Reese's Peanut Butter Cup......Cake!!!

Hello all!

I have a ton of homework this weekend.
But I also have baking supplies.
Which do you think won?

Anyway, this week I've been on a 'forget the diet, I want chocolate' kick.
It ended up carrying over into my cupcakes for the week.
I had so much fun making filled cupcakes for Easter that I'm at it again.

This week, I made a chocolate cupcake with a peanut butter filling, and chocolate frosting.


Here's what you need:

Reese's Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Filling and Chocolate Frosting

Oven Temp: 350°
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 15-17 minutes
Total Time: ~ 1-1.5 hours

Ingredients:

Cupcake:

• Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1/3 c. oil
• 1 1/4 c. Water
• 3 Eggs
• Cupcake Corer (or a knife)
• Cupcake liners

Filling:

• 1 Jar Creamy Peanut Butter
• 13 oz Jar of Marshmallow Fluff
• Pastry Bag

Garnish/Frosting

• Sea Salt
• Chopped Peanuts
• 1 can Betty Crocker Whipped Milk Chocolate Frosting

Prepare the cake mix per the directions on the box. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.

Wait until they are completely cooled to core them.

While you are waiting, make your filling by taking equal parts (no specific measurements here... I made it up as I went along) of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff and mixing them in a bowl. There's no wrong way to do this part. Just make sure that the peanut butter flavor doesn't get masked by the marshmallow. 

*** a while later***

Core your cupcakes, or cut out a hole with a knife.

Put your filling into a pastry bag, (no tip needed) and fill the cores of the cupcakes. Smooth the top a little bit so that the frosting will sit nicely.

The Cupcakes all ready for delivery!

Now frost the cupcakes. (I used a pastry bag) Sprinkle A LITTLE 

sea salt on top of the frosting, and finish with the chopped peanuts.

There you go!!!

Bonus Story: 

I can't take these into work, because of allergies. So I decided I'm going to deliver them to friends and family around town... I can't wait!! :D

What was supposed to be an Easter post turned into an early April post. :)

So I've been pretty upfront about being a master procrastinator. I successfully procrastinated, and baked cupcakes last week  two weeks ago, like I always do. But, I completely forgot to post them.... Whoops...

To be honest, my professional procrastination has caught up to me, and school has taken precedence. :/

BUT! I will bake cupcakes this weekend, if it means using a textbook as a place to rest my batter-covered spatula.

Anyway....

My family had a get together for Easter, and I got put in charge of baking cupcakes.
I wanted to do something fresh, fun, and not 'Easter-y.'


My (awesome) roommate got me this Wilton cupcake book to further expand my knowledge, so I decided it was only fitting to choose my recipe from there. :)

As per usual, I couldn't just follow the recipe. I made my own little tweaks to make what I thought would be a great cupcake.

Fruit Tart Cupcakes 

Oven Temp: 350°
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 18-20 minutes
Total Time: ~ 1.5 Hours

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 Box Betty Crocker French Vanilla Cake Mix
• Eggs, Water & Oil to prepare mix
• Cupcake Liners
• Cupcake Pan

Pastry Cream Ingredients:

• 6 T granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c. milk
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 T. unsalted butter.
• Pastry Bag

Topping Ingredients:

• Strawberries, sliced
• Blueberries
• Kiwi, sliced & peeled
• Whip Cream
• Pastry bag

Additional Items Needed:

Cupcake Corer: 

This was an impulse buy at Walmart. I don't think it was more than a couple bucks.

It is perfect for a filled cupcake like this. Otherwise, you can just cut a hole with a knife.

Anyway... on to the baking...

Cupcakes:

Prepare the cake mix according to the box. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, and let cool completely.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, you can cut your holes out for your filling.

Pastry Cream:

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in egg yolks and milk until combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spoon until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter.

Pour mixture into a bowl, and press plastic wrap down onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent it from forming a skin.

Place in fridge until chilled, or ready to use.

Toppings: 

Slice strawberries & kiwis. Keep refrigerated until used.

Assembly:

Using a pastry bag, fill the 'holes' in your cupcakes, plus a little extra. Spread the 'extra' around on the top of the cupcake, making sure it is even.

Place a kiwi slice on each cupcake. Then, with a pastry bag, put a little bit of whip cream on top of the kiwi. Then arrange the strawberries and blueberries as you like.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

There you have it!

Again, I apologize for the very late post, and will be back at the baking this weekend!