Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Cocoa Cream Centers

Steps

1. Soften the unsalted butter, cream cheese and peanut butter, and bring the eggs and buttermilk to room temperature. Chop the dry-roasted peanuts and divide them: half for the batter, half for topping.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
3. In a bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, unsalted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract.
6. Add half the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then the remaining half of the flour mixture, mixing on low just until combined. Fold in the first half of the chopped dry-roasted peanuts.
7. Divide the batter among the liners, about two-thirds full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the cupcakes in the pan 5 minutes, then on a rack until completely cool, about 40 minutes.
9. Meanwhile make the cocoa filling: beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder until smooth, then beat in the heavy cream until silky.
10. With a small knife or apple corer, cut a cone about 1 inch deep from the center of each cooled cupcake; set the cones aside.
11. Spoon or pipe about two-thirds of the cocoa filling into the holes. Trim the cones to a thin cap and press them back on.
12. Swirl the remaining third of the cocoa filling over the tops and sprinkle with the remaining half of the chopped dry-roasted peanuts. Chill any leftovers.