Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Welcome to my blog. I have a love for baking cakes, cookies, and especially cupcakes! I am starting my own private cupcake business here in New York. Above are my "Peanut Buttercup Cupcakes": The first picture shows Yellow Cake Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting and topped with a Peanut Buttercup. The second picture shows Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with a Peanut Buttercup inside and topped with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting. I love peanut butter and chocolate and you absolutely cannot go wrong with these little morsels of goodness.

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra large eggs (room temperature)
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
1/2 cup strong hot coffee
1/2 cup hot water
Peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Then, slowly stir in the coffee and water.
Put 1 peanut butter cup in each cup and fill the cupcake pans about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean - 9-11 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Yellow Cake Cupcakes:
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 tsps vanilla extract
4 eggs
3 cups cake flour (sifted)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
In a mixer with a whip attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to cream. Gradually add the vanilla and eggs, and mix well.  Sift together the dry ingredients and mix into the butter mixture alternating with the milk.
Pour batter into cupcake pans about 3/4 full. Bake until puffed and firm in the center and light golden brown on top - 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Peanut Butter Buttercream:
2/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
8 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Cream peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed. On low speed, mix in sugar until combined then beat mixture on high until fluffy and smooth. Put in pastry bag and frost cupcakes immediately.