Makes: 3 dozen cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
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2
cups sugar, brown or white (454g)
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2
cups all purpose flour (272g or 9oz)
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2/3
cup high quality cocoa powder, like valrhona (90g)
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1
teaspoon fine sea salt (6g)
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1 1/2
teaspoons baking powder (8g)
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1
teaspoon baking soda (6g)
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2
large eggs, room temperature (100g)
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1/2
cup room temperature melted butter (120g)
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1
cup old coffee, though water will do (240ml)
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1
cup buttermilk, though plain milk will do (240ml)
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2
teaspoons pure vanilla extract (10g)
Peanut Butter Swiss Buttercream
-
1 1/4
cups white sugar (250g)
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5
large egg whites, room temperature (should weigh out to 150g)
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1.5
teaspoons vanilla (7g)
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3
sticks room temperature butter, cut in small cubes (340g)
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3/4
cup (or more) peanut butter, to taste
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1/4
lemon for cleaning bowl
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pinches salt
Directions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your cupcake pan with liners.
- Sift your flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl. Add your sugar and salt – whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Measure out your buttermilk, coffee, melted butter, eggs and vanilla and add to dry ingredients. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until there are no lumps.
- Fill your cupcake liners 2/3 high with batter and bake for 10 – 12 minutes until they bounce back when touched OR when a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool, or if you’re impatient like I am, put them in the freezer for a few minutes.
Peanut Butter Swiss Buttercream
- Add your egg white and sugar to a very clean bowl over a double boiler. Whisk them until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is quite hot.
- Using a stand mixer, clean the bowl with a few drops of lemon and wipe dry with a clean, new cloth. Whip the hot sugar and whites into a fluffy meringue for as long as it takes until the meringue is room temperature, not hot.
- While still whisking, slowly add your room temperature butter one cube at a time until it’s thoroughly incorporated. Add your vanilla and salt. Follow with your peanut butter, tasting inbetween additions. You can really add as much or as little as you like.
- Pipe or use an offset to decorate your cupcakes. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled or the icing will slide off – disastrous!