Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

If you love Reeses peanut butter cups, you'll really love these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes! The cake is chocolate and theres a slightly sweet peanut butter filling inside along with a light, fluffy peanut butter buttercream. Delicious!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

makes about 24 cupcakes

for the cupcakes...

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
2. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix sugar and eggs together on medium-low.
4. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
5. Add the bowl of dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk in 2 parts.
6. Stir in boiling water - the batter will be thin.
7. Transfer batter to prepared pans, filling each liner about 2/3 of the way full. 
8. Bake approximately 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans about five minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

for the peanut butter filling...

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, salt and vanilla until smooth.
2. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar.
3. Using a cupcake corer, take out the center of each chocolate cupcake once cool.
4. Fill a small pastry bag with a small tip with the peanut butter filling and fill each cupcake until the filling reaches the top.

for the peanut butter frosting...

• 1.5 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 cups confectioner's sugar
• mini Reeses peanut butter cups for topping

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and heavy cream on high speed until light and fluffy. 
2. Add the vanilla extract.
3. Reduce speed to medium and slowly add the peanut butter.
4. Add the salt.
5. Add the confectioner's sugar a bit at a time until the frosting reaches a thick consistency.
6. Fill up a big piping bag and frost away! Decorate with a mini Reeses peanut butter cup.