Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

I sometimes wonder if I came from heaven craving the perfect, tantalizing match of chocolate and peanut butter– I am obsessed!  The night before last, I actually dreamed of these cupcakes.  True, it’s been a while since I’ve made them, but it still strikes me as funny that it took an actual dream to remind me of them, which sparked my intense craving and desire to make them once again.

While playing around with cake in general a few years ago, not really having a recipe concoction in mind, I wondered what would happen if I added peanut butter to the actual chocolate cake mix.  I wasn’t quite sure how the end result was going to turn out, whether it would be too dense or harden into a paperweight, but I was willing to try.  Because Peanut Butter and Chocolate– Yes, please!  Good news: The family loved them.  Hallelujah!!

With their mmm’s and ahh’s and “can I have one for breakfast tomorrow?’s,” bolstering my confidence, my mind started going crazy from there.  How can I make these better?  What if I added a peanut butter cup inside?  Wouldn’t they be so decadent with a peanut butter frosting, instead of the chocolate frosting I normally use.  And so, the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes were born!

My dream became a reality back then when I finally got it just right.  This week they became a literal dream to prompt them back into my modern-day reality.

It took a few tries to get everything the exact flavors I wanted, especially with the frosting (should it be buttercream style, or cream cheese based?!), but I think what I came up with is pretty sensational.  Hope you like it!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 24 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine…

chocolate cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil, and three eggs.  Beat on low for 30 seconds.  Beat on medium for an additional 2 minutes.

With a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill each paper liner half-full.  I never use the entire measuring cup’s capacity, always leaving a bit of the batter within the cup.  You only want to fill each cup half-full, remember.Place a Reese’s peanut butter cup in the center of each batter-filled cup.

Pour 1 Tbsp. of batter over each peanut butter cup, fully encapsulating each peanut butter cup in peanut butter chocolatey goodness.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes.  Honestly, I have never needed more than 18 minutes, no matter which oven I’ve used.  I understand that some cook hotter than others, but I’ve lived in 6 different homes since making these the first time, and I’ve never needed more than 18 minutes.  

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from muffin tin to wire cooling rack, where they’ll need to cool completely before frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 4 T. butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup whipped topping

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  Mix well.

Storage Tip: Because the peanut butter frosting is made with cream cheese, these will need to be stored in the refrigerator.

OTHER CUPCAKE RECIPES WE LOVE

• Oreo Bat Cupcakes: A fun Halloween treat/craft!
• Graveyard Cupcakes: Spooky Halloween inspired!
• Jell-o Tie Dye Cupcakes: Vibrant cake and icing colors!
• Rainbow Cupcakes: Made in an ice cream cone!  How fun is that?
• Mayonnaise Cupcakes: Super moist and Super delish!

~Steph