Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

By srumbel

Peanut butter and chocolate, is there anything better? I LOVE this delightful combination. Today, our peanut butter chocolate treat comes in the form of a cupcake. Buttery soft peanut butter cake topped with swirls of chocolate buttercream and finally, a gooey Reese’s peanut butter cup. It makes all my peanut butter dreams come true. These cupcakes are so easy and will impress all the peanut butter lovers in your life. Make these for your next party and all your friends will love you forever.
from sweetestmenu.com

Ingredients

• Peanut butter cupcakes
• 115 grams (1 stick or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 135 grams (3/4 cup) brown sugar
• 140 grams (1/2 cup) smooth peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 140 grams (1 cup) plain flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
• Chocolate frosting
• 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 435 grams (3 and 1/2 cups) powdered or icing sugar
• 3 or 4 tablespoons milk
• 20 grams (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
• 6 large peanut butter cups or 12 mini ones

Preparation

Step 1

Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake liners. Preheat your oven to 180 C (360 F). In a large mixing bowl, place your butter, sugar and peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrap down the sides of the bowl. Add your vanilla and mix briefly. Add your eggs, one at a time, and beat again until combined. Sift in your flour and baking powder and start to gently fold using a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula. Add your milk and fold until the ingredients are just combined - you don't want to over mix the batter.

Spoon out your batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until they spring back lightly when touched. Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack to cool completely

To make the chocolate frosting, add the butter to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Gently sift in the icing sugar, one cup at a time. Add a tablespoon or two of milk to help loosen up the mixture. Add the cocoa powder and beat again. Add a tablespoon of milk if needed - I added about 4 tablespoons of milk in total but watch out that you don't make the icing too wet as it will be harder to pipe. It should be nice and creamy but thick enough to hold its shape. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes using a piping bag and a large star tip. Finally, place half a peanut butter cup on top of each cupcake.

Makes 12 cupcakes