Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

My chocolate peanut butter cupcake has definitely evolved over the last few years.  What started out as a simple chocolate cupcake topped with a thick peanut butter cream and turned into a peanut butter cupcake explosion.  Don't get me wrong - the original cupcake was delicious but I've made a few changes to take this cupcake from good to great. 

I started by baking a peanut butter cup right into the center of the dark, chocolate cake.  I lightened up the peanut butter buttercream, added a dollop of chocolate gananche and finished it off with a peanut butter cup half.  This Reese's peanut butter cup cupcake has quickly become one of my most requested cupcake flavors.

So without further ado... my new and updated Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcake recipe. 

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcake
1 cup flour
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter. melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup hot coffee
9 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Chocolate Ganache
Peanut Butter Buttercream

Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, cocoa and salt in bowl of standing mixer.

Whisk together butter, eggs and vanilla.

Add wet ingredients to dry and beat until combined.

Add coffee and beat until smooth.

Place a peanut butter cup in the bottom of each paper lined cupcake tin. 

Fill each liner 2/3ds full with cupcake batter.

Bake 24 minutes at 350.  Cool on wire racks.

Frost cooled cupcakes with a swirl of peanut butter buttercream.

Chill frosted cupcakes and top with a spoonful of ganache. 

Top with another swirl of peanut butter buttercream and garnish with a half of a peanut butter cup. 

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