Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Whipped Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

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I absolutely love peanut butter so I've been looking for a reason to make these cupcakes ever since I saw them on Proceed with caution. Our friend Alex's birthday seem like a good occasion but since it would only be four of us eating I figured 24 cupcakes would be too much. Luckily this recipe was easy to halve.

I couldn't find any Cool Whip for the frosting but after I learned what it contains (mostly water and high-fructose corn syrup and other fun stuff) I haven't really been a fan of it any way. Since Cool Whip is pretty much fake whipped cream I figured the real thing would work just as well. I did have to add alot of extra confectioners' sugar to get the frosting to the right consistency (or at least somewhere close to the right consistency) and maybe that was because of the whipped cream..? Next time (yes there will be a next time, J has already begged me to make them soon again) I will either whip the cream stiffer, add less whipped cream or possibly no whipped cream at all. Or maybe I will just try the peanut butter frosting from Ina...


Yield: 12 cupcakes

For the filling:
80 ml confectioners' sugar
60 ml creamy peanut butter
1 Tbs (14 g) butter, softened
½ ml vanilla extract

For the cupcakes:
4 Tbs (56 g) butter, softened
2.5 ml vanilla extract
200 ml all-purpose flour
90 ml unsweetened cocoa
½ tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
½ cup (120 ml) sour cream
1 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup (180 ml) granulated sugar
1 large egg

For the frosting:
112 g cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbs (28 g) butter, softened
1/4 cup (60 ml) peanut butter
385 ml powdered sugar
½ cup (120 ml) cool whip (I used the same amount of whipped cream, not sure if that was a good idea - might skip this completely next time)

1. Prepare Filling: In bowl, with mixer on medium speed, mix confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, 1 tablespoons butter, and ½ ml vanilla until blended. Shape mixture into 12 balls using heaping measuring teaspoons. (Watch out, they are sticky!!) Place balls on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175'C). Line 12 standard muffin-pan cups with fluted paper liners.

3. Prepare Cupcakes: In a bowl mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, mix sour cream, milk, and remaining vanilla; set aside. In a large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat granulated sugar and remaining butter just until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low; add egg, beat well. Beat 1 to 2 minutes more or until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until ingredients are combined, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

4. Spoon 1 heaping measuring tablespoon batter into each muffin-pan cup. Drop 1 peanut butter ball in centre of each cup and top with another heaping tablespoon batter. Bake cupcakes 23 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cupcake comes out clean. Immediately remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

5. When cupcakes are cool, prepare frosting: In large bowl, with mixer on medium-low speed, beat butter, cream cheese, and peanut butter until smooth and blended. Add powdered sugar slowly, incorporating fully after each addition. (Add cool whip/whipped cream and beat until smooth and creamy). Frosts cupcakes.