*Lots of step pictures and explanations. Scroll down to get the recipe.*
You know when you bite into a piรฑata cupcake and surprise!! there’s oodles of sprinkles packed inside? Same thing is happening today. Except you bite through a hard chocolate shell into soft peanut butter meringue-like frosting. And it’s all piled on top of a deliciously moist and rich chocolate cupcake.
What’s on the inside is what truly matters. Life lessons via cupcakes.
Let me begin by settling your fears: these cupcakes are NOT difficult. They look complicated and intimidating, for sure, but as long as you have the correct tools you can speed through the entire process with confidence and ease.
What is a hi-hat cupcake?
Traditionally, hi-hat cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes with a stable and glossy marshmallow frosting that is covered in a hard chocolate coating. It resembles a chocolate dipped soft serve swirl. Mighty and epic, hi-hat cupcakes tower over regular cupcakes. They’re unbelievable.
Similar marshmallow frosting is the topping on my s’mores tartlets. It’s a mixture of egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar, gently heated over simmering water and then whipped until thick and glossy. It truly tastes like marshmallow! But… wait a second. What about adding peanut butter?
Anything is possible. *More cupcake life lessons.*
There are 3 parts to peanut butter hi-hat cupcakes:
- Chocolate cupcakes
- Peanut butter frosting
- Chocolate shell
Part 1:ย Make chocolate cupcakes.ย I won’t go into much detail about the cupcakes themselves because I want to focus on the hi-hat business. They’re undoubtedly myย favorite chocolate cupcake!!
Part 2: Once the cupcakes have baked and cooled, makeย the peanut butter frosting. I’ve got tons of step-by-step photos so you can see the magic happening.
Whisk egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar together constantly over a pot of simmering water. (Above, left.) The egg whites will gently heat and the sugar will dissolve. (Above, right.) In case you’re curious, the cream of tartar stabilizes the egg whites. It also helps the egg whites whip into stiff peaks. It’s a non-negotiable ingredient. And you probably have some leftover after making snickerdoodles over the holidays!
Tip: When gently cooking these 3 ingredients together, simply use a large pot and the stainless steel bowl that comes with your stand mixerโas pictured above. You’ll need your stand mixer in the next step anyway.
Once the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar are gently heated, begin whipping.
It’s so fluffy!
Now slowly beat in 10 Tablespoons of very soft butter and 1 cup of creamy peanut butter. These ingredients will slightly deflate the mixture. That’s OK. It will still be quite stable (thanks egg whites and cream of tartar!) and hold its hi-hat shape.
Pipe the frosting on using a 1/2 inch round piping tip. I use my trusty Wilton #12 tip. Place the tip straight up on the center of the cupcake, then apply pressure and slowly lift up. You now have a round pile of frosting. Do that one more time to create a 2nd smallerย pileย on top. Sorry, “pile” is really the best word I can use here. Or maybe “blob”?ย But it’s a fancy looking pile or blob, right?
Once all the cupcakes are frosted, stick them in the freezer or refrigerator so the frosting sets on top. You want it nice and cold. Now you can begin the final step!
Part 3: chocolate shell time. It’s only 2 ingredients! Melt 10 ounces of baking chocolate (pure chocolate) with 1.5 Tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil. Make sure the melted chocolate is in a wide and deep container. I used a large coffee mug. Let the melted chocolate cool for a few minutes before you begin dipping. Super hot chocolate can deflate and melt the peanut butter frosting.
Remove the frosted cupcakes from the refrigerator or freezer and let’s dunk!
So here’s what I love the most about these peanut butter hi-hat cupcakes: the peanut butter frosting isn’t too sweet! No confectioners’ sugar; only 3/4 cup of granulated. It truly tastes like pure peanut butter under a dark chocolate shell.
I brought them to a birthday celebration on Saturday night and everyone was so curious about how they were made. They couldn’t believe the frosting didn’t melt or fall off when I dipped them into the chocolate! Follow the steps below and if you need help with the products I used, I linked to them below the recipe. HAVE FUN!
More Chocolate Peanut Butter Treats:
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies
Peanut Butter Hi-Hat Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade peanut butter chocolate hi-hat cupcakes are deliciously decadent. Begin with chocolate cupcakes, top with peanut butter frosting, and dunk into a chocolate shell coating!
Ingredients
- 1 batch homemade chocolate cupcakes
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 3ย egg whites, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 10 Tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter, very softย (not melted)
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter (not natural style)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Chocolate Shell
- 10 ounces (280g) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped*
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Set the butter and eggs out that you’ll need for the frosting. By the time you bake and cool the cupcakes, the butter will be soft and the egg whites will be room temperature.
- Make the chocolate cupcakes. Allow them to completely cool.
- Make the peanut butter frosting: Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in aย heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan filled with two inches of simmering water. Do not let it touch the water. (You can use a double boiler if you have one.) Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes. You can use a candy thermometer to make sure they’re ready; it will register 160ยฐF (71ยฐC).2
- Transfer the mixing bowl to an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed for 5-6 minutes until soft, glossy peaks form. (See photo above.) Onย medium speed, add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time until completely combined and creamy. Some tiny chunks of butter may remain; it will all smooth out. Finally, beat in the peanut butter and vanilla until combined. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if needed. I like to add 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
- Pipe frosting onto each cooled cupcake. I use aย Wilton #12 tip. You may have an extra cupcake or 2 leftover if you use a lot of frosting on each cupcake. I useย roughlyย 1/4 cup of frosting on each.ย Chill cupcakes in the refrigerator or freezer until frosting is completely firm. I freeze mine for 20 minutes.
- Make the chocolate shell:ย melt the chopped chocolate and oil together in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. You can also melt in a double boiler if you have one. Let the chocolate cool down for 5ย minutes before dipping.
- Holding the cupcake by its bottom, carefully and quickly dip each into chocolate to coat the frosting. Place on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet in case any chocolate drips off.ย Refrigerate cupcakes for 30 minutes to set the chocolate. Enjoy!
- Cover and store cupcakes at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.ย Hi-hat cupcakes do not freeze well.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can make the cupcakes and frosting separately 1 day in advance. Cover and refrigerate both overnight. Continue with step 5 the next day.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer | 3.5qt Sauce Pan | Double Boiler (optional) | Whisk | Piping Bags (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton #12 Piping Tip | Cooling Rack
- Chocolate: Chocolate bars are typically sold in 4 ounce bars. If it’s easier, you can use 3 bars (12 ounces) instead of 10 ounces. No need to add more oil. You will have leftover chocolate. I suggest Ghirardelli, Baker’s brand, or Lindt. They are found next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle.
- Egg Whites: The egg whites are gently cooked in step 3 to 160ยฐF (71ยฐC). Which is considered safe to eat. You can use a candy thermometer to determine their temperature. You can use pasteurized egg whites, though keep in mind they may never reach the volume of unpasteurized egg whites. You may need additional egg whites.
- I’ve gotten questions about a peanut butter frosting alternative. I haven’t tested anything else, but you can make a plain marshmallow frosting (without the peanut butter). Martha Stewart has a complete recipe for theย plain marshmallow frosting. Itโsย veryย good.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin!
- Method adapted from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Iโve made these several times and they are wonderful! TY so much for the recipe!
I love the peanut butter topping and would love to make a vanilla version. Is there anything that can sub for the peanut butter topping make a neutral base flavor?
Thank you
So glad you love these cupcakes, Lenora! Instead of the peanut butter frosting, you can use the plain frosting that we use for birthday hi-hat cupcakes. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Would it be ok to make these cupcakes without the chocolate shell or is it necessary to help hold the icing together?
Hi C, you can leave off the chocolate shell if you wish.
I made this recipe and the frosting did NOT work. When I added the peanut butter not only did it deflate, but it became greasy. I tried the cooling it down and rewhipping it but it never would come together. Became a waste of time and money. Disappointing.
Hi Shannon, we’d be happy to help troubleshoot. When you add the peanut butter and butter, it will slightly deflate the mixture. Thatโs OK. It will still be quite stable (thanks egg whites and cream of tartar!) and hold its hi-hat shape. Were you using a natural peanut butter by chance? They contain more oil and are not ideal for this particular recipe. Thank you for giving this one a try!
Can you freeze these once made with frosting?
Hi Shannon, unfortunately, hi-hat cupcakes do not freeze well. You can, however, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Any way to save the leftover chocolate shell? I need to make another hi-hat cupcake in a few days and would like to save it!
Hi Lauren, the chocolate shell mixture should stay well in the refrigerator for a few days, and then you can try reheating it to bring it back to a dipping consistency.
These cupcakes were such a hit with family and friends! St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and I’m wondering if I could make the frosting without the peanutbutter and add a small amount of peppermint extract and a drop or two of green food coloring. Would that ruin the consistency of the buttercream?
Hi Pat, instead of the peanut butter frosting, you can use the plain frosting that we use for birthday hi-hat cupcakes and add a small but of peppermint extract and green gel food coloring. Let us know how it turns out for you!
I made these with natural peanut butter and coconut sugar (so basically they’re healthy, right?) Subs worked fine.
Love having a frosting option without powdered sugar.
These cupcakes are ridiculously good! I already have a go to chocolate cake, so used that recipe, but I used the rest of the recipe. Iโve never even seen a recipe like this one before. They are seriously awesome! Sallyโs recipes are always show stoppers! Thanks so much!
A worthwhile recipe! The frosting is awesome, and the cupcakes super moist. Furthermore it was super easy; I decided to do all in one day the cupcakes and the frosting, then, the following day, I continued with step 5. Anyway I will definitely make them again!!
Oh my goodness!! I made mini cupcakes using Sallyโs Brownie Cupcake as the base from her Sโmores Cupcakes & followed the rest of the recipe exactly!The fluffy creamy not too sweet peanut butter meringue is perfect under that semi sweet chocolate shell! I set out the 10 tbs butter right before I started the cupcakes & had no issues making the frosting! Thank you so much Sally for always sharing details that has made every recipe of yours I try a complete success!! Delicious!!
I just wanted to give experiment results in case anyone else is wondering about the same recipe tweaks. I just made these for my friend’s birthday, but she’s gluten- and dairy-free. For the cupcake I did a one for one swap with regular walmart AP GF flour and added an extra tbsp of cornstarch. Cupcakes came out awesome. For the frosting, I used Country Crock sticks with avocado oil (7tbsp) and 3tbsp of butter flavored shortening (I would normally never eat the stuff but limited options). Everything else stayed the same. The flavor was really on par with a regular SMBC and had a very similar texture (luscious, creamy, light) BUT it doesn’t maintain the structure that real dairy gives. It’s a little too soft, but not a recipe ruiner. I can’t imagine Florida summers help with that, but it is what it is. If it’s kept inside and refrigerated, it should do fine if anyone else needs it.
Hi, I live in the UK and am trying to understand what “creamy” and “natural style” peanut butter are. Is this the same as smooth and crunchy or is creamy something more processed somehow?
Hi Asli! We’re happy to help. Creamy, processed peanut butter can be smooth or crunchy (we recommend smooth) and contains sugar and other added ingredients. This is typically best for baking. Natural style peanut butter contains only peanuts and salt as the ingredients (great for eating, but not always the best option for baked goods as it can dry them out and/or make them crumbly). Hope this helps!
Thank you!
Fabulous! It looks so delicious! I feel that I need to eat them all.
Oh, boy were these good! I used Sally’s chocolate layer cake recipe and made mini cupcakes for my 20th birthday. They were easy to dip and I had no problems with the chocolate sweating or melting even when in my car for 20 minutes on my way to work. The meringue turned out incredibly smooth and not too sweet, unlike many peanut butter frostings I have used in the past. I also made a chocolate sheet cake using my leftover peanut butter meringue then I poured melted chocolate over the top and set it in the fridge to cool. This one is going straight into my recipe box! Thank you for the wonderful recipe Sally.
Would you be able to substitute the peanut butter with strawberry puree (cooked and cooled to form jam like consistency)? I’ve made buttercream using this method before but was wondering if that would make it too watery or if that could work with the swiss meringue.
Thank you!
Hi Akiko, that would be too watery for this meringue frosting. We recommend trying freeze-dried strawberry powder like we do in our strawberry buttercream frosting recipe, but it would take some testing. Let us know what you try!
Is there a way to prevent the chocolate from โsweatingโ as they sit and come up to room temp once the cupcakes have been dipped?
Hey Sally, I’ve tried many of your recipes and they never disappoint! I’m just wondering why these don’t freeze well. I freeze cupcakes that have swiss meringue butter cream and they do just fine. Is the “shell” the issue? If so, I’m thinking about freezing them without the shell, and do the dipping once they come out. Thoughts?
Hi Angie, what a great question! The frosting isn’t a buttercream. It’s simply a meringue frosting. I find the texture isn’t quite as creamy and luscious after freezing/thawing. You can certainly try it, but the texture isn’t as ideal.
Is it possible to use meringue powder instead of egg whites? If so how would one go about it?