Big, big problem here.
Huge. Monumental.
Someone made frosting that tastes exactly like chocolate cheesecake. It’s dangerous. Delightful. Addictive.
Someone who’s borderline obsessed with cheesecake started sneaking spoonfuls of frosting, nibbling cupcakes and sprinkles, and somehow didn’t take a single photo until most of the batch was gone. The next day they finally remembered to snap a few shots.
Someone is in trouble. And someone needs a life. Only so much chocolate cheesecake frosting can be eaten in thirteen minutes. And yet, it’s never enough.
The cupcakes themselves are pretty darn scrumptious, too. Taste testers agreed: these cupcakes taste like Girl Scout Tagalongs — sweet peanut butter paired with chocolate in all the best ways.
Someone didn’t hate it.
One tester, who had stacked a double cheeseburger and grilled kielbasa for dinner, declined an ice cream dessert to “save the calories” and instead asked about these peanut butter cupcakes. Smart choice, especially when he planned to tuck a cupcake into his already indulgent burger.
Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting
Yield: Makes about 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3/4 cup peanut butter chips or morsels
Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 block cream cheese (8 ounces), softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1–2 tablespoons milk, if needed
Directions:
Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugar and eggs, then beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just combined, then add the milk. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients and fold in the peanut butter chips.
Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting
In the mixer bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar gradually, about 1/2 cup at a time, and add the cocoa powder. Increase the speed to fully combine. If the frosting is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency; if too thin, add more powdered sugar a little at a time. Frost cooled cupcakes and finish with chocolate sprinkles if desired.
P.S. I also topped fresh strawberry cupcakes with this frosting — heavenly.
P.P.S. Did you enjoy the other blogs featured around this recipe?