January 11, 2018
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cupcakes!
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Chocolate cupcakes with a hidden Reese’s peanut butter cup centre, peanut butter frosting, and even more Reese’s = heavenly peanut butter cupcakes!
Peanut butter cupcakes
This is something that has been so highly requested for such a long time. I honestly can’t count the amount of times that it has been requested, so I thought I would start the year very tastily, after my gin & tonic drizzle cake last week, with this beauty of a recipe. As I couldn’t eat peanuts for so long, it was something I put off posting, but I have made these so many times now it seems fair to share!
Peanut butter
I decided to go for a regular chocolate cupcake recipe as I just love them, and I find them easy. However, easy doesn’t mean boring. I decided to jazz them up slightly, by using some Reese’s Peanut Butter Miniatures sandwiched and baked into the middle. HELLO YUMMY. This is inspired by my Rolo Cupcakes recipe which has been a consistent hit on my blog since posting, so I thought a Reese’s version would be epic. And it was. You could put some Reese’s Pieces in instead if you want, but I just find the miniatures and ideal side, especially when you sandwich two of them together and push them into the middle of the cupcakes.
I love foods like chicken satay, but thats the savoury side of things. Sweeter side, I adore Reese’s. I adore my no-bake peanut butter cheesecake. I adore annyyttthiinnng Chocolatey. So peanuts, and chocolate combined is PERFECTION. Therefore, after a chocolate cupcake, the peanut butter frosting was a perfect match.
Buttercream
A peanut butter frosting was a given, but I know some of you might not be a fan. There’s liking peanuts, then theres liking peanut overload. I however, love it. The peanut butter frosting is sweeter than obviously just peanut butter is because of the sugar in the frosting, and I think that makes it delightful.
Baking cups and piping tips
For this post, I used some orange Iced Jems baking cups so that they would match the ‘Orange’ of the Reese’s packaging. I also used a 2D closed star piping tip to decorate them as its my favourite piping tip ever. Honestly, I can’t stop using it as you might be able to tell. If you want to make these even more delightful and slightly more overload style, you could drizzle on some Melted Chocolate, or even a drizzle of Peanut Butter. HELLO YUM.
More recipes
I would definitely say if you enjoy the look of these cupcakes, you would also love my peanut butter pie, and peanut butter fudge, which both use Reese’s in them. Honestly, I find peanut and chocolate together a salty and sweet combination, which is ideal like salted caramel is for me. Heeeeaaaavenly.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 175 g unsalted butter
- 175 g light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 140 g self raising flour
- 35 g cocoa powder
- 24 Reese's PB cup miniatures
Buttercream
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 175 g smooth peanut butter
- 350 g icing sugar
- 2-4 tbsp boiling water
Decorations
- 150 g Reese's pieces
- 6 Reese's peanut butter cups
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 180C/160 Fan/350F and line a cupcake/muffin tin with 12 cases
- Beat the butter with the light brown sugar until fluffy
- Combine the eggs, self-raising flour and cocoa powder with the butter/sugar mix until well combined
- Using an ice-cream scoop (to make it the same amount per cupcake) dollop into the cupcake cases – once dolloped, press two sandwiches peanut butter cup miniatures together and lightly push into the cupcakes.
- Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes or until they are springy to touch and don't make a bubbling sound – leave to cool.
For the Decoration
- Beat the unsalted butter with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes to loosen it.
- Add the peanut butter and half of the icing sugar on a slow speed until it is combined then speed the mixer up and mix for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Add the rest of the icing sugar and beat again. If its really thick, add in 1tbsp of boiling water at a time until smooth and pipeable.
- Using a medium 2D closed star piping tip, pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes – add on half a peanut butter cup, and some Reese's Pieces, and enjoy!
Notes
- You don't have to add the Reese's Miniatures if you don't want to, but it adds a nice peanutty flavour!
- I used supermarket own peanut butter, but its smooth so it pipes well.
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J x
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Delicious! I had so much icing left I made another 8 cupcakes and it topped all 20. I didn’t add the miniatures to the second batch and I personally preferred without. Fabulous recipe as always, thank you Jane. X
Hi Jane, how can I make this a white chocolate and peanut butter cupcake?
Great recipe- I’m trying to make the buttercream using dairy free butter (naturli) but the buttercream keeps collapsing and doesn’t hold its shape – any tips?
Hiya – you need to use a vegan block such as the flora one so that it’s as firm as it can be, unfortunately vegan frosting is always softer!
Can these cakes be frozen and would it be best not to ice until defrosted.
Hiya! You can freeze them either way for up to 3 months, though if undecorated, just decorate straight from frozen! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane I’m looking to make these next week, I wanted to add reece peanut butter chips to the cake batter, is this possible? Would it work or would they sink? If so how many would you use and what point would you add them
Hiya! It’s definitely worth a go, add 100-200g, though there is no guarantee they won’t sink! Hope this helps! x
I’m hoping to do this myself? Did they sink? , I thought about just placing the chips on top of the cake batter instead of mixing them in , plus going to try making one larger cake instead of cupcakes, all a bit trial and error.
Hi! Can you tell me if this I icing can be frozen and if so how long? Also how long can it be kept in the refrigerator? Thanks so much!
Hiya! Yes absolutely – it will last a couple of weeks in the fridge! Bring back to room temp and beat again before using! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane
I have used your cake recipe from the mini egg drip cake (i use this one ALL the time) but I wanted to make a peanut butter frosting.
Would I need to multiply the decoration measurements by 3? Thats more icing sugar than I usually do use and I often end up with buttercream left over so just wondering if you have exact measurements for decorating a three layer cake with peanut buttercream?
Thank you!!
Hi Jane! I’m making these for a friends birthday next week!! I was just wondering if I could swap the cocoa powder for peanut butter powder?! I have both in the cupboard but just wanted to experiment with this :)))
Hi Jane.
Which peanut butter did you use? Also, I’m wanting to use the buttercream to fill and cover a 4 layer cake, would you just multiply the recipe to how much I need or would any of the quantities be different?
Thankyou x
Hiya! You can use any! Yes you would need to use more x
Sorry for being simple maths is not my strong point, I literally just times it all by 3? And the butter cream ? Many thanks Dani x
Basically yes – you x3 and split between 3×8″ tins! Baking time is about 35-40 minutes at 180c/160 fan! It will be a big cake but if that is what you want, its the easiest way! Or, just follow one of my other recipes like I’ve said but use the decoration flavours from this recipe. x
Hi Jane, wanted to start off by saying how much I love your recipes they are all fantastic.
If i wanted to make this into a 3 tier cake please could you tell me what measurements I would need please.
I read in your comments above to times the ingredients by 3, but that sounded a lot of butter ect. And would make nine eggs and on your other 3 tier cakes its 8 or 10 eggs.
Thank you in advance.
Dani xx
Thank you! You can follow the comments that I have said, or follow a different cake post and make it fit to this instead – either works well!
Hi.
Could you add melted chocolate or cocoa powder to the buttercream to make chocolate and peanut buttercream. If so how much would you recommend
Many thanks
Caroline
Cocoa powder is probably better – I would substitute 25g of icing sugar for cocoa powder! x
Hi I want to make just 6 cupcakes, I know just to half the recipe however would it be 1 or 2 eggs used?
You ideally need to make 4 cupcakes, or 8 – so you can then use 1 or 2 eggs!
Hi, I want to make these but self raising flour seems to be a rare commodity in lockdown. Can these be done with plain flour?
They can – you typically mix 2 level teaspoons of baking powder per 150g of plain flour! And whisk it in before using in a recipe!
Just making these now. Can I check how to store these once baked etc woukd foul over them to cover at room temp be okay!
I usually store mine at room temp, in either a storage tin or a cupcake box or something!!
Hi, to make this into a 3 tier showstopper masterpiece do I just multiply the ingredients so they are of same weight to your other 3 tier cakes? And would it work as a drip cake, a dark chocolate drip or do you think that would be too much?
Thanks!!
Yes! Basically make it all equal to what the others would be! I think a drip cake with a dark chocolate drip would be delicious! x
Hello
I was just wondering if the recipe could be used to make one individual big cake rather than 12 cupcakes?
Thanks.
Hiya! This recipe will make one layer of an eight inch cake so double it for a two layer cake.
Do I need to double the buttercream recipe too?
Once I’ve doubled the cake batter, do I pour it into a single 8 inch tin or do I divide it between two tins? If just the one tin, would the baking time be about 35 minutes?
You need to use two eight inch tins as one batch of cupcakes makes one layer, so for two layers you need two tins. And then yes double the buttercream as well.