The Cupcake Addict's Cupcake Collection

Chocolate peanut butter- click to enlarge

Mr Shuck has eaten 3 already and has given them ♥♥♥ 1/2.

I used a chocolate cake recipe found on Allrecipes.   I was led to this recipe by The Red Deer and I attempted her recipe for Swiss Meringue butter cream, replacing 4 tablespoons of the butter with 4 tablespoons of peanut butter and using meringue powder instead of the egg whites.  I realize that I shouldn’t be changing recipes that I have never attempted.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Reece’s miniature peanut butter cups (the ones wrapped in foil)

Unwrapped Reece's cups- click to enlarge

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare cupcake liners in pans.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk. Once all of the ingredients have been incorporated, mix on high speed of an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared cupcake tins then drop a Reece’s miniature into each one..
3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

I probably used only 1 cup of milk, instead of 1 1/2 cups.  The batter seemed really runny at that point.  I was afraid the Reece’s cups would sink if the batter was too thin.   It ultimately didn’t matter as they did sink.  The 1st problem that I’ve experienced with these cupcakes is that the Reece’s cups have sunk to the bottom and when you try to peel off the cupcake liner, the peanut butter cup comes with it, resulting in a bottom-less cupcake.  Maybe I should have chopped up the peanut butter cups.  Maybe I should have used foil liners, since they don’t seem to stick as much.

The 2nd problem I had is that the Swiss Meringue butter-cream was too runny.  I attempted to use meringue powder instead of egg whites because I never like the taste of meringue I’ve made myself.  I put it in the frig for a bit and was able to pipe it after it chilled some.  Hopefully, I won’t wake up to icing dripping all over the cupcakes.