Spooktacular Choc Cupcakes with Creamy Peanut Butter

Dark, moist chocolate cupcakes made with cocoa and buttermilk, filled with a thick peanut butter cream cheese frosting piped directly into the center and swirled on top. Every bite gives you that classic chocolate-peanut butter combination.

The cupcake batter is a from-scratch cocoa buttermilk base. The buttermilk reacts with baking soda for a tender, slightly tangy crumb, and the shortening keeps them moist without competing with the chocolate flavor. Fill the cups just halfway. They rise a lot.

The filling is where these really shine. Cream cheese beaten with peanut butter and powdered sugar creates a thick, pipe-able filling that’s tangy, sweet, and salty all at once. A pastry bag with a star tip lets you push the filling into the center of each cupcake and finish with a decorative swirl on top.

Kitchen Tips

• Soften the cream cheese to room temperature before beating. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps in the filling that won’t pipe smoothly.
• If you don’t have a pastry bag, use a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off. It works in a pinch.
• Don’t overfill the muffin cups. Halfway is the max, or they’ll dome over the edges.
• Let cupcakes cool completely before filling. Warm cake melts the cream cheese filling and it runs out.

Variations

• Decorate with mini peanut butter cups, candy eyes, or sprinkles for a Halloween theme.
• Use dark cocoa powder for a deeper, more intense chocolate cupcake.
• Swap the peanut butter in the filling for Nutella for a chocolate-hazelnut cream center.