Chocolate Honey Cupcakes with Roasted Peanuts (+ a Chef’n Giveaway!)
We have some really incredible locally-produced honey here in Tennessee. We pick up a giant jar of raw dark wildflower honey at the Farmers’ Market every few months or so, and use it in everything from tea to salad dressings to baked goods. I swear, once you buy some really good pure honey, you will never go back to the cheap-o store stuff (yes, I’m talking about you, Mr. Bear).
A few weeks back I made a chocolate cake, and the cake recipe I used included honey in the batter. Which I didn’t think much of until we were eating it that night. And you know what? You could actually taste the honey. It was a delicious complement to the richness of the chocolate itself.
So I took that idea (as I often do), and downsized it into cupcake form. Mixed in some roasted peanuts (because as a child who would choose a pb & honey sandwich over a pb&j anyday, I knew they were a perfect match), and topped it off with a subtly sweet and buttery rich honey buttercream. Yum. The honey adds an unexpected note of sweetness and depth of flavor to these cupcakes that you can actually taste in the final cake (surprisingly it does not bake out). Not to mention that since honey is naturally moisture-loving, these are some of the moistest cupcakes you will ever eat. To put it concisely, these cupcakes are all-around scrumptious.
Granted, Taylor has never been a fan of peanut butter and cake in the same bite, and while I had hoped that the ground peanuts would differ from simply adding peanut butter, I still think he would have preferred these sans-peanut. But I am sure he won’t put up a fight when I ask him to help me finish off this batch. I mean, cake is cake, right?
Chocolate Honey Cupcakes with Roasted Peanuts and Honey Vanilla Buttercream
Makes 12 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup soy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, finely groundFor Frosting:
2 large egg whites
3/8 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extractDirections:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
Whisk together the soy milk, oil, sugar, honey, and vanilla extract until incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix in peanuts. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in soy milk mixture. Stir until just smooth (do not overmix).
Pour into liners, filling each with 3 tablespoons of batter (cups should be no more than 2/3 full). For mini cupcakes, fill each with 1 tablespoon batter. Bake 18-20 minutes (or 10-12 for minis), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
To make buttercream, combine the sugar, honey, and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, 7-10 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like melted marshmallow cream. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk on high speed until mixture is completely cooled and stiff peaks form, about 6-10 minutes. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, on low speed, mixing well after each addition. If at any point mixture looks separated or curdled, stop adding butter. Increase speed to high and beat until mixture smooths out again. Reduce speed, and continue adding remaining butter. Beat in vanilla and food coloring (if desired). Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.
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And now on to the giveaway portion of this post! A few weeks back, I was contacted by the fine folks at Chef’n looking to collaborate on a giveaway here on this blog. While I didn’t immediately recognize the company name, I did recognize (and regularly use) a few of their products. Chef’n is responsible for a number of fun, unique, and out-of-the-box kitchen tools, designed to solve many common kitchen conundrums. In fact, I had had a set of their SleekStor™ collapsible measuring cups (in the most gorgeous teal blue) on my wishlist for some time now. When your drawer space is limited, every little bit counts.
So when they offered to send me a set, along with some other baking goodies, how could I say no? And the best part of it all is they have agreed to send a second set of baking gadgets and goodies to one lucky Love & Olive Oil reader!
Up for grabs is one Chef’n Gift set. Included in the prize are 1 set of SleekStor™ collapsible measuring cups (in your choice of 6 colors – Curacao shown above), one Switchit™ All-Purpose spatula and one Switchit™ Spreader spatula (again in your choice of colors – Arugula and Radicchio shown above), and one set of 3 multi-colored Nesting Mixing Bowls.
TO ENTER: simply leave a comment on this post by midnight (cst) on Saturday, March 13th. Only one entry per person. I will randomly select the winner first thing Sunday morning. Prize will be shipped to the winner directly from a Chef’n representative. Giveaway is open to all readers – US and abroad!
You can also get yourself a BONUS entry by twittering about this giveaway, sharing it on facebook, or mentioning it on your own blog. Simply leave an additional comment with a link to the tweet and/or blog post. One bonus entry per person (multiple tweets won’t get you multiple bonus entries).
Be sure you enter a valid email address, because if your name is drawn and I can’t get ahold of you, I will choose an alternate winner. You may also want to add me to your address book (lindsay AT loveandoliveoil DOT com) for good measure, I’d hate for your congratulatory email to end up in the spam folder.
Don’t Miss a Meal!
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I’m always excited when I see a new blog entry in my google reader! Thanks for all the great recipes and ideas!
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Can’t wait to try this one!
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I love those measuring cups!! And I love these honey peanut cupcakes…definitely have to try them out soon.
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Oh those look yummy!!!
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Oh and I tweeted :)
http://twitter.com/jaimejenn/status/10239171264
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Looks…sweeeet!!!
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oh my, I could really use those collapsible measuring cups. My baking drawer would thank you!
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Those cupcakes look scrumptious! I cannot wait to try out the recipe!
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looks awesome! I ate PB&Honey sandwiches instead of PB&J when I was a kid too! Favorite snack ever… yum!
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Oh my goodness. Chocolate + Honey sounds divine. :) Beautiful cupcakes!!!
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Lovin’ all those colors!!! Thanks for the opportunity.
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Can’t wait for the baby to start sleeping more, so I can get some baking done. Hope I win the giveaway!
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Would love to give this gift to my lovely sister beth who i am visiting on my birthday in april……………….:-)
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Love your website! That chocolate cupcake is to die for!!
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I baked these earlier today….So yummy!!
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Cute set!
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I am going to be so surprised if I win this…But here goes!!
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Here is my tweet:
http://twitter.com/Saltwater425/status/10246647610
Also, I think these would be delicious with honey-roasted peanuts…
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these look so yummy!!!
cant wait to make them!
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Yum! These look beautiful!
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the cupcakes look delicious and the gift set is so cute!
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These cupcakes look amazing! I love your blog. I made your Peanut Butter Patties this weekend and they have been a big hit!
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I recently bought 3 different kinds of honey from a farmer’s market and have been scouring the internet for unique recipes – this is absolutely perfect! I was also going to ask you where the measuring cups came from until I saw the giveaway – I think I have to order a dozen different things now!
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These cupcakes look delicious – as do all things on your blog! (and, so excited about the chef’n giveaway – I’ve been loving the teal measuring spoons as well!)
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They look delicious! Every time I taste a delicious honey, I think “I want to meet the bees.” These would be no exception! Anyway, here’s to decreasing the odds for everyone else. Thanks!
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What an awesome and colorful set–I must say, it was that “pour spout” on the side of the bowls that really got me. I’m already dreaming of pouring batter into a pan DRIP-FREE :) thanks for the contest!
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the cupcakes and bowls/measuring cups/spatulas look cute!!!
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YESS! Those cupcakes look divine!
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Thanks for hosting the giveaway! By the way, I tried your Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcakes over the weekend and became addicted! So delicious.
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Nice giveaway! I have been eyeing these collapsing spoons for EVER. Would love to win!
Thanks!
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I tweeted this too http://twitter.com/postcollegecook/status/10280682368
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cupcakes look great, and giveaways are nice too!
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Love the colors!
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new to your site…look forward to trying some recipes!
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These sound great and I have some honey my Dad made that will be perfect. I’m still not over how delicious those blood orange cupcakes were. Everyone at my office loved them!
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Long time lurker – I’ve always admired this blog for the photographs and the inspirational recipes.
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wow-these cupcakes look delicious! I’m going to have to give them a shot-maybe this weekend!
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Plus I tweeted about your cupcakes!
http://twitter.com/chicubsgirl81
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How exciting!
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I LOVE your non dairy recipes! Will try this for sure.
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Love, love, LOVE this blog. Thanks for sharing!
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http://twitter.com/twoyeartexan tweeted!!
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Looks so delicious.
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my tweet: http://twitter.com/dinoriot/status/10293178927
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I’m excited to try baking these at 9,600 feet:)
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Mmmm cupcakes! :)
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love the blog! have tried many of the recipes of my roommates. we are all devoted readers!
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Thanks everyone for all the lovely compliments about our products. We’re very much looking forward to awarding the prize! We’ll keep our fingers crossed for everyone :)
Thanks for this opportunity Lindsay!
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Yummy cupcakes! I use honey often, but have never considered buying some from my farmers’ market because of cost–however this Sunday I will and am sure it will be worth it!
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Thanks for the recipe and giveaway!
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Just found your site on Tasty Kitchen and I love it.
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the cupcakes look awesome, i love this blog in general! hope i win, those things are sorely needed in my kitchen!
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Mmm! These cupcakes look amazing! I have some great honey so I may make these this weekend.
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Honey, YUM! These sound delicious, I must try the recipe.
And how pretty is that baking set?? WANT! :)
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Also tweeted! :)
http://twitter.com/aimgingit
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I am getting ready to graduate college and I have been thinking about going to culinary school! These cooking tools would be the perfect addition to an extremely bare kitchen!
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Love the colors – they remind me of spring!
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Love those cooking tools! Just my style!
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the cupcakes and the giveaway are both fantastic! thanks so much!
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Yum Yum!
I’m like Pooh Bear and love me some honey! These cupcakes make me all rumbly in my tumbly!
p.s.
Your site is an inspiration to my burgeoning foodie self and my boyfriend who benefits!
p.p.s Your food is always so pretty!
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i just found your website today, but i have already found multiple recipes that i know i want to try!
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I have loved so many of your recipes and your blog. The pumpkin chocolate chip recipe was SO good, that I can only imagine this one to be the same!
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I really need some new measuring cups. Awesome stuff. Got to check out Chef’n!
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Your cupcakes look delicious. I need new measuring cups in a bad way.
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Cupcakes look amazing, although I wouldn’t have expected the icing to come out quite so yellow, it looks so amazing and vivid.
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Pick me! Pick me!
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Hi! I’d love some new stuff for our kitchen! I hope your randomizer chooses number 367!! :)
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I love the vibrant colors!
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These will be perfect to make for a birthday party i have to go to saturday night! thanks for the great post!
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those look amazing. and i loooove the colors!! it would go perfect with the kitchen remodel going on in my house right now!
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Yay I love contests and those cupcakes look amazing!
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And I tweeted :)
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Such pretty colors!
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Love the cupcakes! Very unique!
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I think I might try those cupcakes this weekend!
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the batter for these cupcakes will work perfectly for my vegan daughter and grandson, and thank you for including the rest of the world in your giveaway not limiting entries to the US only :)
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would love to win that cool stuff
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Ooo, these cupcakes look delicious! And those measuring cups look neat, too! Hope I win :P
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BONUS ENTRY:
http://twitter.com/shann_n/status/10347823021
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Deelicious!
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Thanks for the chance to win! Looks divine.
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These look great! And those nesting bowls and accessories are beautiful!
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Honey is just something I don’t think of going to when I need to sweeten something, and I totally should! Those look delish!
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Cupcakes!
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I am so jazzed about those spatulas!
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These look great! Thanks for doing the awesome giveaway!
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Love those measuring cups! The whole set is adorable!
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Yum! What a perfect (and unexpected) combination. I am going to the kitchen now!
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Honey and chocolate sounds like a fantastic combination; and I don’t mind the addition of peanuts either. In fact, I’ve never had a peanut butter and honey sandwich but it sounds wonderful. I love the discovery of new flavor combinations.
The bakeware is pretty cute too. ;)
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Thanks for sharing this recipe… Lovely frosting! Excellent giveaway too! Happy baking!
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Love the colors would look lovely in my kitchen. Thanks
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Just got a job at my school’s coffee shop baking. Those measuring cups would be the best addition ever to the kitchen!
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What a great giveaway! Thanks for so many amazing recipes! :)
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I love your blog. Thank you so much for the inspiration… and the give away! :D
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Love this site. My friend started me out with the wonderful chocolate covered cookie dough yummies!!!! thanks for so many great ideas!
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Chocolate and Honey – why haven’t I considered this combo before? Those collapsible measuring cups beat my boring ones any day!
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I like the idea of honey in baking. Thanks for sharing it with us! And thanks for the fun giveaway!
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The cupcakes look delicious and I’m sure they taste even better when made with such trendy and cute tools!
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Honey in a cupcake? I have to bookmark that. My husband eats *everything* with honey. Oh, and I keep breaking the handles on my measuring cups. I need new ones desperately!
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Ooh ooh bakeware! I am moving house soon (to a bigger kitchen!) so I can start amassing bakeware :D
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