Author: Brandy Saldana

I shared photos on Instagram earlier this week of some Peanut Butter and Chocolate cupcakes and after some requests I decided to share the recipe I used to make these. I feel like I don’t post cupcakes on this blog often enough, but part of that reason is that I have been busy/ focused on the Fashion and Events portion of my blog. Then there is the constant closet clean out that makes my small, studio apartment feel claustrophobic since not all of my clothes are hanging in a closet. I hate admitting I have piles of clothes scattered throughout the apartment that I am working on selling because I consider myself a neat freak, but I blame Armando for taking up 1/3 of our closet. (Side note: he probably doesn’t even have that much space and I am probably just a clothes hoarder.)
Since I am sharing the skeletons inside (and outside) of my closet, whenever I make cupcakes I typically do not make them from scratch. (Gasp!) Shocking I know, but sometimes it is either that or no cupcakes at all and making no cupcakes is sometimes unacceptable! And who doesn’t like Betty Crocker anyway?
While I used the store-bought cake mix, I did add some unique touches that you are welcome to try (and change) to improve the cupcake.

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Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cupcakesby Brandy Saldana June-14-2013Ingredients1 Box Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix4 Large Eggs1 Cup Buttermilk (substitutes water) 1 Cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips1 Can Vanilla Frosting1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Sprinkles (optional)InstructionsFollow the directions on the box substituting the water listed on the box with a cup of buttermilk. If you are like me don’t have buttermilk readily available sometimes, you can substitute by adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes so that the milk curdles a bit. I add buttermilk to box cake mix for a denser cake which is useful when doing a lot of elaborate decorations. (If you prefer a moister cupcake, you do not have to follow the directions of adding buttermilk and an extra egg, but I thought I’d share what I did to make it firm.)

With the oven preheated to 350 degrees and the cake batter mixed well, fill up 2/3 of the paper liners in your pan with batter. I added the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips after I filled the liners and tried to mix them in each liner to spread out evenly using a toothpick. I prefer adding small items like this at the end to spread them out evenly in each cupcake. Mixing them in the bowl first could result in the chips ending up at the bottom and leave some cupcakes without any.

While you bake and let the cupcakes cool, you can prepare the frosting. I placed half the frosting in a small bowl and half of the peanut butter. I listed 1/2 Cup total, but more can be added depending on how strong you want the peanut butter flavor. While I know how to make frosting from scratch, this is definitely easier and not as time-consuming. If you ever need to bake in a rush but still want a unique flavor, this is the way to go.

For the swirl on the cupcake I used a Wilton 1M swirl tip. I tend to not overwhelm my cupcakes with frosting so I swirled a generous amount of frosting starting from the outside going in. I do have bags by Wilton that I use for the frosting, but you can also use 1 gallon freezer bags and cut the right size hole at one of the corners to also get the job done. Add the sprinkles if you like before the frosting hardens, and then you are done!DetailsPrep time: 16 mins Cook time: 16 mins Total time: 36 mins Yield: 24 Cupcakes

My co-workers and I tested them and everyone approved so I hope they tickle your taste buds too. (I displayed them in my cubicle on a pastry plate that I purchased at Ikea.) I really hope you enjoyed my first recipe post for cupcakes and I am inspired to share more in the future. Let me know if you try this recipe or how you put your own spin on it.

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