The Curvy Carrot

If you are looking for an over-the-top, in-your-face cupcake, then this is it.  A chocolate cupcake with a creamy peanut butter surprise filling and a peanut butter cream cheese frosting?  Ummmm, yeah. I had seen the (ingenious) idea of frosting a little mini Reeses cup floating around the internet, and I knew that this would be a great opportunity to try my own hand at it.  When a co-worker recently requested something with peanut butter and chocolate as her desired birthday cupcake flavors, I was all over this one.

I knew I wanted a peanut butter frosting to top the cupcake with, but I wanted one that was a little “less sweet” to balance out all that chocolatey goodness from the cupcakes themselves.  So, without fail, I tried another variation on a cream cheese frosting, and I was not disappointed. If you are a chocolate-peanut butter fan, then this is the cupcake for you.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Servings: approximately 18 cupcakes

 

For the cupcakes:

1 and 2/3 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

 

For the filling:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup cream peanut butter

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

 

For the frosting:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter

 

For garnish:

Miniature Reeses cups

Chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

1. For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line cupcake pans with the liners of your choice.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

4. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the sour cream, milk, and vanilla, mixing well.

5. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

6. Add the eggs to the butter/sugar, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

7. Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, alternately add the sour cream mixture and the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Set aside.

8. For the filling:  Using an electric hand mixer (or a clean bowl for your standing mixer) combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.  Using your hands, roll the filling into 1-inch balls.

9. Place one tablespoon of the chocolate cupcake batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner and place a peanut butter filling ball on top of this layer.  Cover each peanut butter ball completely with the remaining cupcake batter.

10. Bake the cupcakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-22 minutes or so.  Let cool completely before frosting.

11. For the frosting: In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, combine the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter until smooth.

12. Pipe as desired onto each cupcake. Top with a miniature Reeses cup.  Enjoy.

 

Sources:  Cupcakes and filling from Annies Eats, adapted from Proceed With Caution, originally from Good Housekeeping.  Frosting from Bon Appétit.