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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

These are the Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes – and they start with a cake mix! A few adjustments to your favorite box cake gives you an incredibly moist chocolate cupcake that is filled with a peanut butter cup and topped with chocolate peanut butter frosting. THE most requested cupcake for me to take to family parties!
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Assembly Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 24 cupcakes
Author Jesseca

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • 1 15.25 oz box chocolate cake mix
  • 1¼ cup coffee or milk
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 3 large eggs*
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 24 mini reeses cups

For the Frosting:

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 3½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line 2 standard cupcake trays with paper liners and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, coffee (or milk), melted butter, eggs, and sour cream.
  • Whisk by hand. or with a handheld mixer, for 2 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are incorporated into each other fully.
  • Scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into each paper liner.
  • Top the batter with 1 mini Reese’s cup candy.
  • Add an additional 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter directly on top of each candy filled liner, until the batter is 2/3 full.
  • Bake the cupcakes for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are light and bounce back when lightly pressed.
  • Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

  • Add 1 cup butter with the peanut butter to the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
  • Whip the butter for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the sides once halfway through, until the butter is soft and fluffy.
  • Add the cocoa powder with the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing in between each addition. Be sure to scrape the sides for even mixing.
  • Scrape the sides one final time, adding in the vanilla and cream.
  • Turn the mixer on low/medium speed and allow the frosting to whip for 5 minutes.
  • Pipe or spread onto the cooled cupcakes and enjoy.

Notes

*There are 4 eggs pictured in this post. We have adjusted the recipe to only use 3 large eggs.
Looking for more peanut butter flavor? Leave out the candies and follow the following adjustments to the cake ingredients:
  • 1 cake mix
  • 1-1/4 cup coffee or milk
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 large eggs