Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes were inspired by a cruise on The Liberty of The Seas, one of Royal Caribbean's big ships with a cupcake shop on board. They're chocolate cupcakes filled with peanut butter and topped with an easy scratch icing and ganache.
Cake Mix Based Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
The recipe starts with a box of cake mix. Betty Crocker makes a good chocolate fudge cake mix, but use any brand you like. What makes Peanut Butter cup Cupcakes special is the peanut butter filling, fluffy chocolate frosting and ganache. And then of course you have the cute Reese's mini sitting on top, surrounded by chocolate sprinkles.
Scratch Version
If you you'd rather make the chocolate cupcake base from scratch, go for it! The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes recipe is easy and would work well. Or if you want a butter based chocolate cupcake, you could try Brown Sugar Chocolate Cupcakes. But with all of the fillings, frosting and topping, nobody will complain if you use a box.
Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (or any other brand)
- eggs, oil, water (or coffee) as indicated on the box,
Filling
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons half & half
Frosting
- 2 sticks butter, softened unsalted
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
- ½ cup or less half and half or part cream part milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
Topping
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 24 mini peanut butter cups and sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
- Prepare cupcakes using the directions on the back of the box. If you have some brewed coffee, use coffee instead of water.
- Mix together peanut butter, ½ cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons half and half. Using a knife, cut a hole in the cupcake and fill it with about a tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture.
- For frosting, beat together the 2 sticks of butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder. Add enough half and half to make a creamy consistency, beating all the while. Frost each cupcake generously or pipe on a big dollop. At this point, you might want to chill the frosting so it’s nice and firm when the warm topping goes on.
- For topping, melt the chips, butter and cream together in a microwave-safe bowl using 50% power and stirring every 30 seconds or melt in a double boiler. Spoon a little topping in the center of each cupcake to make a circle or drizzle it. Put sprinkles around the bit of topping. Top center of each cupcake with a peanut butter cup.
Sue says
These look really great. My SIL had some mini reese's pb cups in her table decorations on Easter Sunday and I couldn't stay out of them... yes they were there to be eaten. 🙂 Anyway! I'm sure I'd love these cupcakes.
Carolyn says
Please let me know when you've posted your review on Cruise Critic.... I'm an avid cruiser and love to read about other people's experiences.
Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says
These look amazing! Although, I'm not sure my peanut butter cups could last long enough to make it inside a cupcake. They're practically perfect all by themselves. I'm featuring this recipe this Friday!
Lisa Ernst says
Looks like a dream cupcake to me! Love the chocolate ganache and peanut butter cup combo, and the ample amounts of both. I've been eying Trader Joe's mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups but haven't bought any yet. This could be a good way to use them.
Darlene says
The cupcakes look delicious and very professionally decorated - I love the cupcake liners you chose. These are definitely going on the "Must Try List."
Melissa (MelissaLikesToEat) says
Chocolate and peanut butter...the best of both worlds! Love it!
Carole Resnick says
Judging by your post I have the feeling that you were not happy with your cruise!!! I am so sorry, We have always (4 times) had good luck with RCII. We had problems with Princess and Carnival (Carnival owns both). With Princess they gave us the wrong cabin class and it took them 2 days to straighten it out. With Carnival the attendent left me sitting in a wheel chair in the middle of the airport when we were going to meet our ship. Our Disney cruise was our only cruise before 9/11. We left our luggage at Cleveland Airport and never saw it again until we got into our cabin. Now you have to claim your luggage at every leg of trip. Again, sorry if RCII did not live up to your expectations,
Janice says
Welcome home!
The cupcakes look delish!
Did you not have a fantastic cruise? Liberty is tentatively on our list as next ship.
vanillasugarblog says
well i used to travel....
but ever since we bought a house we are now called 'house poor' lol
BUT i am trying to save up to get back to the Caribbean, somehow, someway.
i've never do a cruise unless the rooms were huge and came with a huge balcony.
i have to admit, these are the best looking cupcakes i've seen in a while
Anna says
The recipe would be great with any chocolate cake. Personally, I might try it with this scratch cupcake recipe I like.
https://www.cookiemadness.net/2011/02/quick-chocolate-cupcakes-with-flour-type-icing/
Missus Wookie says
Chocolate and peanut butter is a wonderful combination! These look lovely.
Would this work if I used the dry ingredients of my favourite devil's food cake recipe as I'm not able to get mixes? I'm presuming it's a two layer cake size. Thanks 🙂
Katrina says
Can't wait to hear more about your cruise! Welcome home. Yummy cupcakes. SO wish my family liked cake/frosting. But I suppose it's healthier for me that way! 'Sides, I definitely do my share of other goodies.
Chewthefat says
I did once see a cupcake recipe with kale in it, but I must confess I've never had a cupcake and thought: "you know what is missing? kale." Peanut butter is a different story...
Anna says
Thanks for the comments! It's good to be home. I'm actually sitting here working on my cruise review for Cruise Critic.
Cookie Sleuth, yeah, the 5 eggs was fine. Strange.
Mary, I'll have to balance these out by making kale chips next.
Louise, that's so cool that you use Marine Traffic.com.! Todd loves it. You two would hit it off.
I'm just glad to be home.
Chewthefat says
Holy richness, batgirl--5 eggs and heavy cream in the frosting and topping, plus peanut butter! They do look AMAZING, and so professional! I love the decoration with the swirl, sprinkles, and peanut butter cup in the center!
Cookie Sleuth says
I'd be nervous about 5 eggs, too, but I'm glad it worked out! These do look great.