespoon
unsalted butterdirections:Dark Chocolate Cupcakes*re%eat oven to
3!( degrees+ ,ine standard mu-n tins wit% paper liners+.n a small
bowl combine vanilla e#tract" warm water" cocoa powder" and instant
espresso granules+ /%isk till well combined and set aside+.n a
medium microwave safe bowl" microwave butter till bubbl" about 1
minute and 1! seconds+ *our butter into stand mi#er" add sugar" and
mi# on medium until cooled" about $0! minutes+ 1nce cooled" add
eggs one at a time" mi# until incorporated+ 2dd cocoa powder
mi#ture" scraping down t%e sides as needed+ 3educe speed to low and
add four" alternating wit% t%e buttermilk" until 4ust
combined+5ivide batter evenl among lined cups" 6lling eac% 3/$
full+ 7ake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean"
about 1802( minutes+ 8ransfer tins to wire racks to cool 1!
minutes9 turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completel+Creamy
Peanut Butter Frosting*lace t%e confectioners' sugar" peanut
butter" butter" vanilla" and salt in t%e bowl of an electric mi#er
6tted wit% a paddle attac%ment+ :i# on medium0low speed until
cream" scraping down t%e bowl wit% a rubber spatula as ou work+ 2dd
t%e cream and beat on %ig% speed until t%e mi#ture is lig%t and
smoot%+*ipe onto cupcakes and place in fridge afterwards for 1!
minutes w%ile ou make t%e ganac%e+ ;ou want t%e frosting to be
cooled 4ust to ensure t%e ganac%e does not melt t%e
frosting+Chocolate Ganache*lace t%e c%opped c%ocolate in a medium
si&ed %eatproof bowl+ ookie
