I was seriously thinking about calling these “fluffternutter cupcakes”. Like it was big, real decision. But every time I’ve heard of something being called “fluffernutter”-whatever there has been marshmallow involved.

This time, the marshmallow was replaced with whipped cream; however, I do fully intend on coming up with a marshmallow frosting version soon!

The whipped cream was a huge hit. My dad, the leading taste-tester in the family with the most honest and un-biased feedback, gave in a full-mouthed double thumbs up.

These cupcakes consist of my absolute FAVORITE chocolate cake recipe that I use all the time, stuffed with a delicious and super creamy peanut butter filling, and topped with a fluffy and perfectly sweet whipped cream frosting.

This may be one of my all-time favorite cupcake combos!

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes

(makes about 12-16 cupcakes)

FOR THE CUPCAKES: 

(My absolute FAVORITE chocolate cake recipe)

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line regular cupcake tins.
2. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa powder, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Into a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Cream butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture. Add the cocoa mixture. Pour batter into prepared cupcake tins.
4. Bake in preheated oven 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool in tins, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. When thoroughly cooled, stuff with peanut butter frosting below and frost with whipped cream frosting below.

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING FILLING:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoon2 vanilla extract

6-8 cups powdered sugar, or until correct consistency

1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and peanut butter on high speed until creamy. Mix in vanilla extract. Slowly add in powdered sugar until a semi-creamy consistency that resembles frosting, but is creamy [thin] enough to pipe into cupcakes.
2. Once cupcakes have been cooled, fill piping bag, that has been fitted with a standard-sized round piping tip, with the prepared peanut butter filling. Stick end of piping bag into the center of a cooled cupcake and squeeze filling into cupcake until small cracks start to show by where you inserted the piping bag tip. Continue with the remaining cupcakes until each has been filled, you may end up with excess filling

WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you like your whipped cream

1. In the chilled bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip the cream using the whisk attachment for about 1 minute. Add in powdered sugar gradually to taste and continue whipping until stiff peaks form and the mixture resembles whipped cream. Pipe and frost onto stuffed cupcakes. Keep cupcakes in fridge, as it is unsafe to have whipped cream sitting out for extended periods of time.

Random Fact of the Day: A survey reported that 12% of Americans think that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. Yikes

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