About the bake
Arguably one of the best flavour combinations is chocolate and peanut butter. John Whaite has created the best muffin recipe for peanut butter lovers everywhere.
Method
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan. Line a 12-hole deep muffin pan with muffin cases. Into a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb, salt and sugars, and whisk to fully combine.
Step 2:
Put the oil and water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and add the buttermilk.
Step 3:
Break the egg into the bowl containing the dry ingredients, add the hot liquids, and whisk to a smooth cake batter – it will be very runny.
Step 4:
Divide between the muffin cases and bake for 15-18 minutes, until well risen, beautifully dark, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool completely.
Step 5:
For the buttercream, beat together the butter and peanut butter until pale and fluffy – this is best done using a handheld electric mixer – then add the icing sugar and whisk until very pale – a good 5 minutes. Load the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with large star nozzle and pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cakes in generous swirls. Finish by scattering over the chopped salted peanuts, if using.
Ingredients
For the muffins
- 125g Plain Flour
- 40g Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp Fine sea salt
- 100g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 50g Billington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
- 50g Sunflower Oil
- 120ml Water
- 120g Buttermilk
- 1 Large Egg
For the buttercream
- 100g Unsalted Butter
- 100g Peanut butter
- 400g Billington's Unrefined Golden Icing Sugar
- 400g Peanuts (salted)
Utensils
- 12 hole muffin tin
- Muffin cases
- Sieve
- Whisk
- Saucepan
- Electric mixer
- Piping bag
- Large star nozzle
Recipe Reviews
End result tastes great -- I will use this recipe again, but probably up the chocolate.
HOWEVER, the buttercream ratios are way off; it uses FAR too much icing sugar for the amount of other ingredients. I've been making buttercream for almost 30 years and have never had one go this wrong. I added probably 50-75 ml of milk (just kept splashing it in til it was nice again) to bring the wet/dry ratio back where it should be.
Ingredients
For the muffins
- 125g Plain Flour
- 40g Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp Fine sea salt
- 100g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 50g Billington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
- 50g Sunflower Oil
- 120ml Water
- 120g Buttermilk
- 1 Large Egg
For the buttercream
- 100g Unsalted Butter
- 100g Peanut butter
- 400g Billington's Unrefined Golden Icing Sugar
- 400g Peanuts (salted)
Utensils
- 12 hole muffin tin
- Muffin cases
- Sieve
- Whisk
- Saucepan
- Electric mixer
- Piping bag
- Large star nozzle