Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

The Kelly Kitchen

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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!

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1

Servings: 24 Cupcakes

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

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 salted butter, softened (3 sticks)
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

Note: Gram measurements do not adjust automatically with the serving multiplier.

Method

CUPCAKES

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. (Makes approximately 24 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).
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.

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.)

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.

STORAGE

Store covered cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

FREEZE: Cupcakes may be frozen (with or without frosting) for up to 3 months.

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