Peanut Butter Cupcakes w/Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Holy mother of cupcakes! I just tried the finished product and actually said "holy cupcake!" out loud to Jason as he was walking out the door for Sydney's night time walk. The cake itself has just the right about of peanut butter so that it is buttery and moist without becoming too dense. The cake with the frosting is rich, for sure, but without any one flavor over powering the others. They are plain old melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Enjoy with a tall glass of milk.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Kelley Gondring

Makes 22 cupcakes.

Preheat oven 350º

In a medium bowl, lightly combine:
1/4 cup milk
6 egg yolks
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine:
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Add:
3/4 cup milk
12 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add one third of the egg mixture. Mix 20 seconds. Repeat twice more.

Pour scant 1/3 cup of batter into lined cupcake tins.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

While the cake is cooling, prepare frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Kelley Gondring

*Note: This recipe will be more than enough for the 22 cupcakes. I freeze extra frosting so that I have it on hand for other occasions, but if you don't want leftovers, I'd make half a batch first and see how far that gets you.

In a large electric mixing bowl, cream together on medium high speed:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 tablespoons butter, softened

Mix in:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Mix in one half cup at a time:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each half cup addition.

Frost cupcakes and garnish with chocolate shavings or coarsely chopped Reese's Cup.

Eat up!