Description
Mini chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes stuffed with a mini peanut butter cup and topped with creamy peanut butter frosting make a dream dessert for peanut butter lovers!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1/4 tsp instant espresso
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 48 mini peanut butter cups
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp low-fat milk
- 48 mini peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup mini muffin pans with baking cups.
- Whisk together boiling water, cocoa, and espresso, then cool completely. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with cooled cocoa mixture (begin and end with flour mixture).
- Fill each baking cup half full of batter; add a mini peanut butter cup plus just enough batter to cover the cup completely. Bake for 13 minutes, until tops spring back to the touch. Cool cupcakes for 2 minutes in pans on a wire rack, then carefully remove from pans and place on wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, and salt in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat well, scraping down bowl as needed. Add milk and beat on medium-high speed until light and airy. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and pipe frosting onto each cupcake; top with a mini peanut butter cup.
- Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.