Monday, April 18, 2011

Chocolate-Fudge Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream

This last Saturday was my Grandma Jean's 80th "Surprise" Birthday Party and I was in charge of baking her a cake and cupcakes.  For the cupcakes, I wanted something fun and tasty!  I've seen many bloggers bake Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups inside cupcakes, and one of my cookbooks also has a recipe for them.  I seriously love anything that involves Peanut Butter and Chocolate, well just about anything!  So I decided I would just use box mix Chocolate Fudge cake mix, and made this homemade Peanut Buttercream which I found over at Inside BruCrew LifeWhich btw, she's always baking up something yummy and sweet, check her blog out...love it!  It seriously is the best buttercream I've made and tasted so far!  I could've set there and ate the whole bowl full of frosting...but I decided I better save all those yummy calories for everyone else!!

Nom Nom Nom...!

Ingredients for Cupcakes:
1 box Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker), plus ingredients to make cake
Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped (I used the new Reese Peanut Butter Cup mini's unwrapped and bite sized)

Directions: Mix up cake mix as directed on package.  Line cupcake pan with liners, fill liners with approximately 1 tbsp of mix, add 2 mini Peanut Butter cups into cupcake liner, continue to fill liner to 2/3 full.  Bake as directed on box.  When toothpick comes out clean, they are done!  Cool completely before frosting cupcakes on cooling rack.  Once cool, frost with Peanut Butter Buttercream (recipe to follow), and top with chopped up Peanut Butter Cups. 

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Buttercream:
2 sticks Butter (1 cup), softened
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
2 tbsp Water, plus 1-2tbsp (to use later)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp Salt
4 cups Powdered Sugar

Directions: Cream butter and peanut butter together. Add in the water, salt, and vanilla, and cream again. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, scrape sides after adding each cup. After all the sugar is added, beat in another 1-2 tbsp. water. It should be very creamy and whipped looking.  Frost cupcakes using your favorite icing bag and tip!

Side notes: Before I added in the Peanut Butter Cups, I tossed them in some flower hoping they wouldn't sink to the bottom.  However, some did and some didn't.  I'm not sure what I did wrong, any idea's?  Next time, I think I'll use the normal miniature peanut butter cups, they are a little bigger and  I would only need to use 1 instead of 2 per cupcake.  Also, I only needed to add 1 tbsp of water, but you may want to add another tbsp, depending on the consistency you're looking for. 

I actually baked these cupcakes on Thursday night, decorated one up to take a picture of (and to devour), and the rest I frosted on Friday night after I got to my dad's.  They were a HUGE hit!


Linking up with...
At Home With Haley
It's A Blog Party
Peas & Crayons - What I Ate Wednesday
The Sisters of the Wild West
The Girl Creative
The Shabby Chic Cottage
What Allie's Making Now
Somewhat Simple
Paisley's Passions
Not So Homemade 
Just A Girl
Hoosier Homemade - Cupcake Tuesday
Mom's Crazy Cooking
Talking Dollar and Cents - Muffin Monday
Little Brick Ranch - Foodie Friday

13 comments:

  1. I am so glad you liked the Peanut Butter Butter Cream...it is the best frosting I have made so far:-) I tried the mini pb cups in a cake and they sank too:-( The big pb cups are great in cupcakes too!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I LOVE Cupcakes! (and so does my nephew... who I make them for all the time, my kids are "too" old) HAHHAHA... I will never be too old for CUPCAKES! YUMMY!

    Myself and 2 other great bloggers are hosting THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS and the theme this week is "EASTER COOKIES & TREATS" and I think this is a great recipe for that! We would love for you to stop on by and link up your recipe if you wish! Hope to see you there!!! :-)

    http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/2011/04/this-weeks-cravings-linky-party-25.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Found your blog from Hoosier Homemade and am now following you. Your cupcakes look to die for!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I know these would be a hit at our house where everyone loves peanutbutter come see what I shared on my blog at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yum! We are big fans of chocolate and peanut butter!
    Thanks so much for joining the fun on Cupcake Tuesday!
    ~Liz

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just went into a sugar coma reading this! =) Love the new look of your bloggy blog! ahh its so ridiculously cute!

    Happy WIAW darling!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

    ReplyDelete
  7. YUMMM!!! Two of my favorites...PB and chocolate!! This would be perfect for my Foodie Friday linky party - stop by this week and link up!

    If you have a sec, feel free to pop over now to enter my GIVEAWAY! Entries must be in by tonight and the winner will be announced tomorrow morning!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow pb and chocolate in a cupcake? Sounds like the perfect winner to me :D

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yum! These look fantastic! Thanks for sharing! Saw you at Chabby Chic Cottage.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kayla- Those cupcakes look like they are absolutely delicious! What a sweet surprise for your Grandma Jean's birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. OK - after seeing this for the second time I have decided you must be working quite closely with the devil - these are clearly a sin to eat...but Ill take my chances!! :) Thanks for linking up to Foodie Friday!

    If you haven’t already, make sure to pop back over to enter my giveaway!!! Entries must be by Sunday evening and a winner will be picked Monday!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have been reading different recipes using the min-peanut butter cups in cupcakes. One tip I saw said to freeze the min-pb cups and put them in the batter frozen. This was to keep them from sinking. Don't know if it works as I have not had a chance to try them.

    ReplyDelete

I love reading comments, and it also helps me know if you liked my post! So please take the time and leave me some comment love!! Thanks for stopping by!!! :)