Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes Recipe

Kristan Roland | Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes are a chocolate peanut butter lover's dream. Filled with peanut butter and topped with a chocolate...

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes Photo

Not too long ago, my Lucy Goose spent the night at her Gram’s house for the first time.

My husband happened to be out of town that night and my son went to Gram’s with Lucy, so I was home all alone for the first time in I don’t even know. I mean, I’ve spent many nights home without my husband, but I always have at least one kid with me.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes Picture

At first it felt kind of awesome and free, but it turns out that when you’re alone, you don’t really do any of the awesome stuff you fantasize about when your kids are all up in your face driving you cray. I just sat around folding laundry, eating gummy bears, and watching Netflix, which is zero percent awesome.

As night started creeping in, I realized that I was going to be sleeping in the house all alone. I don’t know why, but I suddenly felt like I was more likely to be murdered. In hindsight, that doesn’t make much sense. I mean, my kids aren’t exactly good with a ninja sword or anything like that.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes Image

I briefly considered setting up some of Lucy’s baby dolls in front of the windows and making them dance by pulling on fishing line ( a la Kevin McAllister in Home Alone), but I finally decided that it would be easier to just find something to do to keep my mind off my inevitable pending murder.

So I baked cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes Pic

And not just any cupcakes – these are over the top decadent and perfect for any chocolate and peanut butter lover. I don’t know why these cupcakes took so long to happen, honestly. They’re amazing!

Rich chocolate cupcakes are stuffed with peanut butter cup filling, topped with creamy peanut butter frosting, and dunked in a soft chocolate shell. Perfection!!

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Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes Recipe

    24 Servings

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 3 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup Boiling Water
For the Filling:
  • 9 sheets Graham Crackers, Crushed very finely
  • 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 6 tablespoons Butter, Softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
For the Frosting:
  • 2 sticks Salted Butter, Slightly softened
  • 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 3 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 6 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1/3-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
For the Chocolate Shell:
  • 1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
  • 2 tablespoons Vegetable Shortening
  • 24 Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, For garnish

Directions

For the Cupcakes:

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in boiling water. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.
  3. Bake for about 15 minutes, until cupcakes are puffy and spring back when lightly touched in the center. Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

For the Peanut Butter Cup Filling:

  1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth and combined.
  2. Using a cupcake corer or a small paring knife, remove a circle of cake out of the top center of each cupcake (should be about  1/2" inch – 1" deep).
  3. Fill hole with a scoop of peanut butter cup filling.

For the Frosting:

  1. In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter, peanut butter, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth.
  2. With the mixer on medium low, slowly add powdered sugar until just combined.
  3. Add 1/3 cup heavy cream and slowly increase mixer speed to high. Beat at high for one minute. If frosting is too thick, add a bit more cream and beat until smooth.
  4. Generously frost or pipe frosting on cupcakes. Chill cupcakes until frosting is cold and firm, a few hours.

For the Chocolate Shell:

  1. In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and shortening, stopping to stir every 20 seconds until smooth.
  2. Dip tops of frosted cupcakes in chocolate shell, allowing excess to drip off.
  3. Gently press a mini peanut butter cup into melted chocolate before it sets.

Recommended

Source: Cupcake batter adapted from Hershey
Published:
Modified:
Author:
Source:
Cupcake batter adapted from Hershey
Cooking Method:
Baking
Cuisine:
Frosting
Category:
Desserts
Tags:
, , , , , , ,
Related Recipes:
Cupcake Recipes, Baking Recipes, Peanut Butter Recipes, Chocolate Recipes, Frosting Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Baked Recipes, Party Food Recipes
Recipe Yields:
24 cupcakes
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Related Post:
Published:
Author: Kristan Roland
Source: Cupcake batter adapted from Hershey
Recipe Yields: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 90 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 105 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cupcake
Servings Per Recipe 24

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 252
Calories 609

% Daily Value*
49%
Total Fat 32g
50%
  Saturated Fat 10g
9%
Sodium 221mg
25%
Total Carbohydrate 76g
2%
  Dietary Fiber 1g
  Sugars 61g
16%
Protein 8g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
Kristan Roland

About Kristan

Kristan is known for her candy creations and hilarity on Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. We know where her true genius is, though: fanciful fanatical cupcake and cake creations!

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