Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

My kitchen is covered in frosting and the floor is coated in flour but its worth it because I’ve got a special sweet and salty treat for you. These Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes take America’s favourite sandwich to a whole new level.

Soft and fluffy peanut butter cakes with a secret jelly filling, topped with creamy peanut butter frosting, more jelly and a handful of honey roasted peanuts. It’s everything you have ever wanted in one amazing cupcake. Why not make these for all the PB&J lovers in your life?

It’s almost a year to the day since our last jaunt to America. This time last year, we were road trippin’ through Texas, traipsing through the snow covered streets of New York and discovering the political wonders in Washington DC.

One of our all-time favourite travel memories was landing in New York late afternoon when Storm Juno was due to hit and the city was going into lock down. A grim situation for some, but our plane wasn’t cancelled. As dusk fell, we found ourselves rolling our suitcases through the snow with the streets absolutely deserted, feeling like we had New York all to ourselves.

I also remember the gorgeous cupcakes and baked goods we ate over there. We had fudgy brownies from Lorraine’s Bakery in San Antonio, perhaps the best donuts ever from Round Rock Donuts in Texas, Crack Pie from Momofuku Milk Bar in New York, an incredible Smores Bar from Baked and Wired in Georgetown, Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery in Los Angeles and cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes of course! I think I can definitely attribute the inspiration for these cupcakes to my bank of America memories!

I don’t want to toot my own horn but these peanut butter cupcakes are divine. The cake is beautifully light and fluffy (toot toot) and not dry at all. Trust me. I have a fear of dry cupcakes. So much so, that whenever I  make cakes, I follow my husband around asking ‘It’s not dry is it? Is it? Are you sure? Not at all? It isn’t, is it? Until he finally convinces me and I’m like, I knew it – #nailedit.

But really I just loved this cake and its lovely peanut butter flavour. Add in a shot of jelly, then pile it high with peanut butter frosting and drizzle more jelly for the ultimate peanut butter and jelly treat! So c’mon, get out your apron and let’s get caking!

Let's Bake

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

Yield Makes 12 cupcakes 1x

1x2x3x

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

Prep: 40 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 1 hour

Buttery peanut butter cupcakes topped with creamy peanut butter frosting.

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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
• 140 grams (1 cup) plain flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
• 12 teaspoons of raspberry jam or grape jelly

Peanut butter frosting

• 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 435 grams (3 and 1/2 cups) icing or powdered sugar
• 125 grams (1/2 cup) smooth peanut butter
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
• 90 grams (1/3 cup) raspberry or grape jelly, to drizzle
• 40 grams (1/3 cup) honey roasted peanuts

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, place your butter, sugar and peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrap down the sides of the bowl. Add your vanilla and mix briefly.
3. Add your eggs, one at a time, and beat again until combined. Sift in your flour and baking powder and start to gently fold using a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula. Add your milk and fold until the ingredients are just combined – you don’t want to over mix the batter.
4. Spoon out your batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until they spring back lightly when touched. Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack to cool completely. To insert the jelly or jam, either cut out a small hole in each cupcake using a pointed knife and spoon in a teaspoon of jelly or use a syringe like I did.
5. To make the peanut butter frosting, place your butter and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add in half of your icing sugar and the milk and beat until the frosting starts to come together. Then add the remaining icing sugar.
6. The icing should be nice and creamy but thick enough to hold its shape. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes using a piping bag and a large star tip.
7. Finally, drizzle over a little extra jelly onto each cupcake and scatter over a few honey roasted peanuts.

Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: CakeCuisine: American

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