Baking Mondays - P is for Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Chocolate cake with half a homemade peanut butter cup inside, topped with peanut butter swiss meringue buttercream and half a homemade peanut butter cup.

Who here loves peanut butter cups? I happen to love them - chocolate + peanut butter + sugar, how can you complain? So when peanut butter won the poll last week I knew what had to be done, it was time to make my own peanut butter cups. I used a recipe from The Hungry Mouse, it was super easy and the end result is delicious!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups adapted from The Hungry Mouse
Makes 40 mini cups

2 x 395g milk chocolate
375g smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Melt the first packet of milk chocolate (either in the microwave in 40 second intervals or using a double boiler).
2. Coat 40 mini muffin liners in the chocolate, then place in the fridge to set.
3. Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and stir.
4. Spoon the peanut butter mixture into each cup and flatten with your finger.
5. Melt the second packet of chocolate.
6. Pour chocolate over each cup to enclose the peanut butter mixture, then place in the fridge to set.

So now armed with your homemade peanut butter cups it is time to incorporate them into your chocolate peanut butter cupcakes...

Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from AllRecipes.com)
Makes 22

220g plain flour
45g cocoa powder
7g bi-carb soda
6g salt
300g caster sugar
115g unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
8 ml vanilla extract
355 ml milk
22 homemade peanut butter cups, cut in half (reserve half for decoration)

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius. Line 2 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake liners.
   
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, set aside.
   
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in the eggs and vanilla.
   
4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk. Once all of the ingredients have been incorporated, mix on high speed of an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes.
   
5. Spoon some of the batter into each cupcake liner, then place half a peanut butter cup, and then cover cup with more batter.
   
6. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Putting it all together

1. Make a batch of peanut butter swiss meringue buttercream.
2. Once the cupcakes have cooled pipe a swirl of the SMBC onto each cupcake.
3. Top each cupcake with half a homemade peanut butter cup.
   

The only problem I came across after making these was this...

All of the peanut butter cups sank to the bottom of the cupcakes - oh well. Still tastes good!

The ratings?

Me - 9/10, cake is beautiful, moist and chocolatey, SMBC is wonderful as always, peanut butter cups rock - the only issue was the sinking peanut butter cups.
Mat - 10/10, absolutely awesome!