What’s cuter than a cupcake? A cupcake with a great gob of frosting piped on the top, that’s what. Anything with piping looks bougie, don’t you think? We love letting loose with a piping bag; it’s our happy place. And it’s arguably the most ‘extra’ thing you can do because, unless it’s their birthday, no-one ever sees piping coming. Those whorls of creamy stuff forced through a star-shaped nozzle always feel super-spesh. Maybe our admiration for piping dates back to our shared rural kiwi roots, when shindigs at the local hall were fuelled by the best of the neighbourhood’s great baking, and some epic sandwich-making skills too. (Seriously. You have not lived unless you’ve eaten well-executed club sangers or asparagus rolls in the back blocks. Spongy white bread. No crusts. Straight edges. Presented on doilies. Processed ham. Canned asparagus. Back then we didn’t even realise asparagus came in any other guise. But we digress).

Then, there were cakes like Mrs Murray’s legendary sponges. These always drew admiration, with their lovely eggy flavour, billowy texture, thick dredge of icing sugar and piped mock cream filling. Wondrous stuff, mock cream. It’s thick, gleamy, sweet and incredibly well-behaved as far as piping mediums go, as it really stays put. Made by whipping the living shit out of butter, sugar and a little dissolved gelatine, it's incredibly sturdy and we thought it was pure magic. Then again, we hadn’t tried a frosting made using peanut butter and this one, with sour cream as well, defo leaves mock cream in the dust, flavour-wise. Buttery, peanutty and predictably rich, this delightful concoction is excellent in combination with little chocolate cakes. Even if your piping skills are remedial, these will still look impressive so don’t worry about messing that part up. Who cares? If you want to take these cupcakes to the next level, you could sprinkle each one with some chopped, salted roast peanuts before serving, for another layer of peanutty goodness. 

MAKES 10

150g (1 cup) plain flour

40g (⅓ cup) Dutch process cocoa

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

220 (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

125ml (½ cup) warm strong coffee

125g (½ cup) sour cream

Frosting

75g unsalted butter, softened

260g (1 cup) smooth peanut butter

165g (1⅓ cups) icing sugar, sifted

85g (⅓ cup) sour cream

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 10 holes of a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl, then add the sugar and whisk to mix well. In another bowl, combine the oil, egg, vanilla and coffee and whisk until smooth. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients with the sour cream, then whisk until smooth. Divide the mixture among the lined muffin holes; the liners should be about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester withdraws clean. Cool completely.

For the frosting, beat the butter and peanut butter using electric beaters until light and fluffy. Beating constantly, gradually add the icing sugar alternating with a little of the sour cream, until a smooth, thick, fluffy frosting forms. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large star or plain nozzle, decorate the tops of the cupcakes however you darn well like, then serve. Cupcakes are best served the day they are made once iced; un-iced cakes will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 8 weeks.