Peanut Butter Cup-Cakes

You see what I did there? That's a hard name, but let it marinate for a minute. Peanut butter cup.... cupcakes! When you're an adult, you can make candy cupcakes on a Tuesday and no one will stop you! I mean yes, but I also have a potluck at work tomorrow, and someone was like what are you going to make? I was like, oh, chocolate cupcakes. She was like just chocolate cupcakes? That seems kind of boring for you.
I see what you're doing, and it's working damnit. So here we are, on a Tuesday, upping the ante. This is a chocolate cake, stuffed with a mini Reese's cup, topped with a peanut butter frosting, and a few Reese's pieces because I can.
This batter is my go-to chocolate cake recipe (makes three 8-inch cake rounds or 24 cupcakes with a little extra for a baker's snack- you're welcome).

For the chocolate cake:
2 c granulated sugar
2 1/2 c flour
1 c cocoa powder
3 eggs
3/4 c vegetable oil
2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c boiling water *I just put mine in a clean coffee pot.
1/2 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 bag of Reese's mini's (the individually wrapped ones) * I didn't do this the first time, and now this is the only way I do it, so I wanted to tell you that here as well as an option for you. 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 24 cupcake tins with cupcake liners (or tin holes? Two tins, 24 cupcake slots- you get it).
2. Combine sugar and vegetable oil in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
3. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add in vanilla extract as well.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
5. Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk, incorporating each into the batter before adding more. Start and end with the dry ingredients.
6. Add the hot water *make sure your speed is on the lowest!* to the batter a little at a time. Once all incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then turn to medium-high speed and whip for one minute. This batter will look really loose (see below), but that's how it should be.

7. Fill up the cupcake tins to about 2/3 full. *Place one unwrapped reese's mini into the batter of each cupcake.* Also take the extra batter and put in a 6 inch cake round that has been sprayed or prepared with goop. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Mine took 20 minutes). *Keep in mind that if you are baking your reese's in the cupcakes, you will want to take that into consideration when putting a toothpick in to check doneness*. The extra cake takes about 26 - 28 minutes.

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
1 1/2 c (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
4 c (ish) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

1. Put butter and peanut butter in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and mix to combine.
2. Start SLOWLY adding the powdered sugar until incorporated.
3. Add salt and vanilla. Continue to whip until fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Assembly:
If you didn't do my baked in option, then you have an additional step. 

For the assembly, you will also need 1 bag of mini Reese's peanut butter cups. **Buy the bag with the unwrapped ones- they are smaller and will fit better into a cupcake AND you don't have to unwrap all the candies!** Yo- I lied. Like I said I made changes. I mean these are fine, but I like the bigger mini cups- the individually wrapped ones. AND I just put them in the batter and baked them inside saving time, and I think I like it better anyway! 

You will also need (or want) 1 bag of Reese's pieces for topping.

1. Take the cooled cupcakes and take a piping tip (or I have also used a pairing knife) to make a small hole in the center of each cupcake.
2. Insert a mini peanut butter cup. *Again, if you baked it in, we are saving time, folks!

3. Add a little bit of the top that you just made a hole with back in so that the cupcake top is level again.
4. Put the frosting in a piping bag (or just a large ziploc bag with a large hole cut into one corner). Pipe onto each cupcake.

5. Top with a few Reese's pieces for curb appeal.

6. Then top your extra cake and eat it in a dark room with a spoon and let no one judge you. You do you, butter cup!

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