Peanut Butter Cupcakes with a hidden surprise

As you know I love entering baking challenges but I was doubly excited to see this new one as it involved 2 of my favourite things - baking and reading. Kelly from An American Cupcake in London has started a new Cupcake Book Club based on her love for cupcakes and reading. Each month, she will chose a novel with a cupcake or baking theme and bake something inspired by the book. 

This month she chose Love in the Making by Roisin Meaney. Initially I though I wouldn't have time to read but it's such an easy read, it really didn't take long at all. Don't worry, no spoilers here so it's safe to read on :) 

It's a story about Hannah who achieves her life long dream of opening her own cupcake shop. However, her boyfriend leaves her for another woman and she's not sure if she can run her own business alone.  Her best friend Adam (my second favourite character after Hannah) sets her a deadline of seven months till his birthday to make her business a success before giving it up. He also ends up moving in with her to help her financially and to make room for his sister Nora who provides a little sub-plot of her own.  There are a few other sub-plots to the story: Hannah's parents and their friends, Leah the girl that Patrick left Hannah for, Adam's love interest and Hannah's love interests. As the title says "Love in the Making"!

Back to the cupcakes. peanut butter cupcakes were mentioned at least 5 times in the book including a giant peanut butter cupcake. If you read my blog regularly, you will know that I LOVE peanut butter and chocolate so the choice for me was obvious. However, I thought I'd make it a little more fun and add a little surprise inside - can you guess what it is? 

These cupcakes were amazing!! If you love peanut butter you must try these cupcakes. The cake was light, moist and flavourful. The chocolate buttercream frosting was too die for. The surprise inside? It made the cake even better. A word of warning: you will be in a sugar coma if you eat too many of these... ok maybe even with one but it's well worth it :) 

 Recipe from Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery in the background, Reese's peanut butter cups - a giant party bag I bought from America and delicious smooth peanut butter all the way from New York - !THANK YOU DAISY! 

Special mention to Daisy who blogs at nevertoosweet - a lovely twitter friend who sent me this jar of well travelled peanut butter as she knows I LOVE this stuff!

 Take the cupcakes out when they are almost done, after approximately 10 minutes. Peel the cases from the peanut butter cups 

 Press into the middle gently 

 Continue baking for another 5 minutes until cupcakes are cooked

 Don't worry about the holes as it will be filled with frosting. Lots of buttery, chocolate frosting! 

 Look a little plain? 

 Add some gold pearls

 Ready to see the surprise? 

 ta-da! I'm so glad it worked! 

Recipes from Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery by Martha Swift & Lisa Thomas published by www.kylebooks.com - with kind permission.




Peanut butter cupcakes 
Makes 12 cupcakes

75g butter
130g smooth peanut butter
190g dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120g plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
60ml semi-skimmed milk
12 Reese's peanut butter cups

Chocolate Buttercream frosting
175g dark chocolate
225 butter
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g icing sugar, sifted

• Preheat the oven to 160C.
• Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases. 
• Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar until well blended. 
• Add the eggs, one at a time and then stir in the vanilla extract. 
• Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.
• Add 1/3 of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well.
• Pour 1/3 of the milk and beat again.
• Repeat until all the flour and milk have been added. 
• Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases - I used a large ice cream scoop. 
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes and remove from the oven. 
• Prepare your Reese's cups by removing the wrappers and case. 
• After 10 minutes, the tops of the cake will be cooked but the middle is still soft.
• Insert a peanut butter cup into each cupcake, pressing gently.
• Return to the oven and bake for a further 10-12 minutes until cooked.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
• To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. 
• Beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and icing sugar until smooth.
• Add the melted chocolate and continue beating until thick and creamy.
• Pipe the chocolate frosting on top of the cupcakes and decorate as desired. 

Linking up to Lets Bake cupcakes and muffins hosted by simply.food