If you are a peanut butter and chocolate fan, you will absolutely LOVE these cupcakes. They taste like peanut butter cups in a cupcake form! Our Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes have our moist chocolate cake as a base with a peanut butter cup pressed into the middle, a rich, creamy peanut butter frosting, and then are topped with chocolate drizzle and another peanut butter cup. They are so unbelievably good…be sure to make enough because they disappear quickly!
When creating this recipe, I made sure to not skimp on the peanut butter. I wanted to have the cupcake taste as much as possible like a peanut butter cup. This cupcake delivers on its name and packs a solid peanut butter and chocolate punch. Similar to our Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, we reversed the frosting and cake flavors and added intensity.
Peanut Butter Cup Cupcake Process
Although we provide detailed instructions in the recipe below, here is a general overview of the process and some helpful tips along the way.
Prepare Pans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. (Makes approximately 24 cupcakes.)
Mix Cupcake Ingredients
In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add liquid mixture to solids and beat on medium speed for one minute. Gently, stir in hot coffee (batter will be thin).
One of the reasons these cupcakes are so amazing is from the addition of hot coffee. Your cupcakes will not taste like coffee. It simply enhances and deepens the rich, chocolatey flavor. If you are strongly opposed to using it though, you may replace it with hot water. I recommend using a high quality cocoa powder for this recipe. I tend to use either Guittard or Ghirardelli.
Bake Cupcakes
Fill cupcake liners about ¾ full. Bake 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. When cupcakes are removed from oven, press a peanut butter cup into the top of each cupcake until it is flush with the top. Cool completely before frosting.
Make Peanut Butter Frosting
Beat butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Add in confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat slowly until sugar is incorporated. Then, scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Beat again until well-combined. Add cream/milk and beat until smooth. If your frosting is too thick, add a tiny bit of cream/milk until you reach desired consistency. If your frosting is too thin, add a tiny bit of confectioners’ sugar until you reach desired consistency.
This makes plenty of frosting to generously decorate 24 cupcakes. If you do not want as strong a peanut butter presence, feel free to reduce the frosting amounts.
Assemble Cupcakes
After cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe on peanut butter frosting. Melt 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave and let cool slightly so it is no longer hot but not solidifying either. Drizzle over peanut butter frosting and then top with another peanut butter cup. (I pour the melted chocolate into a piping bag to apply the drizzle so I can have more control.)
How Should I Store Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes?
Store covered cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cupcakes may be frozen (with or without frosting) for up to 3 months. Freeze wrapped in plastic wrap and in an airtight container. To thaw, let sit (still wrapped) in the refrigerator overnight.
Can Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes Be Made in Advance?
Yes! These cupcakes hold up extremely well in the refrigerator. Be sure to store them in an airtight container and allow to come to room temperature prior to serving. When making these for a party, I store mine in these convenient individual containers.
Tips
- Measure correctly – I highly recommend using a kitchen scale when baking. Because baking measurements need to be exact, using a scale helps to measure as precisely as possible. It quite honestly was a complete game changer for me when I first started using one! I would be lost without it now.
- Room temperature is important! When certain ingredients (eggs, cream cheese, butter, etc.) are listed as room temperature, there are scientific reasons behind this. At room temperature, these ingredients blend together better and result in a smoother batter. Ultimately, you will end up with a better final product!
- Over-mixing – Take care to not over-mix the cupcake batter. When batter is mixed too much, it results in the gluten being activated. If this occurs, the cupcakes may be dense and chewy.
My Preferred Tools
You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:
- Kitchen Scale – precisely measure ingredients
- Stand Mixer – to mix batter
- Cupcake Pan – to bake cupcakes
- Cooling Racks – to cool cupcakes and dishwasher friendly!!
- Wilton Decorating Kit – piping tips, bags, couplers, and more for decorating cupcakes
- Master Decorating Kit – ultimate cupcake decorating tip set
If you liked this recipe, try our
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Double Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Our Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes have our moist chocolate cake as a base with a peanut butter cup pressed into the middle, a rich, creamy peanut butter frosting, and then are topped with chocolate drizzle and another peanut butter cup. They taste like peanut butter cups in cupcake form!
Ingredients
- CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:
- 2 cups (397 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 cup whole milk, room temp
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup strong, hot brewed coffee
- Peanut butter cups
- PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) salted butter, softened
- 2 ½ cups (675 g) creamy peanut butter
- 5 ½ cups (625 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 5-6 Tbsp heavy cream or milk
- TOPPINGS:
- 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly
- Peanut butter cups
Directions
- Step 1 PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. (Makes approximately 24 cupcakes.)
- Step 2 CUPCAKES: In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add liquid mixture to solids and beat on medium speed for one minute. Gently, stir in hot coffee (batter will be thin).
- Step 3 BAKE: Fill cupcake liners about ¾ full. Bake 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. When cupcakes are removed from oven, press a peanut butter cup into the top of each cupcake until it is flush with the top (see article above for picture). Cool completely before frosting.
- Step 4 PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING: Beat butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Add in confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat slowly until sugar is incorporated. Then, scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Beat again until well-combined. Add cream/milk and beat until smooth. If your frosting is too thick, add a tiny bit of cream/milk until you reach desired consistency. If your frosting is too thin, add a tiny bit of confectioners’ sugar until you reach desired consistency. This makes plenty of frosting to generously decorate 24 cupcakes. If you do not want as strong a peanut butter presence, feel free to reduce frosting amounts.
- Step 5 ASSEMBLY: After cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe on peanut butter frosting. Melt 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave and let cool slightly so it is no longer hot but not solidifying either. Drizzle over peanut butter frosting and then top with another peanut butter cup.
- Step 6 STORAGE: Store covered cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cupcakes may be frozen (with or without frosting) for up to 3 months.
Thank You for sharing your time with us
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Have a wonderful day!
