Filled Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Filled Peanut Butter Cupcakes

         I created these cupcakes for my son Thomas' birthday.  He is in high school, and of course didn't want a party!  But I wanted to do a little something for him and his friends on his birthday.  So I delivered a big box of these cupcakes to him at his lunch table on his birthday. They were all so surprised,especially Thomas, and of course loved getting a homemade gourmet cupcake while wishing Thomas a "Happy Birthday!"       

 31 Cupcakes:

2 cups flour

2 ½ cups sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ cups buttermilk

½ cup creamy peanut butter

2 eggs

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare 30 muffin cups with paper liners.  In bowl of electric mixer add all of the dry ingredients and whisk together with a hand held whisk.  Add all of the wet ingredients, including peanut butter.  Beat on medium with electric mixer until thoroughly combined, for about 3 minutes.  Pour ¼ cup of batter into each muffin cup.  You may be able to get 31 cupcakes from the batter if you scrape your bowl really well.  Bake at 350 for about 18 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Remove cupcakes from pans.  Cool completely and fill with Peanut Butter Filling.

 Peanut Butter Filling:

10 ounces cream cheese

½ cup butter

5 cups powdered sugar

1 cup smooth peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

In bowl of electric mixer, whip cream cheese, butter and peanut butter together until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and mix.  Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.  Beating thoroughly between additions.  Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Scoop filling into decorators bag with a smaller round tip.  Insert tip down through the top of each cup cake and squeeze about 1-2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each cupcake.   Careful not to overfill.  Frost with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting.

 Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

(If you like the looks of deeper frosting on cupcakes, like I do, you will need two batches of frosting to frost 31 cupcakes.  Otherwise, one batch will be sufficient.)

  

6 cups powdered sugar

heaping 1/3 cup cocoa

¾ cup butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter

9 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In electric mixer, cream together powdered sugar, cocoa, butter, peanut butter, milk and vanilla.  Fit a BIG round or star tip in a pastry bag and fill with frosting.  Pipe one dollop of frosting in center of the cupcake.  Now start winding a big thick strip of frosting around the outside of the cupcake.  Swirl frosting towards the center overlapping as you go, until you reach the center top.   Swirl frosting towards the center overlapping as you go, until you reach the center top.  Top with crushed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or shaved chocolate if desired.    Allow set overnight if possible.  These taste even better when eaten the next day so don’t hesitate to prepare them a day in advance of the event.