This recipe pairs fudgy chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, melty peanut butter, chocolate ganache, and peanut butter cups. They’re the ultimate peanut butter cup treat.
Power Ingredients
The following ingredients are used to make the fudgy chocolate cupcakes:
All-purpose flour: This helps create structure in the cupcakes. Measure your flour using the spoon-and-level method to ensure your cupcakes don’t turn out dry.
Baking soda and baking powder: These are the leavening ingredients. They’re extremely important to cause the cupcakes to rise, as there are no eggs in this recipe.
Unsweetened natural cocoa powder: This adds the chocolate flavor to the cupcakes. Opt for unsweetened natural cocoa powder over dutch process.
Espresso powder: This ingredient is optional, however, it intensifies the chocolate flavor in the cupcakes. Your cupcakes won’t taste like coffee, they’ll just be intensely chocolatey!
Soy milk + vinegar or lemon juice: This is your vegan buttermilk. It adds moisture and great flavor to the cupcakes. I recommend using soy milk for the best outcome, however you can swap with another thick non-dairy milk, if necessary.
Vegan sour cream: This helps make these cupcakes extra moist and fudgy. If necessary, swap for non-dairy plain yogurt – however, they won’t be as rich.
Vegetable oil: This adds richness and moisture to the cupcakes. You can use any kind of vegetable oil.
Vanilla extract: This adds a delicious rich flavor to the cupcakes. You should use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Warm water or coffee: You’ll add this in at the end. It helps create a silky smooth batter and breaks up any remaining cocoa powder chunks. Using coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor without actually adding a coffee flavor to the cupcakes, however, you can use water if you don’t have coffee. Be sure the liquid you use is warm.
Frosting
You’ll frost these cupcakes with the most delicious Peanut Butter Frosting. I like to use a Wilton 1M tip to create big swirls.
Tools and Accessories Used
Kitchenaid Mixer: While not necessary, I love using my Kitchenaid mixer when making cupcakes. It helps make smooth batter and fluffy buttercream.
Rubber Scraper: You’ll need one of these to scrape the sides of the bowl. I also like use it to stir my buttercream by hand a bit to remove air bubbles before using.
Cupcake pans and liners: You’ll need these to bake the cupcakes in.
Piping Bag and Wilton 2D Tip: These are necessary to create the cute swirls around the top of the cake.
Tips and tricks
Measure your flour correctly: Use the spoon-and-level method or weigh your flour to ensure the cupcakes don’t turn out dry.
Don’t overmix: For the best results, you should mix the dry and wet ingredients together until they are just combined. If you overmix, it can result in overly dense and chewy cupcakes.
Don’t overbake: The cupcakes are done if a toothpick entered into the center comes out with no raw batter. It’s okay if there are some crumbs on the toothpick.
Softened butter: You’ll want the butter to be softened when making the buttercream. I recommend bringing it out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before using.
Cool the cupcakes completely: Prior to frosting, cool the cupcakes completely. Don’t skip this step or you’ll have melty buttercream.
Tools and Accessories Used
Kitchenaid Mixer: While not necessary, I love using my Kitchenaid mixer when making cupcakes. It helps make smooth batter and fluffy buttercream.
Rubber Scraper: You’ll need one of these to scrape the sides of the bowl. I also like use it to stir my buttercream by hand a bit to remove air bubbles before using.
Cupcake Pans: You’ll use two cupcake pans to bake these cupcakes.
Cupcake Liners: Line your pans with cupcake liners for easy removal.
Kitchen Scale: While not necessary, it’s helpful to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients.
Piping Bag and Wilton 2D Tip: These are necessary to create the cute swirls around the top of the cupcakes.
Let me know your thoughts!
If you love this recipe or have any questions, leave me a comment with a rating below. I also love to see your creations on Instagram, so make sure to tag me @marykatesvegancakes so I can see and repost!
Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) soy milk*
- 1/2 tablespoon (7 mL) apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour*
- 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder*
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (56 g) vegan sour cream*
- 1/2 tablespoon (7 mL) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) warm water or warm coffee
Frosting
- 1 batch Peanut Butter Frosting
Toppings (optional)
- Melted peanut butter
- Chocolate Ganache
- 6 vegan peanut butter cups, chopped in half (or 12 mini pb cups)
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy milk with the vinegar or lemon juice (this is your vegan buttermilk). Set aside for at least 10 minutes. In a separate, large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Mix until combined. To your buttermilk, add the vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until just barely combined. Add the warm water or coffee to the mixture, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape the sides as necessary.
- Distribute your cake batter evenly between the cupcake liners — I use a 3 tablespoon scooper. Bake in the preheated oven for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean or with just crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
- Frost the cupcakes: Place the frosting into a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip (or tip of choice). Pipe a tall swirl onto each cupcake. If desired, drizzle each with melted peanut butter and chocolate ganache. Top each with half a peanut butter cup. Serve!