A little celebration

Hi guys!  Miss me?  I haven't been far, or any busier than normal really, but I have been enjoying this weather.  It's gorgeous out!  Finally! I'm working on a few posts (that I promise won't take weeks to post) but wanted to share this one since I finally have the photos for it.

Jon's birthday was way back in January.  He loves anything chocolate and peanut butter, so he requested a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, topped with Reese's pieces.  I made him basically the same thing the year before, but since that was "sooo last year" and I like to try new things, I thought up something different. And oh were they good! 

I call them the Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes.

Vanilla cake, with a dark chocolate peanut butter cup center, topped with Reese's spread buttercream with crushed Reese's Pieces and topped with another peanut butter cup, just for good measure.  

I don't think I have to tell you that they were so good!  The best part is while they were definitely rich, they're not so rich you can finish one.  Or request seconds as our daughter did.

They're actually the first cupcake our kiddo ever actually ate.  I handed her one thinking like usual she'll pick and prod but barely take a bite.  I checked on her a couple minutes later and it was gone.  I thought the dog ate it, but no.  She ate the whole thing.  Then asked for another.  To say these were a hit is an understatement.  I will definitely be making these again!

(Okay, I'll admit that I had to make them again a couple weeks later because I realized that we ate the finished product and didn't photograph them.  Whoops.)

Don't look too hard for the Reese's Pieces in the frosting.  I forgot to add them for the re-shoot.  Or maybe they were eaten beforehand.  

Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients

Delicious from all angles.  Again, don't look for the Reese's Pieces because they're not there.

1 box Trader Joe's Vanilla cake mix, or your favorite brand

Peanut butter cups (I used Trader Joe's dark chocolate ones)

1 cup Reese's Spreads

2 sticks of butter, room temperature

1/2 cup or more of confectioner's sugar

Reese's Pieces

Directions:

This photo's from the first batch.  The candy sunk down to the bottom but left the top of the cupcake dimpled so push those babies down to keep the tops flat.

Prepare the cake batter according to the box directions.  I like the Trader Joe's mix not only for the great vanilla flavor but because it calls for butter.  I always use butter over oil in baking.  I think it tastes closer to homemade that way, but it could be all in my head.  

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners (I use these silicone ones from Amazon) and place one peanut butter cup in each one.  Push it down to the bottom or the cupcakes will have dimples when they're done.  Bake according to the box directions.

To make the frosting:

Mix butter and peanut butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.  (Feel free to use regular peanut butter if the spread isn't your style.  Just not the kind that needs to refrigerate, I don't think that whips up as well.)  Next, slowly add confectioner's sugar a couple tablespoons at a time into the mix and beat it until it's well incorporated.  Taste it along the way to make sure you're not making it too sweet, if that's actually a thing.  Finally, stir in chopped Reese's Pieces.

Frost the cupcakes and top with another peanut butter cup, because at that point any type of sugar or calorie count has entirely gone out the window anyway.

I use Oodle Tip bags to frost cupcakes.  They look gimmick-y, right?  I thought so too and kept using my regular pastry tip on a ziplock bag method until one day I was out of bags and remembered I had these.  Seriously, it was the best thing ever and I tell everyone about them now.  I don't think I'll ever go back to pastry tips again since the piping style can change with how you cut the tip.  How awesome is that?! 

Now if I could just find an excuse to make these again soon... 

Note: I used affiliate links through Amazon in this post that will provide me with a small commission if you were to purchase something using my link.