LOLA’s Peanut Butter cupcake is made using smooth peanut butter both inside the cake mixture and in the buttercream. Although it’s hard to beat as a sandwich spread, gooey peanut butter inside a cupcake is definitely something to try at least once! Originally created to celebrate National Peanut Butter Day on 24 January, this cupcake has been a huge hit (especially with James, our best ‘PB’ customer!) and it is now baked every day at LOLA’s.
muffin pan lined with 12 muffin cases
Makes 12
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/ Gas 4.
Sift together the flour and baking powder in a bowl.
Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the peanut butter and beat again. Gradually beat in the egg.
Fold in the sifted dry ingredients and milk alternately.
Divide the mixture between the muffin cases. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
While the cupcakes are cooling down, make the peanut buttercream.
Put the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until very soft and smooth. Sift half the sugar into the bowl, beating until incorporated and the frosting is smooth.
Add the second half of the sugar, as well as the milk and beat for 3–5 minutes until the buttercream is thick and creamy. Finally, fold in the peanut butter.
Spread the frosting over the cold cupcakes using a spatula, or spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle/tip and pipe it on top of the cupcakes. Decorate with chopped peanuts and halved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
