Peanut Butter Cupcakes (Recipe)

I've made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter filling, but somehow it never occurred to me to make peanut butter cake.  I looked around and decided to try a modified version of a recipe from AllRecipes.


My idea was peanut butter and jelly cupcakes:  I was going to fill them with strawberry jam and frost with peanut butter frosting.  When the cakes came out of the oven, I split one open and tasted it with a bit of jam.  The combination seemed too sticky-sweet.  I frosted most of the cupcakes with a thin layer of dark cocoa frosting, but really, the cakes would be good with just a dusting of confectioner's sugar to accentuate the crackly tops.  The cupcakes are moist and somewhat dense.  The flavor reminds me of peanut butter fudge.  If you like peanut butter, you've got to try this recipe!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups.  (The cups will be quite full.)
3. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

I'm linking up!