Peanut Butter Cupcakes

These are like a Reeces cupcake, very distinct flavour and give you a hit of energy. Almost healthy...

This recipe has been adapted from the Preppy Kitchen recipe for Peanut Butter Cake (https://preppykitchen.com/peanut-butter-cake/). I have added a chocolate ganache core and made cupcakes. I got the idea to make this when I had some double cream and milk that was going bad and an oversized tub of peanut butter.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1 cup / 240ml water

1/2 cup / 113g unsalted butter

3/4 cup / 200g creamy peanut butter

2 cups / 240g plain flour

2 cups / 400g sugar, granulated or caster

1 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup / 118g whole milk, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Ganache:

1 cup / 200g plain chocolate chips

1/2 cup / 110g double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

1 cup / 225g unsalted butter, softened

1 cup / 264g creamy peanut butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups / 250g icing sugar

Instructions:

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F / 180˚C, and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the water, butter and peanut butter, whisking constantly, until melted and smooth.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt and mix to combine.

Add the milk, eggs and vanilla and beat until combined, c. 1 minute.

Beat in the peanut butter mixture until smooth.

Fill the cupcake liners c.2/3 of the way and bake for c.25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before removing the cupcakes from the pan.

For the Ganache:

In a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, heat the cream until bubbles form around the outside edges, but do not boil it.

Add the chocolate and let stand for a minute or so to allow the chocolate to melt.

Stir until smooth, and then stir in the vanilla extract.

Set aside and allow to set.

For the Frosting:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and peanut butter on medium high speed until smooth, c. 2-3 minutes.

Beat in the vanilla extract until just combined.

Gradually beat in the sugar until smooth.

Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, c. 1 minute.

For the assembly:

Using a small knife, cut a cone shaped core out of the centre of each cupcake.

(This is great as it allows you to eat the pieces)

Fill the cores with the chocolate ganache.

Ice the cupcakes, using either a palate knife or a piping bag.

Drizzle the remaining ganache over the cupcakes if you so wish, or just drop it on like I did.

Good luck eating just one