Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

This scrummy cupcake recipe comes from Nazia, a food blogger at Your Sunny Side Up. Check out her lovely blog for delicious treats, tasty appetisers and mouthwatering desserts. 

When I tried peanut butter with chocolate for the very first time, the combination of flavours was all I could think of for days. I may have eaten way too many peanut butter cups that week. It's probably nothing new to most people, but as someone who has never been particularly fond of peanut butter and had avoided it for her entire childhood, the taste was nothing short of a revelation. Of course, it didn't take me long to translate that combination into a cupcake - a moist and delicious chocolate cupcake topped with light and fluffy peanut butter buttercream frosting, and buried under a sprinkling of milk chocolate chips.

Not only do these cupcakes win in terms of flavour and texture, they are also very easy to make and budget-friendly. They would be perfect for parties or even just an indulgent night in. If you love peanut butter and chocolate then a batch of these cupcakes is right up your street. However, if you're like me and hate peanut butter then I urge you to give this a try anyway. Trust me, it'll change your mind! Feel free to add as little or as much frosting as you like, and be generous with the chocolate chips! 

Ingredients

For the cupcakes (makes 12)

120g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
170g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
60g unsalted butter 
1 egg
145ml milk

For the frosting

500g icing sugar
150g unsalted butter
150g peanut butter
30ml milk 
100g milk chocolate chips (to decorate)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas mark 3. Mix together all the dry ingredients - the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter. Make sure to incorporate all the ingredients together and rub in the butter until you get a sandy consistency.

2. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg and milk. Add this to the dry mixture a little at a time, and combine the two mixtures well. 

3. Divide the cake mixture between 12 cupcake cases, placing approximately 2 tablespoons of mixture in each case. Place them in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the tin and allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack.

4. To make the frosting - beat together the unsalted butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and whisk on a medium-high speed. Slowly add the milk and continue beating for approximately 5 minutes - the longer you beat the lighter and fluffier it will be!

5. Spoon the frosting into a piping back and pipe onto each cupcake - make sure the cupcakes have completely cooled otherwise the frosting will melt. Optional: Top with milk chocolate chips.