I’m on a peanut butter kick, people. Just roll with it. It’s Sunday!
One peanut butter cup is never enough. Have you noticed that? You eat one and then this force overtakes you and controls your mind, telling you that nothing will satisfy you until you eat another peanut butter cup. Or several.
Can you relate? Can you tell I’m an addict?
That’s why I decided that for these cupcakes, there need to be two peanut butter cups involved. One for you, and the other for…you. The peanut butter cake and peanut butter and chocolate buttercream are nice, too. You may feel like you’ve had almost enough by the time you’re through with these. But no guarantees out there in life, people.
So, a little bit of a backstory. I decided to turn my peanut butter cup cookie cupcake into something, well, more like a cupcake. And I was really going to leave it at that, just a simple little unfrosted cupcake with a peanut butter cup in the center.
But when they came out of the oven they actually looked sad. My brother was visiting (a.k.a. watching my children while I bake) and he agreed that there was something very pitiful about those naked cupcakes. So really, I had no choice. I had to add the frosting with the extra peanut butter cup. It’s like fate, really.
And when the icing was on, yay! Nobody looked sad anymore. Those cupcakes were puffed up and proud. And best of all, they tasted so intense! Peanut butter cake is the best. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend you add it to your bucket list. It’s a pretty easy swap. Just trade out some of the actual butter for peanut butter and you’re all set!
People who supposedly “don’t like dessert” (note: I hate those people) ate these. I think it’s hard to resist that little cute PB cup on top. Though maybe in another version I’ll add the bigger Reese’s. Hey, life is so short!
Which is why you should eat cupcakes. The supposed cupcake craze may finally be slowing down (what’s the new craze now? Fro yo? Salad?), but we need to keep churning out these cuties. This is America, folks. Cupcakes all around!
Cupcake Base:
- 1/3 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (I used Jif natural-style)
- 1 and 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 and 3/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup milk
- 12 miniature (not mini) Reese’s cups, unwrapped
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups and very lightly coat with cooking spray.
In the bowl of stand mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in all remaining cake ingredients except the peanut butter cups. Beat until ingredients have formed a thick batter.
Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about halfway. Put a peanut butter cup in the center of each muffin cup and then cover it with a little more batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cupcakes are golden. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. Cream the butter and peanut butter until fluffy. Add the cocoa and beat until well combined. Alternating the powdered sugar and milk, add gradually, stirring after each addition, until both ingredients are fully combined. Add the vanilla and mix again.
Load the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Swirl the frosting onto the cupcake and place another peanut butter cup in the center.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
The looks incredible, they make me wish I could get reeses mini cups a lot easier over here in ireland. Yummy.
Oh, no! I don’t know if I’d survive without them. But you can substitute your favorite mini-candies. Or I’ll send you a case of Reese’s.
Haha, keep it up, I’m always on a peanut butter roll! Ugg, those people who don’t like dessert – they NEED Reeses in their lives. Oh man, I can’t tell you how many cupcakes I’ve had to save with pounds of frosting … I’ll have to use the PB cup trick next time, too. It does make these irresistible!
Thanks! If saving a cupcake means adding frosting, I’m there!
I make cupcakes all the time. I’m going to need to try this one. Looks amazing! Peanut butter lovers dream!
Thanks so much! I’m just like you. Life isn’t worth living without cupcakes!
I love peanut butter cups I can’t just stop at one either. These look really yummy. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
My pleasure, Laura! I’ve never met anyone who can stop at just one. 🙂
These are my kind of cupcakes! 🙂 Peanut butter cups are my weakness!!
Me too! One is never enough!