Follow Me on Pinterest The Cupcake Files: November 2012

Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Munchies!

This is the ultimate cupcake!  Rich chocolate cake, creamy peanut butter filling, chocolate cream cheese icing, crushed pretzels and caramel.  One day while eating a bag of chocolate covered pretzels it hit me...This would make an awesome cupcake!  Thus, "The Munchies" cupcake was born.  If ya wanna make some of these addictive confections, the recipe is below.




Chocolate cake

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, highest quality available
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups hot water
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, salt, cocoa powder, sugar baking soda and baking powder.
In a seperate bowl mix together, eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla.  Add to dry mixture.  
Slowly beat in hot water.  Mix until smooth, will be a thin batter.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, just until a cupcake passes the toothpick test.  Makes about 28 cupcakes

 Creamy peanut butter filling
  • 1/2 plus 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
  • 1 stick softened unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup milk or half and half
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and peanut butter together add milk and mix until creamy.  Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.  You want it nice and creamy, not stiff like a buttercream, so if you need to add more milk, add ONE tablespoon of milk at a time, until it becomes a creamy filling.
Chocolate cream cheese icing

  • 2 sticks softened unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 7 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup whole milk or half and half

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, add vanilla.  Sift in Cocoa powder and milk.  Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, while mixing.

Caramel topping
If you don't feel like making your own caramel, you can melt soft caramel candies in a double boiler with some heavy cream, over low heat until it's smooth.  If you wanna try your hand at homemade, follow the recipe below, it's AMAZING!

  • 1/2 cup light-brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of coarse salt
In a small sauce pan bring butter, sugar and cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Reduce to a low-heat simmer, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in vanilla and salt, transfer to a glass jar or heat safe container and allow to cool to room temp.  (if you pour it over the chocolate icing while hot, it will melt the icing and become a giant mess, I learned the hard way.)
 Pretzel topping

Crush pretzel sticks and sprinkle ontop of cupcakes....ENJOY!!!!


***notes*** for the swirl on the cupcakes I used a Wilton 1M tip, you can find these at pretty much any craft store and Walmart even has them.