These Chocolate and Peanut Butter Lava Cupcakes are a match made in heaven! My new & improved fluffy chocolate cupcakes are stuffed with Reese's cups and filled with a peanut butter ganache filling! Top it off with a chocolate and peanut butter swirl frosting for an impressive crowd-pleasing dessert!

*This recipe was originally posted on September 29, 2017 and was updated on May 25, 2021 with a new recipe, photos and helpful tips*

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Updated From Top to Bottom

As mentioned above, this recipe was originally posted in 2017, just a few months after starting this blog. Since then, my baking skills and recipes have upgraded quite a bit. So instead of leaving you with the old, basic recipe, I’ve decided to upgrade every single composition for an even BETTER chocolate and peanut butter cupcake!

Four Components in This Recipe 

If you’re an amateur baker, you may scroll down to the ingredient list and immediately become intimidated because of how long it is. Trust me when I tell you each part of this recipe is super easy to make!

1. Chocolate Cupcakes: when I originally posted this recipe, I used my easy moist chocolate cupcakes recipe. However, since posting these dark chocolate cupcakes, I’ve fallen in love with this far more moist, tender and soft version! You can still use the old recipe if you want, but I prefer the new ones so much more!
2. Peanut Butter Lava Filling: I remember back when I developed this recipe, I created an unnecessarily complicated peanut butter sauce with about 5 ingredients. This time, I kept things simple with a 2-ingredient peanut butter ganache you could make in the microwave!
3. Chocolate & Peanut Butter Buttercream: oh man. Last time I posted this, my frosting was far too soft and began to melt. I blamed it on the weather, but honestly I added far too much milk. This time I completely revamped both recipes that are ultra fluffy and held up perfectly at room temperature for hours!

New & Improved Chocolate Cupcakes 

In the old chocolate cupcake recipe, I simply combined the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, then whisked them both together. Easy, right? 

One of the reasons why I ditched that recipe this time around is because it was a bit too light. I felt like the lava filling and peanut butter cup stuffed inside was too much for such an airy cupcake to handle. I remember everything falling apart so easily when I took a bite. No more!

My new cupcakes have a stronger, more dense crumb, so we can stuff it with chocolate peanut butter cups, core the middle and fill it with the ganache without worrying about them causing the cupcakes to collapse! 

This is a butter-based cupcake recipe, so we start by creaming some softened butter and sugar together until it’s pale and fluffy. This should take at least 5 minutes, no less. This helps build structure in our cupcake!

From there we add eggs for extra structure, sour cream for tenderness, vanilla and coffee granules for flavour (and to enhance the chocolate flavour). Now add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix, then ½ of the buttermilk and mix. Continue by adding more of the dry, remaining wet, then remaining dry. This keeps our cupcake batter smooth throughout the entire mixing process, which prevents over mixing. 

To stuff the peanut butter cup inside, start by adding a tablespoon of batter to the bottom of the liners. Then add a peanut butter cup. Make sure it’s frozen so it doesn’t melt down as soon as it hits the oven. Add more batter on top until it’s ⅔ way full.

Peanut Butter Ganache Filling

Not only are these cupcakes stuffed with a delightful Reese's peanut butter cup, they're injected with a molten peanut butter lava filling that erupts in your mouth with every bite!

The peanut butter filling isn't too hard to make. It's simply a peanut butter ganache made with Reese's peanut butter chips and heavy cream. If you can't find Peanut Butter chips, you can substitute with chocolate chips or you could check out my peanut butter chocolate ganache recipe. You could even melt some peanut butter in the microwave and fill the cupcakes with that.

To fill the cupcakes, we core the tops with a cupcake corer. Then, using a spoon or a disposable piping bag, fill the centres with the peanut butter filling. How gorgeous does this look?

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Frosting 

This is a chocolate AND peanut butter flavoured cupcake, so what’s the point of using 1 flavour of frosting when you could use both! 

For the Chocolate Buttercream: combine butter and salt until fluffy. Add 1 and ½ cups of powdered sugar and all of the cocoa powder, then beat on low until combined. Add the melted chocolate, make sure you melt it before you start so it has time to cool! A few teaspoon of vanilla, remaining powdered sugar and a few tablespoons of cream to soften/fluff it up! 

For the Peanut Butter Frosting: replace half of the butter with some creamy peanut butter and beat them together with a pinch of salt. Once again add half of the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, then the rest of the powdered sugar.

How to Pipe Both Frostings Onto Cupcakes

• Method 1: spoon the chocolate frosting on one side of a large piping bag and the peanut butter frosting on the other side. This method is a bit messy, as you can see there’s a bit of peanut butter on the chocolate side of my frosting swirl. 
• Method 2: add both frostings to separate disposable piping bags or large ziploc bag and cut the tip. Lay down a large sheet of plastic wrap and alternate between piping a line of chocolate frosting and a line of peanut butter frosting next to it in the middle of the plastic. Pick up one side of the plastic wrap and fold it onto the frosting, then roll it all up into a cylinder. Hold the ends of the plastic and spin the cylinder a bit to tighten up the loose ends. Cut off one end and slide it into a piping bag. This method is a bit more tedious, but the results are a lot neater. 
• Method 3: add both frostings to separate piping bag fitted with the same tip. Alternate between piping a row of chocolate or peanut butter frosting on each cupcake. 
• Method 4: use one of these special “multi-frosting piping bags” to make life a whole lot easier!

Method 2: (old photo)

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Chocolate and Peanut Butter Lava Cupcakes

Yield: 19 cupcakes

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

These Chocolate and Peanut Butter Lava Cupcakes are a match made in heaven! My new & improved fluffy chocolate cupcakes are stuffed with Reese's cups and filled with a peanut butter ganache filling! Top it off with a chocolate and peanut butter swirl frosting for an impressive crowd-pleasing dessert!

Print

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 19 Peanut Butter Cups, frozen
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoon (135g) all purpose flour
• ¾ cup (63g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 and ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cups (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoon (223g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 6 tablespoon sour cream, room temperature
• 2 and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 and ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoon (255g) buttermilk, room temperature

Peanut Butter Ganache Filling:

• 1 cup (170g) Reese's peanut butter chips
• ⅓ cup (76g) heavy cream

Chocolate Buttercream:

• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups (340g) powdered sugar, sifted
• ¼ cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 8 oz (227g) semi sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4-6 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup (135g) creamy peanut butter
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups (340g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 and ½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Topping:

• 19 Peanut Butter Cups

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C), and line 2 standard cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk to combine, set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Lower the speed to medium-low and add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
5. In a small bowl, combine the vanilla and instant coffee granules. Add the sour cream to the batter along with the vanilla coffee mixture and beat on medium speed until combined.
6. Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and beat until just combined, add ½ of the buttermilk and continue to mix. Repeat mixing in ½ of the remaining dry ingredients, then the remaining buttermilk followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Don't forget to mix after each addition.
7. Scoop a tablespoon of batter into cupcake liners, then place a frozen reeses cup on top, slightly pushing it down.
8. Scoop some more batter on top, filling them ⅔ way full. Remove any liners that haven’t been filled. You should get about 19 cupcakes. Bake one tray at a time for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
9. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in pans for about 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

For the Peanut Butter Ganache Filling:

1. Pour the peanut butter chips and heavy cream into a heat safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, until the cream is steaming hot. This takes me about 1 minute.
2. Stir slowly until the mixture comes together to form a thick ganache. Set aside while preparing the frosting.

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
2. Turn the mixer to low, and gradually add half of the powdered sugar and the cocoa and beat on low speed until just combined. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and vanilla and mix on medium-low speed until combined.
3. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add heavy cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency.
4. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

For the Peanut Butter Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
2. Turn the mixer to low, and gradually add half of the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until just combined. Pour in the heavy cream and vanilla and mix on medium-low speed until combined.
3. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar and mix until combined. If the frosting is too thick, add additional heavy cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency.
4. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

Assembly:

1. Core the centres of each cupcakes, using an apple or cupcake corer.
2. Using a spoon or a disposable piping bag, fill the cupcakes with the peanut butter ganache.
3. Fit a large disposable piping bag with a large star tip (I used Wilton 8B). Place it laying down flat onto your countertop.
4. Carefully spread the chocolate frosting onto the bottom half of the piping bag. You may get some on the top half, but try not to get too much.
5. Using a clean rubber spatula, spread the peanut butter frosting onto the top half of the piping bag. The chocolate frosting should be on one side of the bag while the peanut butter frosting is on the other side.
6. Pipe the frosting i to a bowl until you start to see both frostings come out. Then pipe the frosting onto each cupcake. Top with a mini chocolate peanut butter cup and enjoy!

Notes

1. Make Ahead: (1) cupcakes can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. They can be kept stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a day, or in the refrigerator for 2 days. (2) both frostings can be made ahead of time and kept covered in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rewhipping until fluffy. (3) peanut butter ganache can be made ahead of time and kept covered in the refrigerator. Microwave for about 20-30 seconds and stir until it’s smooth and liquid again.
2. Freezing: cupcakes can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then come to room temperature before serving.
3. Tools I Used: Stand Mixer | 12-cup Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Hand Mixer | Small Scoop | Apple Corer | Disposable Piping Bags
4. Coring the Cupcakes: instead of a cupcake or apple corer, you can use the bottom of a large piping tip to core the cupcakes.
5. Peanut Butter Ganache: can’t find peanut butter chips? Just melt ¾ cup of creamy peanut butter in the microwave for 15-30 seconds and fill the cupcakes. You can also leave them plain.
6. Melting the Chocolate: melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until it’s melted and smooth.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 19 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 303mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 3gSugar: 29gProtein: 8g

BON APPÉTIT!

Love, Dedra

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