Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

It is impossible to be in New York without being aware of the cupcake mania striking the city.
Are cupcakes the new cookies?
I became familiar with them in Paris with Berko, which offers a large and beautiful choice of small cupcakes.
I decided to try it myself, being aware of two essential criteria for my cupcakes-to-be: the cake had to be very moisturized, and the frosting couldn't be buttercream (butter and conditioned sugar)!
I went through a lot of recipes, then I ended up with this one, and I made a few changes.
In order to make the cake more moisturized, I added buttermilk and baking soda mixed with white vinegar (the same method used when baking a red velvet cake).
I used more chocolate than cacao powder, just for the flavor that it brings.
I added orange zest as well, because it make a wonderful couple with chocolate.
And I chose a cream cheese frosting, which is very simple to make and very tasty.

The cake (for about 15 medium cakes)
Recipe: 

Chocolate (semisweet) 64% cocoa	3oz (about ½ cup)		85g	Melt in a bowl
Butter	1 stick	4oz	113g	Cut into small pieces and add to melted chocolate
Sugar	¾ cup	5 ¼ oz	150g	Beat together into a light mixture
Salt	½ tsp		2g
Eggs	2(large)		120g
Vanilla Extract	1 teaspoon		5g	Add
Flour (all purpose)	3/4cup	4oz		Combine and add to mixture
Orange Zest	1
Cocoa	1tbs	½ oz	15g
Baking Powder	¾ tsp		4g
Sour Cream	½ cup	4oz	113g	Add
Buttermilk	¼ cup	2oz	57g	Add
Baking Soda	½ tsp		2g	Combine together until fizzy and quickly pour into the batter
White Vinegar	½ tsp		2g

No step by step:
Sorry guys, I was rushing to make these cupcakes for my mother-in-law's birthday, and after a few attempts, I found out that rushing and taking pictures don't work well together for me!

Preheat the oven to 350°F

• Put the chocolate in a bowl and melt "au bain marie" (into a cooking pan filled with water).
• Add butter in melted chocolate removed out of the water. Cut butter into small pieces (it will melt faster).
• Beat together sugar, salt and eggs, until "nice and fluffy" and add to chocolate butter mixture.
• Add vanilla and orange zest (preferably organic).
• Combine dried ingredients together (flour, cocoa, baking powder, sifted) and add to mixture.
• Add sour cream and buttermilk.
• Combine baking soda and white vinegar, and when it fizzes, pour it quickly into the batter and immediately evenly separate the batter into the cupcake cases. 
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes according to your oven.
• Meanwhile prepare the frosting. 

(-;       240ml/1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon set for about 10 minutes = buttermilk

The cream cheese frosting
The recipe:

Philadelphia Cream Cheese	12oz		340g	Softened a little bit
Peanut Butter (creamy)	1 1/2 cup	6oz	170g	Add and combine
Vanilla (pure extract)	1 teaspoon		5g	Add
Confectioner's Sugar	1 1/2 cup	6oz	170g	Add and combine. Don’t over beat

• Soften the cream cheese using the paddle attachment of your electric blender; not too much or it will become too soft.
• Add peanut butter and beat until combined.
• Add sugar and beat until combined. 
• Keep refrigerated until cupcakes are completely cooled.

The batter should be thick enough to allow you to frost cupcakes with nice decoration.

                                                             

Enjoy!