PB & J Cupcakes

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Here are some PB & J cupcakes to intrigue your inner glutton...fluffy cupcakes, filled with fruit preserves (I went with blueberry) topped off with creamy peanut butter frosting. Like a bite out of your childhood!

I started with a plain, flavorful cake, then cut cone-shaped holes out of the middles with a small pairing knife.

Then, I filled each of those holes with blueberry preserves.

Finally, I piped on the frosting and sprinkled the garnish of chopped peanuts!

PB & J Cupcakes

Ingredients

cupcakes:

2 c sugar

2 1/4 c. cake flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup water

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 c. veg oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 small jar, blueberry preserves (or any other flavor you prefer)

1/2 c. chopped, salted peanuts (for garnish)

frosting:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1/4 c butter, room temp

3/4 cup peanut butter (not natural)

1/4 tsp. salt

2.5 cups powdered sugar

(option of adding peanut flavored liqueur?)

Special equipment: 12-cup muffin tins (2), stand mixer or handheld mixer

Cupcakes:

1 - gather ingredients and equipment

2 - Preheat oven to 350

3 - Whisk sugar, cake flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl to combine

4 - In a large mixing bowl on a stand mixer, (unless using handheld mixer) add eggs, water, buttermilk, veg oil and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients in batches, mixing just slightly in between to combine everything...do not overmix!

5 - Pour into lined muffin tins, filling halfway up the side of each cup.

6 - Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, rotating pan positions halfway through cooking.

7 - Meanwhile, prepare the frosting (see below)

8 - Let cool in tins on racks for 1-2 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from their cups and cool completely on racks

9 - When cooled, take a small knife and angle it to cut cones out of the center of each cupcake, about 1" deep

10 - Fill the holes with 1- 11/2 tsp of preserves

11 - Fill a pastry bag with the prepared frosting and pipe frosting on top of each cupcake, making sure to completely cover.

12 - Top each cupcake with chopped peanuts

Frosting:

1 - Gather ingredients

2 - Whip together cream cheese, butter, peanut butter and salt until smooth and fluffy

3 - Add the powdered sugar, in half-cup batches, whipping on medium-high speed until all sugar is added and mixture is completely smooth and airy.