Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Ever wonder how cupcake shops bake treats with frosting inside them? There’s no sorcery involved. In the video above. Everyday Food host Sarah Carey pulls back the curtain on the culinary trick: Simply scoop out cake from the dessert's underside using a melon baller, pipe in frosting, and plug the hole back up using more cake.
A great way to practice maybe the best technique ever? Carey’s peanut butter–filled chocolate cupcakes. We love how they’re finished with a dainty sprinkle of powdered sugar—how refined!—even as downright decadence lurks within. The whipped filling is light and airy thanks to an infusion of marshmallow fluff, while still packing that creamy, peanut butter-y punch you know and love. The cake itself is rich and complex thanks to that unsweetened cocoa powder and tangy buttermilk, and the combined force of cake and filling is one to be reckoned with.
Photo: Marthastewart.com
Peanut-Butter-Filled Cupcakes
Makes 12
Cooking spray
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat 12 standard muffin cups with cooking spray, then dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Using a mixer, beat in eggs, buttermilk, oil, and 3/4 cup water on medium until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Divide batter among cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes and let cool completely on rack.
In a large bowl, using mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and peanut butter on high until fluffy, 3 minutes; fold in marshmallow topping. Transfer to a zip-top bag and cut off one corner to make a 1/2-inch opening.
With a melon baller, scoop out center of each cupcake base and set aside (these pieces will plug cupcakes after filling). Hollow out each cupcake a bit more, discarding crumbs. Fill cavities with peanut butter mixture and replace plugs. (Refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 week.) To serve, dust with confectioners’ sugar.
More cupcake recipes:
Deceptively simple brown butter cupcake brownies
Miniature king cake cupcakes that are just plain adorable
Boozy Guinness-infused cupcakes with sinful Bailey’s buttercream
What’s your favorite cupcake hack? Tell us below!
