Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes & Food Blogger Bake Sale
This past weekend, we had our Central Florida Food Blogger Bake Sale as part of the National Food Blogger Bake Sale to benefit Share Our Strength. I’m pleased to announced that we raised over $1300!!! Considering our goal was to surpass last year’s fundraising here in Central Florida and make it to $500, I call it a resounding success! Thank you to everyone who came out and bought our baked goods and bought raffle tickets.
And a huge thank you to these food bloggers who baked and helped out so much! Aggie from Aggie’s Kitchen, Pearleen from MegaYummo!, Katie from Katie’s Cucina, Jaclyn from food + words, Jim from Comfort in Crumbs, Dawn from Wicked Good Dinner, Suzanne from My Adventures in Food, Robin from Simply Southern Baking, Wanda from My Sweet Zepol, and Holly from I Could Eat and Zeema from Sweet ‘Scapes Catering. And thank you to Gaby from What’s Gaby Cooking, the founder of the National Food Blogger Bake Sale, we raised over $24,500 nationally. If you came out to support the bake sales across the country, thank you so much! We are one step closer to getting rid of childhood hunger.
A little bit of the bake sale. That’s Aggie’s kids, aren’t they cute? And there’s a group picture we took as we were breaking down, I wish we got one with everyone!
I wanted to share with you the recipe for the cupcakes I made for the bake sale and then proceeded to make for the NASA Tweetup I attended for the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour. These cupcakes are to die for and when I first saw them on My Baking Addiction, I pinned it and knew I had to try them one day. When the bake sale came up, I knew this cupcake would be the perfect thing to make for it. Um, there are no words, first of all, Jamie is a genius and these cupcakes are officially my new favorite cupcake. I’m going be making them ALL the time!
The cupcake has the perfect moistness and icing is amazing. And you can’t go wrong with a peanut butter cup inside. The recipe is incredibly easy to make and I’m so happy that Jamie said it was okay for me to share the recipe on my blog! I only modified it slightly and that’s because I didn’t read her recipe close enough when I asked my husband to pick up some of the ingredients for me. I had him buy the smaller boxes of instant pudding and it worked out just fine.
I knew I was going to love this recipe when I saw the batter was pudding-like. I really think the sour cream and pudding mix really make for a moist cupcake.
Once you fill the cupcake liners up with 3 Tbsp of batter, you place frozen miniature peanut butter cups on top and every so slightly push them down.
Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes
1 (18.25 oz) package devil’s food cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 (3.4 oz) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp instant espresso granules, dissolve it in 1/2 cup warm water
30 Reese’s Miniatures peanut butter cups, frozen
Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened (I used Kerrygold, which is 1 1/2 blocks)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 lbs powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp low-fat milk
Reese's peanut butter cups minis (in a bag & they come unwrapped)
Directions:
Cupcakes
- Be sure to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in your cupcake or muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or your stand mixer bowl using the paddle attachment, mix together all of your ingredients except the peanut butter cups for minute or two until well mixed.
- Place 3 Tbsp of cake batter in each cupcake liner. Take one frozen peanut butter cup and place in the center of each cupcake on top of the batter, press down a little bit.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until several cupcakes pricked with a toothpick come out clean. Do not prick the cupcake where the peanut butter cup is inserted. There will be a slight indentation or hole where the cupcake is sunken in from the peanut butter cup, you'll fill that with icing. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove cupcakes from the pans and place them on a cooling rack & let them cool all the way. While the cupcakes are baking you can make the buttercream icing.
Peanut Butter Buttercream
- In your stand mixer bowl using the paddle attachment, mix thoroughly the softened butter and peanut butter on low to medium speed. Turn off your mixer and in two batches, add the powdered sugar and mixing until well blended. Be careful, the powered sugar can go everywhere!
- Add vanilla and 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk a little bit at a time while blending on low speed. Blend until well combined. You'll start to see the icing pull from the sides of the bowl. Add a little bit more milk to get to the right thinness (to your preference). Keep blending, higher the speed, until nice and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Using a big round tip and decorator bag, pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes and top with a mini on each cupcake.
Some notes:
- I used Kerrygold unsalted butter, it makes some amazing icing.
- I used a smaller box of instant pudding because that's what I told my husband but it worked out just fine.
- I don't like tons of icing on my cupcakes so one batch of peanut butter icing actually worked for 2 batches of cupcakes for me.
- I used a Tbsp measuring spoon, I really need to get a cookie scoop or a ice cream scoop that measures out to 3 Tbsp.
- I actually ended up with 30 cupcakes in the batch...so even more to share or to keep for yourself! I don't like putting 3 cupcake pans in the oven so I'll usually fill up two of them (24 cupcakes), bake them and then fill one with the remaining 6 cupcakes.
- I prefer to make buttercream icing in a stand mixer but you can make it with a hand mixer in a large bowl, it may take a little longer to make but it's worth it!
- I actually left the cupcakes on a cooling rack covered with a kitchen towel and placed the icing in the fridge overnight. When you're ready to frost your cupcakes, allow to the icing to sit on the counter for at least 20 to 30 minutes. I even added splashes of water to it to make it even more fluffy before piping the icing onto the cupcakes.
Slightly modified from Jamie of My Baking Addiction.
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Disclosure: I mentioned Kerrygold who is a sponsor of mine. They don’t know I mentioned them in this post and I mentioned them because I’m a huge fan of their products.
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Hi, my name is Julie and I love to share the cooking and baking adventures from my little kitchen. Cooking and baking is in my blood, thanks to my Mom! 
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Super cute and absolutely perfect. You have no idea how crazy my daughter would go for these!
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those look AMAZING!
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As someone who was lucky enough to get one of these at #nasatweetup, I’d say they are amazing chocolate pb goodness…especially at 6AM
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Omg, my mouth is watering! Now I’ll have to hunt for Reese’s minis over here in Germany…can find the cake mix and instant pudding from an online importer, but the Reese’s minis may be tough to find. Might have to modify using regular Reese’s pb cups.
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JulieD replied: June 1st, 2011 @ 11:59 pm
You can put chopped up Reese’s pb cups on top of the cupcake. Hope you can find minis for the inside of the cupcake!
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they look wonderful! I have made PB Cup brownie/cupcakes before and they’re awesome. I participated in the San Diego area branch of Gaby’s sale and we raised almost 2 grand. It was so awesome and such a great event! Glad you all had a great event too
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JulieD replied: June 2nd, 2011 @ 12:00 am
Averie, that is so cool! Gaby is so awesome for organizing the Food Blogger Bake Sale!
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oooh, i’ve made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting before, but never with a pb cup inside – what a cute idea! it also makes for a lovely presentation with the pb cup as a garnish on the frosting. i’m definitely going to try this next time i make my version! =)
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OMG those sound delicious!!! I wish I could have made it to the bake sale, especially now that I know you had those there. Yum!!!
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JulieD replied: June 2nd, 2011 @ 12:01 am
I wish you had come too! Maybe next year. Maybe I’ll see you at the Central Florida Blogger Conference in July?
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I bought one of these cupcakes, and I can testify that they are, in fact, amazing! Couldn’t believe they were made with cake mix…so very, very moist!
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Wow, you guys did amazing! These cupcakes look delicious
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Yummy! It just doesn’t get any better than peanut butter and chocolate
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Those are absolutely gorgeous and look soooo delicious, Julie!!!!!!
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These cupcakes look delicious! I would buy a dozen if I saw them at a bake sale:-)
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These certanly look “To Die For”. It has all my favs chocolate, peanut butter and reeses
YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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JulieD replied: June 2nd, 2011 @ 12:28 am
Thank you, Kathryn…they definitely are!
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Hi Julie! It was so nice to meet you today! Thank you so much for all of the great info you shared. Your cupcakes look delicious. Chocolate and peanut butter are my favorite! I made something similar a few weeks ago, but I used a cream cheese based frosting and I didn’t love the results. I will definitely hold onto your recipe for next time! Take care! And again it was so nice to meet you! : )
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JulieD replied: June 16th, 2011 @ 8:38 am
Hi Brandi!
Goodness just realized I never replied. It was so nice to meet you too, what a fun shopping experience, huh?
You’ll love this frosting if you love peanut butter. I have my co-workers addicted to this cupcake & frosting now. Let’s keep in touch!
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These look incredible!
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Holy heavens those look soooo yummy!!!!!
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What a great event and these cupcakes look so delicious! I made some from scratch….but I am going to have to try the doctored up cake mixes. I’m sure that they stay moist longer and have great flavor as well! Thanks for the recipe!
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Those are just beautiful!
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And now I’ve pinned it too because these look incredible.
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JulieD replied: June 2nd, 2011 @ 12:29 am
Thank you, Amy!
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What an amazing event! Nice work!
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JulieD replied: June 2nd, 2011 @ 12:30 am
Thank you! I had a lot of fun!
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YUM! Not only is peanut butter and chocolate my favourite combo ever, but pudding in the mix as well?!?!?!? I can’t wait to try these out for myself.
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JulieD replied: June 2nd, 2011 @ 12:29 am
It seriously makes the cupcakes very moist. I hope you do try them and enjoy!
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These little cupcakes look wonderful! My kids would love ‘em
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hello new friend + fellow Kerrygold lover
I’m so incredibly happy we met and got to hang out this weekend!
these cupcakes look incredible. do you deliver?
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JulieD replied: June 2nd, 2011 @ 12:44 am
It was so great to meet you! I hope we get to meet again this year!
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Those look amazing!
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Yum and yum!
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Well, crap! I totally forgot about when it was. I am bummed out I missed this! I definitely would have bought one of those peanut butter cupcakes. Oh yes.. (drool). My complete and utter weakness.. right there!
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These cupcakes were outrageous! I only eat chocolate when it’s paired with peanut butter
These are definitely a favorite!!
Awww, thanks for including the pic of the kids, will have to show them!
What a successful event! So fun to coordinate with you, we make a great team!! xo
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Hisham Soliman replied: May 26th, 2011 @ 12:48 pm
Chocolate and peanut butter are my two weaknesses and when you put them together…..oh boy watch out!!! The peanut butter cup in the center is genius. These look so moist and delicious, I can’t wait to try these out.
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JulieD replied: June 2nd, 2011 @ 12:45 am
We do make a great team, thank you so much for your help, Aggie! Your kids were too cute, I had to include them. So glad you liked these cupcakes. They are definitely my new favorite.
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YUM!! Those cupcakes look so good!!
Congrats on raising that money as well
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Those look DIVINE and of course, I am still jealous of your Kerrygold! Good job!
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JulieD replied: June 2nd, 2011 @ 12:46 am
Thank you, Lisa! I’m going to be so sad when it ends, for sure!
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They look delicious!
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Congrats that you guys did so well. Those cupcakes look great.
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Loooove how moist these come out! The pudding/sour cream makes a difference. I used the cake recipe for this and did w/out the frosting ( I know, I’m weird, just too sweet for me). Stuck a Rolo candy in it instead of the Reese’s and it came out just as yummy! Will def play around with more ideas.
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Those are some great looking cupcakes! Peanut butter anything is my favorite. Awesome job on the bake sale!
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Oh my goodness… I am literally drooling over my keyboard. I must make these NOW! I love that there’s the PB stuffing in the center. Yum!!!
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These were the best thing ever! A direct quote from my husband: “You could put that frosting on a turd and I might be tempted to eat it!” lol
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JulieD replied: July 15th, 2011 @ 2:35 pm
Smitha, this has got to be one of the best comments ever on my blog. Please tell your husband thank you! LOL
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I love peanut butter! this is great recipe, I will try it later. thank you
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Thanks for posting this recipe!! I made these last night for a birthday today and they were a big hit! I love making unique cupcakes/turning already loved items such as Reese’s into cupcake form!
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Yummy. Getting hungry already. Thanks for the recipe.
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