Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

If you are looking for an over-the-top, in-your-face cupcake, then this is it.  A chocolate cupcake with a creamy peanut butter surprise filling and a peanut butter cream cheese frosting?  Ummmm, yeah. I had seen the (ingenious) idea of frosting a little mini Reeses cup floating around the internet, and I knew that this would be a great opportunity to try my own hand at it.  When a co-worker recently requested something with peanut butter and chocolate as her desired birthday cupcake flavors, I was all over this one.

I knew I wanted a peanut butter frosting to top the cupcake with, but I wanted one that was a little “less sweet” to balance out all that chocolatey goodness from the cupcakes themselves.  So, without fail, I tried another variation on a cream cheese frosting, and I was not disappointed. If you are a chocolate-peanut butter fan, then this is the cupcake for you.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Servings: approximately 18 cupcakes

 

For the cupcakes:

1 and 2/3 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

 

For the filling:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup cream peanut butter

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

 

For the frosting:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter

 

For garnish:

Miniature Reeses cups

Chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

1. For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line cupcake pans with the liners of your choice.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

4. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the sour cream, milk, and vanilla, mixing well.

5. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

6. Add the eggs to the butter/sugar, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

7. Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, alternately add the sour cream mixture and the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Set aside.

8. For the filling:  Using an electric hand mixer (or a clean bowl for your standing mixer) combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.  Using your hands, roll the filling into 1-inch balls.

9. Place one tablespoon of the chocolate cupcake batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner and place a peanut butter filling ball on top of this layer.  Cover each peanut butter ball completely with the remaining cupcake batter.

10. Bake the cupcakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-22 minutes or so.  Let cool completely before frosting.

11. For the frosting: In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, combine the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter until smooth.

12. Pipe as desired onto each cupcake. Top with a miniature Reeses cup.  Enjoy.

 

Sources:  Cupcakes and filling from Annies Eats, adapted from Proceed With Caution, originally from Good Housekeeping.  Frosting from Bon Appétit.

 

November 28, 2011 - 10:49 am

Melissa @ Kids in the Sink - I am a chocolate-peanut butter person and those new little tiny mini reeces cups are to die for. These cupcakes look wonderful and I LOVE the cream cheese frosting idea with it too!

November 28, 2011 - 10:59 am

Nicola @ unhip squirrel - Mmmm… it’s like a reese’s peanut butter cup, in cupcake form! decorated with mini cups! Delish.

November 28, 2011 - 3:14 pm

Ann P. - These look divine! Chocolate + PB is one of the greatest flavor combo’s ever! And you made these/photographed these beautifully! great job!

November 28, 2011 - 8:19 pm

Patti - They look sensational and I am going to make them. I wonder if there is anywhere in Australia that I can purchase the minuature reeses cup.

November 29, 2011 - 6:07 am

Medeja - They really look perfect! 🙂

November 29, 2011 - 9:59 am

Nicole @ Half-buzzed hostess - These look ridiculously amazing! I’ll have to make these for a party–they’re too dangerous to keep in the house.

November 29, 2011 - 9:40 pm

Elizabeth - These look GREAT!!!

November 30, 2011 - 11:29 am

Savorique - I love the chocolate-PB combo! But do you know how much prep and cooking times are necessary to make these jewels?

December 1, 2011 - 4:16 am
December 1, 2011 - 9:26 am

srlacy - Hi savorique-
Prepping depends on the baker. Please see the recipe for baking times.

November 3, 2012 - 8:01 am

Saturday Morning Roundup - 9 Ways To Use Halloween Candy - I Wash You Dry - […] Curvy Carrot had all you Chocolate and Peanut Butter fans in mind when she made these decadent Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes. Yes, Sir. Mmm… pass the […]

January 28, 2013 - 7:45 pm

andi winslow - HI Just to let you know that this past weekend I made chocolate cupcakes and used your recipe for the icing. Its beyond good, loved it surely a keeper everyone loved the cupcakes. Thanks, Andi thewednesdaybaker.blogspot.com

March 22, 2013 - 7:22 am

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes | Spoonful of Flavor - […] Source Cupcakes and filling from Annie’s Eats, originally from Good Housekeeping. Frosting from The Curvy Carrot, originally from Bon […]

April 28, 2013 - 8:32 pm

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes - Precious Photography - […] Read all the details about the recipe on:  thecurvycarrot.com […]

June 5, 2013 - 12:21 pm
June 14, 2013 - 11:29 am

Elii - Is it really 28 -ounce packages of cream cheese???

June 14, 2013 - 11:46 am

srlacy - There’s a space there. It’s 2 8-ounce packages, as in two.