Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Today I was struck by an overwhelming urge to bake. I am pretty sure this is genetic - my mom says the same thing happens to her on occasion. I immediately thought of the Reeses Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake over at  Annie's Eats.   

Using her recipe as inspiration, I opted to make cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting filling, and then coated them with milk chocolate ganache.  In the end, I didn't end up using any peanut butter cups at all, but I still think the finished product is delicious.

I made a few changes to the recipe:  I used 3 eggs instead of 2 eggs plus 2 yolks, and I omitted the melted bittersweet chocolate.  For the frosting, I used 2% milk instead of the heavy cream the recipe called for.  When making the ganache, I started with 1 cup of milk chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of heavy cream, but it was too thin so I added another 1/4 cup chips, and the consistency was perfect for spreading.

I don't think I'm going to get over this filled cupcake kick I've been on for a LONG time.  

Cupcakes:
(adapted from Annie's Eats)

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:
For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. 

Place paper liners in a 12-cupcake pan and 2 ramekins.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and divide the batter between prepared pans.

Bake at 350 F for about 2o minutes (the larger cupcakes in the ramekins will take slightly longer) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

When cool, use a serrated knife to cut out the center of each cupcake.

Filling:

(adapted from Ina Garten)

5 tbsp softened butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix until smooth.

Pipe the filling into the indentations of each cupcake. Reserve some of the frosting for decoration.

Ganache:

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy cream

Melt the cream and chocolate chips together in the top of a double boiler set over medium heat.

Stir until smooth, then remove from heat and cool, stirring for about 5 minutes.

Spread on each cupcake, then decorate with remaining peanut butter frosting.