Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Noodle [nood-l] (verb): to improvise, experiment or think creatively. 

I've been doing lots of noodling lately. Apparently noodling is all part of the thinking process. It's that dreaded time of the year for teachers, report writing time. Teachers tend to do lots of noodling around this time, knock on any teachers door right now and you can almost bet it will be clean and sparkling to perfection as a result of their procrastination ahem, noodling. 

I was told it was a good thing to want to rearrange the walk in robe and organise my outfits into regimented ombre shades because it meant I was doing lots of rehearsal in my head for when I was ready to actually do the writing. I told myself that I was banned from leaving the house this weekend, all the fun had to be had on Friday night and I would stay inside and power through these reports like a trooper... well it seems I have found myself noodling away again, I guess writing a blog post helps with my writing skills though, no? 

In an effort to stop myself from actually baking these delicious cakes of heaven, I decided to write about them instead. I mentioned a few posts ago I had all these pictures of cakes and cook-ups from when I lived in the UK which I had never posted about, and this is one of them, I may not remember physically making them, but I certainly remember the flavour, can you say DE-LISH!? 

Oh the best bit which I almost forgot to mention is the method, no creaming, whipping or folding required - chuck it in and go, I call it food processor cake!  

Also it's completely unnecessary but it's lovely to use American peanut butter in this recipe, it makes them so... American? Either way they're a lovely little treat, unless of course you're an anaphylactic. Enjoy and happy caking!

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Chocolate Cake/ Cupcake Batter

by Master Chefette May-16-2015

Classic chocolate cupcakes with a perfect amount of creamy peanut buttery deliciousness on top, finished of with a peanut butter cup!

Ingredients

• 200 grams Plain Flour
• 200 grams Caster Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 50 grams Cocoa Powder
• 175 grams Salted Butter (softened)
• 2 Eggs
• 150 mls Sour Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line your tray with cupcake cases.2. Put ALL your in a food processor or electric mixer and beat until smooth (yep, that easy)3. Allow cakes to bake for around 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: approx 18 cupcakes (dependent on size)

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Peanut Butter Frosting

by Master Chefette May-16-2015

The perfect frosting for any cake.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Icing Sugar
• 1 cup Peanut Butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 75 grams Butter (softened)
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/3 cup Cream
• Pinch Salt

Instructions

1. Place icing sugar, butter, peanut butter, vanilla and salt into an electric mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment.2. Mix on medium to low speed until combined, making sure to scrape edges with a spatula.3. Gradually add the cream and increase the speed on the electric mixer.4. Mix until light and creamy (approx 4 minutes) serve with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on top!

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: Total time: Yield: