PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES
This site has shown us how much we’ve been missing out on by not appreciating certain flavors, textures, and meal pairings because they’re so prevalent only in Chinese cuisine.
Soy sauce is soy sauce, and you’ll only find it in the “ethnic aisle” of the grocery store. But soy-butter pasta? Is this sauce made with soy milk? All of them are wise decisions.
Black sesame has recently found a new application. Black sesame is a favorite of ours. Black sesame sticky rice balls (tang yuan) are what we’re talking about here. Squishy pillows of glutinous rice dough and black sesame stuffing are a wonderful delight. In terms of flavor, this sesame is deeper, nuttier, and more complex than conventional sesame. Choosing between the black sesame and the peanut flavors in tang yuan might be a real challenge. It’s a big deal.
As a result, we came up with these peanut butter cupcakes with black sesame icing in order to avoid making food-related sacrifices and reuse some of our favorite Asian flavors. This is a great group. The cupcakes are bursting with peanut butter flavor, and the icing has the perfect amount of sweetness.
And my very, very, very picky roommate gave them the seal of approval. As far as endorsements go, I don’t know what else to call it.
INGREDIENTS
CUPCAKES
- 2 large room temperature eggs
- 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
- 2/3 cup of creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup of buttermilk
- 8 Tablespoons of room temperature butter
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
BLACK SESAME FROSTING
- 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
- 8 Tablespoons of room temperature butter
- 3 tablespoons of black sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- a pinch of kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Utilize paper liners to line a 12-cup muffin pan. Place aside.
- Salt, baking powder, and flour are combined in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar in a mixer until frothy and light (about 2 minutes on medium speed). Add the vanilla after each egg has been added. As necessary, scrape the sides down.
- Buttermilk and the flour combination should be slowly beat in, beginning and finishing with the flour mixture. Stir just enough to mix. Avoid overmixing. It will be a thick batter. Distribute the batter among the cupcake liners evenly. A toothpick should come out clean after 22 to 24 minutes of baking. Complete cooling.
- To begin, roast the sesame seeds for about 5 minutes over medium heat in a dry pan until aromatic. Put them in a plastic bag with a zip closure that has had the air squeezed out of it. The sesame seeds should be crushed with a rolling pin to a coarse powder.
- For two minutes, whip the butter at medium speed until it is frothy. Sift in the powdered sugar gradually and beat. Salt, vanilla, and black sesame powder should all be beaten in. Frost!