Getting my bake on - Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

As you may already know, I’ve set myself a task of baking a whole range of different cakes. I’ve made myself a list of loads of different flavours I’d like to try out, and then I find myself a recipe to base it on, and change things around to suit the type of cake I want to make.

Recently it was my Dad’s birthday and I wanted to make him some cupcakes. He’s a big peanut butter fan, so I thought I’d try making some peanut butter cupcakes. I found my base recipe here and then made a few changes to make the cakes I had in mind. Hope you enjoy making them as much as I did (and eating them of course!)

Ingredients

100g plain flour

140g caster sugar

20g cocoa powder

1 ½ tsps baking powder

Pinch of salt

35g soft butter

120ml milk

1 egg

Couple of drops of vanilla extract

3 tbsps smooth peanut butter

12 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

12 Large cake cases

For the frosting – 250g icing sugar (sifted)

70g soft butter

50ml milk

Couple of drops of vanilla extract

3 tbsps smooth peanut butter

To decorate – sifted cocoa powder

Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3.

Beat the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter until well mixed.

Whisk the egg, vanilla and milk in a jug.

Add the egg mixture slowly to the dry ingredients and continue to beat until you have a smooth mixture.

Add in the peanut butter and continue beating until it’s completely mixed in.

Line a tray with your cupcake cases and place a peanut butter cup in the bottom of each case.

Spoon mixture into the cases and bake for about 20 minutes – until the sponge bounces back and a skewer comes out clean.

Once baked, leave to cool completely.

For the icing, mix the milk and vanilla in a cup.

Beat together the icing sugar and butter, then add the milk a little at a time until about half of it has gone.

Then add the peanut butter (you can add more if you want a stronger taste) and beat until incorporated. The mixture will go a bit dry and clumpy as the peanut butter is so sticky – continue adding milk a little bit at a time until you have a smooth, thick icing, which is soft but not runny.

Spoon or pipe the icing onto the cakes – I spooned the icing this time to give more of a rustic look.

Finish with a little sprinkling of cocoa on top and half a mini peanut butter cup to decorate.

Enjoy with your favourite hot beverage for tea.

Have you made Peanut Butter cupcakes before? Or do you have another recipe you’d like to share with me?

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