Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Chocolate and peanut butter are such a classic flavor combo. You really can’t beat it. I’d say it’s definitely one of my favorites.
This peanut butter frosting recipe is amazing. No wonder it’s famous. I decided to make these on a whim and take them to a cookout.
I got inspiration from Mermaid Sweets. I decided to kick it up a notch by filling the cupcakes with more peanut butter cup pieces and some ganache. Because ganache definitely makes everything better! Be warned though, after one of these guys, you’ll definitely need a glass of milk.
For the chocolate cupcakes, I used the recipe from Elisa Strauss’s Confetti Cakes for kids – I’m not going to post the recipe here, I recommend the cookbook, although I’m sure someone else has posted the recipe on the Internet somewhere…
Kathleen’s Peanut Butter Icing – as seen on Mermaid Sweets from the Food Network
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
Chocolate Ganache (I had some leftover in the fridge, you would probably only need about 1/4 of this recipe)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
In saucepan bring whipping cream to boil over high heat.
Pour hot whipping cream over chocolate and stir until chocolate melted.
You can add more cream if your ganache is too thick to spread.
To assemble the cupcakes:
Using the cone method, remove some of the cupcake and set aside. Drop a few pieces of cut up mini Reeces peanut butter cups to the hole in the cupcake. Spoon some ganache in the hole.
Replace the top of the cupcake. Frost with peanut butter frosting (I used my Wilton 1M tip). Top frosting with more cut up mini Reeces peanut butter cups.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Mmmm amazing! I love all of the different flavors in each part of the recipe! Perfect for the 17th…maybe even with a drop of green food coloring =)
I’ve been wanting to make a version of htis for awhile and almost did this weekend. Now my plan is tackle them for St. Pat’s. Thanks for reminding me to do this.
My husband and his Army buddies LOVE these cupcakes! I get requests for them almost weekly!
sounds so good!! I could go for one now 🙂
Well I love Irish Car Bombs so in dessert form I know I would love it even more!
Wow – I am dying to try these. They look amazing!
Wow these look amazing. That looks like the perfect amount of frosting, too.
I made these for a friend’s birthday last month and absolutely fell in love with them. They are the perfect St. Patty’s day cupcake. Or any day really. My friends proclaimed them the best they had ever tasted. Yours look fantastic!
What a wonderful recipe! And just in time for St Pats 😀
BB
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http://www.brisbanebaker.blogspot.com
Mmm, they look amazing and are so perfect for St. Patty’s Day – yum!
Wow these are some fancy looking cupcakes! Great job 🙂
I’m still in the process of making these…(Have yet to Ice and taste) But My ganache didn’t come out right…I stayed runny even when completely cooled and I can’t figure out what I did wrong 🙁
Shayna – So sorry to hear the ganache didn’t set up. Did you try putting it in the fridge? I’ve never had that issue…
I am ready to make these but I do not have enough bittersweet chocolate for the ganache. Can I use semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate? Will it still taste okay?
beantownbaker — March 16th, 2013 @ 2:49 pm
Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. Semisweet would work ok, I wouldn’t use unsweetened.
Have you ever made these into a cake? I have made them multiple times and love them but was hoping to make this into a cake for a birthday. Any thoughts?