Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Delicious Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes made from scratch! Soft and fluffy peanut butter cake topped with real chocolate buttercream and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Calling all peanut butter lovers ❤️

Today, our peanut butter treat comes in the form of a cupcake. Buttery soft peanut butter cake topped with real chocolate buttercream and a sweet Reese’s peanut butter cup.

These Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes will make all your pb dreams come true. 

If you have never had peanut butter cake, you need to stat. It’s life-changing. Think buttery brown sugar cake that’s soft and tender and bursting with peanut butter flavour. 

Once you take that peanut butter cake and top it with real chocolate buttercream, you’ve got some kind of peanut butter chocolate heaven. And the only way to make it even better, is to add a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Tell the peanut butter lovers in your life, that you’ve just found their new favourite thing > Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes.

TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES

• These Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes are super easy to make. You will need an electric mixer – either a stand mixer or a hand mixer is ok. 
• You will start by creaming together the butter and brown sugar. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you begin. We use brown sugar in this recipe for added flavour. Then you will mix in your peanut butter and vanilla.
• I recommend using a processed full fat smooth peanut butter, like Bega, Skippy or Jif. I have not tested this recipe using a runny natural-style peanut butter. 
• After you add the eggs, you will need to add your baking powder, flour and milk. I suggest adding the flour in two batches, alternating with the milk. This will help you incorporate the ingredients without over mixing. 
• To fill the cupcake liners, use a dessert spoon and a teaspoon to spoon out the batter or a cookie scoop. Just remember not to overfill your cupcake liners. They only need to be around 1/2  full.
• Bake for around 18 minutes. Like regular cake, the cupcakes will be ready when they spring back lightly to the touch or a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

• Temperature is everything. Make sure your butter is at room temperature. Cold butter won’t yield the same results. Your butter needs to be softened so it whips easily. But make sure it’s not too soft or melty by any means. It should be soft to the touch but still hold its shape.
• Beat the butter. The foundation of this chocolate frosting is making sure you beat the butter properly. Take your time and beat your butter until pale and creamy and smooth. 
• Sift your sugar. I’m guilty on more than one occasion of not sifting my sugar but if you want the perfect buttercream, you HAVE to sift the sugar. It’ll ensure it’s light, fluffy and mixes well with the butter – no lumps. 
• Use your milk sparingly. The perfect buttercream has just the right ratio of butter, sugar and milk. Too much milk will make your buttercream too wet and runny, while too little, will make it too thick. Add a tablespoon at a time to ensure the correct consistency. 
• Use good quality dark chocolate. Melted chocolate make this chocolate frosting taste AMAZING. Just make sure you use good quality dark chocolate. You’ll need to melt it before adding it to your buttercream. Make sure your chocolate is melted and smooth, but not hot. If it is a bit hot, just leave it for a minute or two to cool down.
• Don’t over beat the frosting. Once you add the chocolate, beat only until the frosting is melted and smooth – don’t over mix. 

MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES TO TRY:

• Double Chocolate Cupcakes
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes
• Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Caramel Cupcakes
• Nutella Stuffed Cupcakes

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.

Let’s Bake

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Yield Makes 12 cupcakes 1x

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

Cook: 20 minutesTotal: 20 minutes

Soft peanut butter cupcakes topped with swirls of chocolate buttercream.

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Ingredients

Peanut butter cupcakes

• 115 grams (1 stick or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 135 grams (3/4 cup) brown sugar
• 125 grams (1/2 cup) smooth peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 140 grams (1 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) full fat or whole milk

Chocolate frosting

• 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 100 grams (2/3 cup) dark chocolate, chopped
• 375 grams (3 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons full fat or whole milk
• 6 large peanut butter cups or 12 mini ones

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Instructions

1. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake liners. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix again.
3.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat again until combined. Add baking powder, salt and half the flour, and beat briefly on low speed. Add milk and remaining flour and beat until mixture is smooth – but be careful not to over mix the batter.
4. Spoon out your batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes or until they spring back lightly when touched. Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack to cool completely.
5. To make the frosting, place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for a couple of minutes until pale and creamy. Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a microwave, stirring in between 20 second bursts, until just melted and set aside to cool a little.
6. Once the butter is very pale and creamy, add half of the sugar and one tablespoon of milk and beat on low until the sugar is incorporated. Then, add the rest of the sugar and the milk, and again beat on slow until the sugar is incorporated before turning up to medium for another minute or so.
7. Next, add in your melted chocolate to the buttercream mixture, ensuring the chocolate is still smooth and melted but is not warm. Beat until the chocolate is completely mixed through.
8. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large circular tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Decorate with peanut butter cups.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 cupcake Calories: 560 Sugar: 54.2 g Sodium: 128.8 mg Fat: 30.2 g Carbohydrates: 68.4 g Protein: 7.3 g Cholesterol: 73.9 mg

Nutrition information is a guide only.

Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: DessertCuisine: American

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This recipe was first published on Sweetest Menu in April 2016.