Rich chocolate cupcakes filled with creamy marshmallow Fluff and topped with savory-sweet peanut butter buttercream. A treat adults and kids will love!
1 ¼cupall-natural peanut butterbrand such as Teddie's
2 ½cupconfectioner's sugar
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line cupcake tins with paper liners. Set the tea kettle, or pot of water, to boil.
In a mixing bowl add flour, sugar, cocoa power, baking powder and baking soda. Mix to combine.
Add eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and espresso powder. Mix on medium speed for two minutes. Scrape down sides and bottom on the bowl half way through, if using a stand up mixer.
On low speed, carefully add the boiling water and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
Fill paper liners ¾ of the way and bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.*
Allow to cool. Remove the 'core' of the cupcake using a cupcake corer or a 1M metal piping tip.
Fill a piping bag with Fluff, twist and tie off the top. Cut an opening to the bag slightly smaller than the core of the cupcakes. Insert the piping tip and gently pipe marshmallow into the cupcake. Marshmallow may overflow out of the top of the cupcake a bit, but will settle as some of the filling is absorbed into the cupcake.
Peanut Butter Buttercream
In a stand up mixer or using an electric beater, cream the butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add peanut butter** and mix until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl if needed.
Add half the confectioner's sugar and mix to combine. Add the remaining confectioner's sugar and mix again. Buttercream should be firm enough to pipe but still soft. If frosting is too stiff add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream.
Notes
*If toothpick has a couple crumbs attached, cupcakes are done. They will continue to cook as they cool in the pans. If the toothpick is covered in crumbs or still wet, cupcakes will need additional cooking time.**An all-natural, just-peanuts-and-oil type peanut butter (such as Teddie's) is the best for this buttercream recipe. It provides better texture and stronger peanut flavor. Be sure to thoroughly mix the layer of oil that settles on top of the peanut butter in the jar before adding to the butter.