Rich chocolate cake filled with creamy chocolate ganache topped with decadent peanut butter Butterfinger buttercream and a chocolate Butterfinger candy make these Deluxe Butterfinger Cupcakes a Butterfinger lovers dream!
Inspiration for new cupcakes flavors and combinations comes from unexpected places. These Deluxe Butterfinger Cupcakes were born when my daughter’s music teacher reached out and asked if I’d make something for his wife’s birthday. He told me that his wife absolutely loves Butterfinger candy bars and asked if I could make something like the Butterfinger ice cream cake he saw on my blog.
An ice cream cake might be a bit difficult for my daughter to transport to school with her, so we agreed on a cupcake version!
These deluxe Butterfinger cupcakes started with my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe that I use every time I make chocolate cake or cupcakes. It bakes up perfectly every time I use it.
Filling these cupcakes are a creamy, rich chocolate ganache that just oozes out of the center of the cupcake when you take a bite into it.
Topping the cupcake is my perfect peanut butter buttercream with the addition of chopped Butterfinger candy bars and a mini Butterfinger on top.
Butterfinger cupcake perfection.
Enjoy!
Deluxe Butterfinger Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cup brewed coffee
- 1 Tbsp espresso powder
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Ganache Filling
- 200g dark chocolate, chopped
- 200g heavy cream
Peanut Butter Butterfinger Frosting
- 3 regular size Butterfinger bars
- 24 mini Butterfingers (these come in a bag unwrapped)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter (I use JIF)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the coffee, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and vanilla and whisk until combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the eggs. SLOWLY add a few tablespoons of the chocolate mixture to the sour cream and eggs. Whisk to combine. In a slow stream, whisk in the remaining chocolate mixture until combined completely.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in wet. Using a whisk, stir until no more lumps remain.
- Fill cupcake liners ¾ full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ganache Filling
- Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a small glass bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream in a small sauce pan until just simmering.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for about 3 minutes.
- Stir slowly until all the chocolate has melted.
- Allow the ganache to almost cool completely to room temperature before piping into the cupcakes.
Peanut Butter Butterfinger Buttercream
- In your food processor set to high, crush the 3 Butterfinger bars until they are in very fine pieces.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the peanut butter and butter for 2-3 minutes. You want the color to lighten by a few shades.
- Add the powdered sugar, scrape the sides of the bowl and mix until combined.
- Pour in the heavy cream and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl again.
- Mix in the salt.
- Beat on high for 3-4 minutes or until the buttercream has become light and fluffy.
- Add the crushed Butterfingers and mix until combined.
Assembly
- Fit a piping bag with a Wilton #230 bismarck piping tip and fill with ganache.
- Press the piping tip into the center of each cupcake and fill the cupcake with ganache.
- Using a large round piping tip fitted on a piping bag filled with buttercream, pipe large swirls of frosting on the top of each cupcake.
- Garnish with a mini Butterfinger candy bar.
lysa
Wednesday 13th of April 2016
I'm making these for my boyfriend, but i didn't get the stuff for the ganache...do you think it's still ok to skip that step??
Betsy Eves
Thursday 14th of April 2016
You can :) The cake is really moist and delicious on its own. Hope your bf likes them!!
Lisa
Wednesday 25th of November 2015
I'm getting ready to make these for Thanksgiving and realized my daughter "borrowed" my kitchen scale! Do you have a quick conversion for the ganache???
Betsy Eves
Thursday 26th of November 2015
Hi Lisa - It's a 1:1 ratio for the ganache. So, I'd say you could use just shy of 1 cup heavy cream to 200g of chocolate. Most chocolate bars have the gram measurements on them, I typically buy two 100g bars. There's no wrong way to make the ganache, I just knew I wanted it thicker, so I used less cream... a lot of times it's 2:1 ratio chocolate:cream. You can always add more chocolate if it's too thin or more cream if it's too thick. Hope this helps!
Alice Seuffert
Wednesday 18th of November 2015
Drooling! Butterfinger is a favorite candy and now can't wait to make these cupcakes! Yum!
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom
Wednesday 18th of November 2015
What a fabulous way to celebrate your daughter!! YUM!!
Marye
Wednesday 18th of November 2015
These cupcakes look absolutely incredible! A great use for Butterfingers, which just so happens to be one of my favorite candy bars!