Reminiscent of a favorite ice cream treat, these tasty Drumstick Cupcakes start with a vanilla bean cupcake topped with vanilla buttercream, a silky chocolate sauce and then chopped peanuts. Ice cream cone pieces make the cupcake complete!
Preheat the oven to 325F. Line 18 cupcake tins with paper liners.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla bean seeds and beat until incorporated. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
Add one-third of the flour mixture, beat to combine, then half of the buttermilk. Repeat with another third of the flour and the remaining buttermilk, followed by the remaining flour, beating just until combined between each addition.
Divide the mixture between the 18 cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely.
To make the buttercream:
In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until completely incorporated. Beat in the salt and vanilla extract, then turn the mixer on to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Pipe the buttercream on top of the cooled cupcakes with a large circle tip.
To make the chocolate topping:
In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream until just before boiling. (Alternately, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.) Add in the chocolate chips and allow them to sit for a minute or two to soften, then stir vigorously until they are combined and smooth. Stir in the corn syrup.
Drizzle a small amount of the chocolate sauce over the top of the cupcakes, allowing it to drip down over the buttercream. Immediately top with chopped peanuts and ice cream cone pieces, if desired. Allow to sit for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.