Description
Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Kitchen Sink Cupcakes combine rich chocolate cake with creamy peanut butter frosting, topped with a delightful crunch of pretzels and wavy potato chips for a sweet and salty treat that’s perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- 1 Box chocolate cake mix (devil’s food, 15-Ounce)
- 1 Box chocolate instant pudding (3.9-Ounce, dry)
- 4 eggs
- ¾ Cup vegetable oil
- 1 Cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ Cup whole milk
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 Cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 Cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ Teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 Cups powdered sugar
Toppings
- Pretzels
- Wavy potato chips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and line a muffin tin with baking liners to ready it for cupcake batter.
- Mix Batter: In a large bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, dry chocolate instant pudding, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and whole milk. Use a hand mixer to beat everything together until the batter is smooth and thoroughly mixed.
- Fill Cups: Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full to allow room for rising without spilling over.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin on the middle rack of your oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the center; if it comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready.
- Cool: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and immediately transfer them onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting – Beat Butter: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter until smooth and free of lumps.
- Add Peanut Butter: Mix in the creamy peanut butter and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Add Sugar and Flavor: Add half of the powdered sugar, fine sea salt, and vanilla extract, beating until smooth. Then add the remaining powdered sugar and the heavy cream, and beat again until well combined.
- Adjust Consistency: If the frosting is too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until desired thickness is reached. Conversely, if it’s too thick, add more heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, to thin it out.
- Frost and Decorate: Pipe the peanut butter frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Finish by garnishing each cupcake with pretzels and wavy potato chips for a crunch and a hit of salty flavor.
Notes
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Use room temperature butter and peanut butter to achieve a smooth frosting texture.
- Adjust the heaviness of frosting by varying powdered sugar and heavy cream as needed.
- For extra chocolate flavor, consider using devil’s food cake mix and chocolate pudding.
- The pretzels and potato chips add a fun salty contrast to the sweet frosting – feel free to experiment with other crunchy toppings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
