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. 
These are darling!
Adorable – I love the cupcake liners!
These look great! I’ve got to try them soon! ; )
How adorable! Oh The Yankee would just eat these up.
I have been wanting to try these too – nice post, I love the photos.
They look perfect! YUM!
Sooo freaking adorable! I have these liners, so I will be making these in the very near future!!! Well done!!!
Find more Fauxstess Cupcakes in my recipe blog search:
HERE
So cute and yum!
Could these be any cuter?? I love the idea of home baking classic favorites like this!
This looks perfect! Yum!
Michelle
http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/
Great job! Your cupcakes are perfect! They look just like Hostess except SO MUCH BETTER! Your ganache is so nice and shiny!
I love these cupcakes! They have been on my to try list forever and I think that maybe today might be the day I finally try them.
Also, I didn’t even realize you had less swirls, shows how well I know a hostess cupcake!
I made them this weekend and am now officially addicted to the filling – it reminds me of marshmallow creme! Although my cupcakes (and pictures) pale in comparison to your version, I need to thank you once again for supplying me with a great recipe.
I searched all over for a recipe like this and didn’t want to use marshmallow creme for the filling! These are amazing- my family was fighting over them. Thanks for sharing!
so in your recipe you say to put the batter into the wells of a muffin tin coated with non-stick spray. Does that mean not use cupcake liners, or does that mean to spray the liners with non-stick spray?
Sorry, I’ll fix the recipe. You don’t need to spray the cupcake liners.