A recent visit to the ATL led me to these beauties built around one of America’s most iconic brands.
No trip to Atlanta is complete without a visit to the World of Coca-Cola®. In 1886, Dr. John Stith Pemberton produced the first batch of the cola syrup that would later become a household name. Once you make these Coca-Cola® infused cupcakes, you’ll want to thank the good doctor.
The combination of chocolate, sweetness from the Coca-Cola®, peanut buttery goodness, and textured toppings make these cupcakes as complex as a Week 16 NFL playbook. I’m almost jealous of Buccaneers, Panthers, and Saints fans who are guaranteed to see these babies appear on a Matchup Menu each regular season.
Almost.
The recipe itself is super straightforward. You’ll make a lot of dishes for yourself, but the end result is well worth the trouble. For me, the hardest part is getting the frosting consistency just right. Not enough milk, and your frosting will be a bit shaggy. Too much milk, and it won’t hold its form. If you need some help here, check out this video [1:16] from Pampered Chef.
Your guests will be amazed at how moist these cupcakes are. Be sure to freeze any extra buttercream frosting. You’ll be glad you did!
Chocolate Coca-Cola Cupcakes with Salted Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup Coca-Cola®
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into four pieces
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg
For the peanut butter buttercream frosting:
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Chocolate jimmies or sprinkles, for garnish
- Ground salted peanuts, for garnish
- Coarse sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
To prepare the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the Coca-Cola®, cocoa and butter until the butter is melted. Add the granulated and brown sugars, and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until foamy. Whisk in the cocoa mixture. Stir the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture.
- Divide the batter into the cupcake liners until each is 3/4 full.
- Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when pressed, about 18-20 minutes.
- Transfer the cupcake pan to a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
To prepare the buttercream frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the confectioners sugar, butter, peanut butter and salt on low speed. Beat until combined then increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the cream by the tablespoon, and beat until the mixture is a medium consistency.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch piping tip. Pipe the cooled cupcakes.
- Garnish the frosted cupcakes with jimmies, ground peanuts and a sprinkle of salt.
