Don’t be fooled by the diminutive stature of these cupcakes. They are studly in flavor: chocolate, peanut butter, and tangy orange. My jumping off point for these cupcakes came in at Number 4 on BuzzFeed’s 29 Ways to Honor the Glory of Peanut Butter and Jelly with Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes with Peanut Butter & Chocolate Ganache from Joanne Eats Well With Others. Joanne’s creation sounds absolutely heavenly, and darn her, they’re beautifully frosted. I strongly dislike (yet admire) people who know how to ice baked goods.
These are decadent treats, so I made them smaller than the average cupcake. If you like bigger/taller cupcakes, make 14 or 16 instead of 18.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Orange “Marmalade” Frosting & Chocolate-Peanut Butter Drizzle
Makes 18
Cupcakes:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
3 tsp. powdered stevia
2 tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (I use King Arthur Double-Dutch Cocoa)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. Cafix coffee substitute powder (or use espresso powder)
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 9 tbsp. water (whisk together then let sit for a minute or two)
1 small avocado
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. peanut butter flavor
1 3/4 cups water
Orange “Marmalade” Frosting:
1 orange, peeled (reserve some of the peel for garnish, if desired)
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked for a few hours
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 tbsp. coconut oil
7-10 drops stevia liquid (or your favorite sweetener, to taste)
pinch salt
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Drizzle:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 heaping tbsp. smooth natural peanut butter
2-3 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. peanut butter flavor, optional
Make the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly spray 14-18 muffins tins with oil. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, Cafix, and salt.
In the bowl of a food processor, blend the flaxseed meal mixture, avocado, and peanut butter – just enough to break down the avocado. Now add the vanilla extract, peanut butter flavor, and water. Process until very smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.
Divid the mixture evenly between the muffin tins and shake the pans to level the batter. Bake for about 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire racks.
Make the frosting:
In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine all of the frosting ingredients and process until very smooth. This will take a little longer in a food processor. Pour the frosting into an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. The frosting will not harden, but will be thick and fairly liquid.
When the cupcakes have cooled, use a tablespoon to pour frosting over the cupcakes. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator until ready to drizzle with chocolate.
Make the drizzle:
In a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate, peanut butter, and coconut oil, stirring to thoroughly combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter flavor. Remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator and drizzle them with the melted chocolate mixture. Top with orange peel, if using.
Store cupcakes in the refrigerator.
