Peanut Butter Glazed Chocolate "Crownie" Cupcakes with Whipped Cocoa Fudge Frosting

I spent the last day making power-lifting and ballet themed cupcakes for the same birthday party. Why would someone want both of these? Well, let me explain why.

 Last week one of the trainers at my gym asked me if I would be interested in making her boyfriend cupcakes for a little birthday party she was organizing. He's pretty big into powerlifting and she knew making gym equipment into something edible would be right up my alley. I was psyched! But then, yesterday afternoon she called me with a little dilemma: there was to be another person at the party who was celebrating a birthday too! Not wanting to leave them out, she had hoped I could include a few ballet themed cuppies in with her order. I couldn't imagine ever having the opportunity to create such two diametrically opposite themes, so how could I possibly say no?
For the cupcakes I decided to make a chocolate and peanut butter combination - with two toppings: a simple peanut butter glaze and a fluffy fudge frosting. The cake in this recipe was unique in that it was a cross between cake and a brownie so I've decided to call it a Crownie! :)
The frosting was a bit of an issue. I followed the recipe exactly as it was written but when I was ready to pipe, it was the consistency of fudge! It was so thick, in fact, that I was not able to get it to even come out of the tip. So to lighten it, I added some soften cream cheese, a bit more vanilla, and a little more powdered sugar. The result was much more frosting-like added a lot to the overall texture.




As you can see, I got a little carried away...but I had SO much fun making them! And just in case you're curious, this apparent talent I have for making random things out of fondant and gum paste is new. While I've always appreciated the arts and can doodle with the best of them, I had no idea I could do this! So to all those people out there who doubt their ability to make things out of fondant, I dare you to give it a try. I bet you'll surprise yourself with what you can do. :)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate "Crownie" Cupcakes with Whipped Cocoa Fudge Frosting
Yield: 19 cupcakes, er...cupcrownies. :)
adapted from All Recipes

Chocolate Cupcrownies
1 cup unsalted margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Peanut Butter Glaze
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, it's up to you)
1 tablespoon peanut oil (or other vegetable oil)
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Whipped Cocoa Fudge Frosting
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons buttermilk
Pinch of kosher salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 oz (half a package) full fat sour cream, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, sugar and baking soda. Set aside. Make a well in the center and pour in chocolate mixture. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Spread batter into prepared pan.

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup margarine, 1/4 cup cocoa, water, and 1/2 cup buttermilk in a saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it bubbles. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove 1 cup of the hot liquid and very slowly, maybe a tablespoon or two at a time, whisk it into the beaten eggs. Continue adding the chocolate liquid to the egg mixture until you've mixed it all together. Pour the chocolate/egg mixture very slowly into the saucepan, whisking the entire time. Turn the heat back up to medium and continue whisking several minutes until the mixture just starts to come to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Pour in chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and mix until well blended and no dry ingredients appear. Add vanilla and beat until smooth - about 1 to 2 minutes. Don't be alarmed at how liquidy the batter looks.) Fill each cupcake tin 2/3rds of the way. Sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips over the top of each cupcake. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick entered into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and continue to cool.
While the cupcakes are cooling, mix the peanut butter and oil together until the oil is absorbed. Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Spread a little over the top of each cake.

In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup margarine, salt, and 6 tablespoons buttermilk. Heat just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Place confectioners' sugar in a large bowl and beat in chocolate mixture. Continue mixing until smooth. Add the cream cheese and mix until combined. If the frosting seems a little thin, continue to add more powdered sugar until it's at the consistency you want. Spread or pipe on each cupcake.