Buckeye Cupcakes These Buckeye Cupcakes are the first recipe in my new series, By the Dozen, where I’m taking my most popular cake recipes and turning them into cupcakes. These are inspired by my beloved Buckeye Cake, and this cupcake recipe makes just 12 rich, moist chocolate cupcakes filled with ganache and topped with peanut butter buttercream. They perfect when you need a little cake fix without committing to the whole thing. Recipe below or on my Substack (link in bio)! For the Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients 1 cup (120g) cake flour 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar 6 Tbsp (30g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder ½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp kosher salt ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature ¼ cup (55ml) neutral oil (I use avocado oil but vegetable or canola work too) 1 large egg, room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup (120ml) hot coffee Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Slowly whisk in the hot coffee until smooth. Fill cupcake liners with ¼ cup batter each. Bake for 16–18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. Start checking around 15 minutes, especially if your oven runs hot, no one wants a dry chocolate cupcake. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before filling and frosting. For the Chocolate Ganache Ingredients ¾ cup (130g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed Instructions Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until just steaming (do not boil). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. If needed, microwave in 15-second increments, stirring between each, until fully melted and glossy. Let cool until slightly thickened but still spoonable. For the Peanut Butter Buttercream Ingredients ¾ cup (1½ sticks / 170g) unsalted butter, softened ¾ cup (192g) creamy peanut butter (not natural, Peter Pan works great) 2½ cups (300g) powdered sugar, sifted 2 Tbsp heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla extract Pinch of salt Instructions Beat the butter on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and beat until completely smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Cupcake Assembly Core the center of each cooled cupcake. Fill the centers with chocolate ganache. Pipe peanut butter buttercream on top. I use Ateco Tip 809. Gently warm the remaining ganache and drizzle over the buttercream. Finish with crumbled cake from the cupcake cores. *Storage instructions and commonly asked questions on my Substack* #buckeyecupcakes #chocolatepeanutbutter #cupcakerecipe #homebaking #bakingfromscratch @USA Pan @KitchenAid - @theactualansley