Cupcake Surprise

I had some birthday cupcakes to make.  And no time in which to make them.  By no time I mean I had 1 hour - to mix, bake, cool and frost.  But I still wanted to make them special, even though I knew I was going to have to take some shortcuts.  Enter Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. 



The cake is a (eek) box mix double chocolate.  The frosting is an UNBELIEVABLE made-from-scratch peanut butter cream.  The surprise is a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.  In the middle of the cupcake.  Oh yeah.  That just happened.

Here's what you'll need:


The Cupcake

1 box Chocolate Cake Mix, any variety
Oil and Eggs according to preparation instructions on box
24 Miniature Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped

1. Preheat oven as instructed on box.  Prepare cake batter as instructed on box.  Divide batter into 24 lined cupcake tins.

2. Drop one peanut butter cup in the center of each cupcake.

3. Bake as instructed on box.  Cool completely before frosting.

The Frosting

2 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Cups Creamy Peanut Butter (about one standard jar of PB)
10 Tbs Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Salt
2/3 Cup Heavy Cream

1.  Blend sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt with mixer until creamy.  Add cream and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and smooth.

Easy crowd pleaser.  And boy was this a mental challenge for me not to lick every bowl clean and consume 5 of these cupcakes.  I'm still on that whole health kick/training regimen...one more week to go.  I managed to emerge from peanut butter and chocolate heaven only having consumed half a cupcake.