Give your tastebuds a real treat with these sweet and salted cupcakes – they are perfect as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or for the kids to munch on after dinner.
Ingredients
- 50g cocoa powder
- 200ml boiling hot water
- 125g butter, softened
- 150g caster sugar
- 50g dark brown sugar
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 75g roasted salted peanuts
- For the chocolate buttercream:
- 120g butter, softened
- 200g icing sugar, sifted
- 50g dark chocolate, melted
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
- Stir the hot water with the cocoa until smooth and leave to cool.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour in one go. Then the cooled cocoa powder. Fold in the peanuts.
- Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 18 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Place on wire racks to cool completely.
For the chocolate buttercream:
- Cream the butter, gradually add the sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cooled, melted chocolate and continue creaming until fully combined.
- Pipe onto the cupcakes using a piping bag and then, garnish with roasted peanuts.
Top tip for making Salted peanut and chocolate cupcakes
You can substitute peanuts for a different type of nut if you prefer cashews or pistacios.
