Chocolate Peanut Butter Football Cupcakes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Marzipan Footballs

chocolate cupcakes:

• • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Hershey's Special Dark)

  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 eggs

  • 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

  • 1/4 cup sour cream

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

chocolate peanut butter buttercream

• • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 tablespoon meringue powder

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream

marzipan footballs:

• • 3 ounces marzipan

  • brown gel food coloring

  • 1 ounce white chocolate

Bake the Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350, and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt and baking soda. Add the eggs, whipping cream, sour cream, oil and vanilla and mix until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide batter between the liners and bake for 17-19 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel.

Make the Buttercream:

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter for 1 minute until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and meringue powder. With the mixer on low, add the sugar mixture by spoonfuls. Add the vanilla, and increase speed to medium high, whipping for 4-5 minutes until very light and fluffy, adding the milk if needed.

Make the Marzipan Footballs:

Knead the marzipan with your hands until it is soft and pliable, then knead in a drop or two of brown food coloring. Divide into 12 pieces, keeping them covered with plastic wrap until you're ready to use them. Shape each piece into a football and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Melt the white chocolate according to the instructions on the package, then pipe the lines onto the footballs. Refrigerate the footballs to set the chocolate.

Frost the cooled cupcakes and garnish with the footballs.

Yields 12 cupcakes

Recipe and Design by Curly Girl Kitchen