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.