Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

pbcupcupcakesThe Reese’s peanut butter cup is a work of art. And I like to think these cupcakes are, too.

Last week as I scrolled through Pinterest I found several peanut butter cup cupcake recipes; some have a peanut butter cup in the cupcake itself, but mine do not. This recipe comes from Live Well Bake Often, and while the cupcakes themselves aren’t as chocolaty as I’d hoped, the overall treat is pretty delicious. Also, I could eat this frosting with a spoon straight from the bowl and will probably use it again on brownies someday. Someday might be later this afternoon, so stay tuned. Note: For this recipe I measured by weight, rather than volume, so I’ve included both types of measurements below. 

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 cup (125 grams) flour
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cocoa powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)

For the frosting and decoration

  • 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (250 grams) creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 full-sized Reese’s peanut butter cups, cut in half

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with paper liners; this recipe makes 16 cupcakes.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in brown sugar and granulated sugar, then add vegetable oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla and stir to combine. Add boiling water and espresso powder and stir to combine completely; batter will be very thin.

Using a ladle, fill cupcake wells just over half full with batter. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the tins for 1 minute, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat butter and peanut butter in a mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat to incorporate, then beat in heavy cream and vanilla. Fit a large piping bag with a large open star tip (I used the Wilton M1) and pipe swirls of frosting onto cupcakes. Top each with half a peanut butter cup. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

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