Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layered Cupcakes

After a busy morning with work, a doctor's appointment, some errands and a long run, I was really looking forward to heading home yesterday and relaxing indoors.  Since there were plenty of leftover lemon pepper panko-crusted cod for dinner, I didn't have any cooking to do and I decided to do some baking instead.  I browsed through one of my cookbooks for inspiration and found a recipe for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layered Cupcakes.

First, I gathered my ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I used crunchy peanut butter)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter chips (I used closer to 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate baking chips (I used closer to 1/2 cup)

After gathering my ingredients, I pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees and lined my muffin tray with paper baking cups.

In a large bowl, I mixed the flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.

I then added the oil, water, vinegar and vanilla to the flour mixture and stirred until smooth.

In another separate large bowl, I beat the egg, cream cheese, peanut butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.  I then added the powdered sugar and beat until creamy.

I spooned one tablespoon of chocolate batter into each cup.

I evenly spread a tablespoon of peanut butter filling on top.

I then repeated the chocolate and peanut butter layer one more time and then sprinkled the top with peanut butter and chocolate chips.

I baked these cupcakes for about 22 minutes and toothpick-tested it.  I let the cupcakes cool in the pan for fifteen minutes and then cool for another fifteen minutes on a baking rack.

This recipe calls for eighteen cupcakes and I made only twelve.  Instead, I used the leftover batter to make mini cupcakes with chocolate, peanut butter and chocolate layers...and also sprinkled with peanut butter and chocolate chips.

I baked the mini cupcakes for about twelve minutes and also allowed them to cool in the pan and then on a baking rack.

These cupcakes were so good and you definitely need a glass of cold milk to go with them! 

I liked that they didn't have frosting so it seemed like a really sweet muffin, especially since I'm not a huge fan of most cupcake frosting.

I took a bite of the mini chocolate cupcake and it had a nice layer of chocolate, peanut butter and then chocolate.  This would have been too chocolate-y for me normally but for a mini cupcake, this was just perfect!

The larger cupcakes seemed lighter with two layers of chocolate and peanut butter.  The peanut butter filling helped lighten up the strong chocolate flavor.  I definitely liked the big cupcakes better since I prefer desserts that are less chocolate-y.  I know, I'm a weirdo.

I am sending most of the cupcakes to work with Bret today since the whole wheat chocolate chip cookies were a big hit with his co-workers and sending the cupcakes to work is easier on my waistline!  I'm thinking of making something more fruity - like a raspberry crumble bar - next week. 

Any suggestions on what I should bake up next week?