A while ago I made chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, which were inspired by the chocolate-covered peanut. They were delicious, but I always thought they needed more peanut butter filling and a few tweaks to meet my desired chocolate/peanut butter balance. After a bit of thinking, I came up with this: the buckeye cupcake.
These treats use a basic chocolate cupcake recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens baking book, then get hollowed out and stuffed with peanut butter filling and topped with a cocoa frosting. In the future, I might use a chocolate buttercream instead – while they are delicious, they’re still not exactly what I’m after. And this, friends, is the beauty of baking…you can keep adjusting your recipe until you get exactly what you want!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups milk
Peanut Butter Filling
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- About 6 tablespoons milk
Cocoa Frosting
- 12 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- About 6 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
For the cupcakes, allow butter and eggs to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with paper liners; this recipe makes 3 dozen cupcakes, so you’ll need to re-use one tin for your last batch.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, scraping the bowl often. Once all sugar is added, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat well.
Add flour mixture and milk alternatively in three batches, beating until just combine between each. Once all ingredients are incorporated, beat on medium speed for 20-30 seconds.
Fill cupcake wells half full and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pans for 1 minute, then remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on a wire rack before filling and frosting.
Make your filling: in a mixing bowl, beat peanut butter and butter together until smooth.
Add powdered sugar slowly, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla, then add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time beating until well-combined.
Make your frosting: combine melted butter and cocoa powder, whisking very well until smooth. Place mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed for about 1 minute, then increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more.
Add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat on low speed, then add about half of the milk, continuing to beat on low speed, until combined. Follow with another cup powdered sugar and remainder of milk, beating on low until combined. Add remaining powdered sugar, then vanilla, beating until frosting is creamy and spreadable.
To assemble your cupcakes: core each cupcake and reserve scraps for another use.
Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop peanut butter filling into each hole and gently press down with an offset spatula. You’ll have about 1/3 cup of filling left over that you can reserve for another use.
Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop drops of frosting onto each cupcake and spread with an offset spatula.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
amy bakes in the 'burgh 