Reese’s Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Reese’s Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Matt and I, along with our friends Angie and Ryan coach 2 soccer teams.  One is for our youngest daughters: Bear and other Bear (they are friends but could pass as twins!).  The other team, U16, is for the oldest 2, my Sunshine and their “Sky” (not his real name but neither is Sunshine’s!)  Not wanting to play favorite here, but all four adults have to admit that the U16 team is a much more fun team to coach.  The kids are older, more mature but overall so fun to be around.  I laugh every time I am around them!  The other team isn’t “bad”, it is just that they are younger, less mature and don’t listen to any directions or coaching we try to implement!

This Saturday both teams are playing at the same time….which means Angie and I will be coaching our U16 team…truth be told, we told Ryan to coach the younger team while Matt is at Firehouse.  In order to make the team prefer Angie and I over Matt and Ryan, I decided to make them cupcakes…yes, I realize this is completely unfair.  As a “nice” gesture I will have 2 cupcakes saved for the two Bears

This recipe is inspired…loosely based on…adapted from…(get the idea?)  Better Homes and Garden cookbook recipe for Chocolate cake.   Found: here

note to self: asking your 13 year old daughter to unwrap and chop the Reese’s might result in “missing” pieces

For the Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup cold coffee

1 12-ounce bag small Reese’s cups, take out about 12 for decoration, roughly chop the remaining pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

Peanut Butter Frosting (see below for recipe)

How to:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 12-cupcake muffin pans (it makes 24 cupcakes) or grease generously.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined (3 to 4 minutes).  Scrape sides of bowl; continue beating on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition (about 1 minute total).  Beat in vanilla.

Combine your milk and your coffee in a measuring cup.  Set aside.

Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition.  Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more.  Using a wooden spoon or spatula fold in your chopped Reese’s cups.  Spread batter evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.  Cool cupcakes in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Cool thoroughly on wire rack .  Frost with Peanut Butter frosting and top with a half Reese’s cup for decoration.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

(from Ina Garten, found here)

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

How to:

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

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Peace and Unfairness in cupcakes,

Isabelle

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