Chocolate Coca-Cola Cupcakes with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

5 from 9 votes

Chocolate Coca-Cola Cupcakes with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

The Coca-Cola in this recipe adds a nice "lift" and light texture. Don't use diet Coke as it adds a funky aftertaste. The cake batter will be thin, but bakes into a tender crumb and deep, dark chocolate brown. The peanut butter buttercream frosting will become a go-to recipe to top many cupcakes, cakes, even cookies!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Cake

Servings:

Calories: 243kcal

Author: Good Dinner Mom

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

1 cup /240 ml Coca-Cola, Mexican is best if you can find it since it uses regular sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. If you can't find Mexican Coca Cola, just do NOT use diet
½ cup /50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
4 Tablespoons ½ stick/60 g unsalted butter, cut into fours
½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons/130 g granulated sugar
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¾ cup /110 g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg

For the Peanut Butter Buttercream:

4 cups /480 g confectioners' sugar
8 ounces 2 sticks/230 g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup /260 g natural creamy peanut butter, more is fine for extra peanut flavor
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 to 5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Chocolate jimmies or sprinkles
Ground salted peanuts
Sel gris or coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

Make the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C degrees.
Line 12 standard cupcake pan wells with cupcake liners.
In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup Coca-Cola, ½ cup cocoa powder, ½ stick butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated and ¼ cup brown sugar and whisk until dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat source and let cool for about 10 minutes.
While the Coca-Cola mixture cools, in a medium bowl whisk ¾ cup flour, ½teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt together.
In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg until foamy, then whisk into the cooled cocoa mixture. Getnly stir the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. It will be thin and might be a little lumpy, that is fine.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners (note: Since the batter is thin, it might help to pour it into a bowl with a pour spout to help better control your pouring.), fill the liners a generous three-quarters full. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed in the middle.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Salted Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting:

Combine 4 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 sticks butter, 1 cup peanut butter, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined, then switch to high speed and beat until light and fluffy.
Add 4-5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and beat until the mixture is lightened and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with any ½-inch decorator piping tip or use a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Pip the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
Garnish with jimmies, ground peanuts, and a sprinkling of sel gris (salt).

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