Today is my birthday (and also Groundhogs Day!). I'm at that age now where it's not fun to be turning one year older, but not quite at the age where I lie and say I'm turning 25 for the third time. To celebrate I wanted to make some really fun cupcakes.
I've always wanted to make cookie dough cupcakes but I've already seen chocolate chip done before. I thought if chocolate chip works in a cupcake why not any other kind of cookie? I love the peanut butter and chocolate combo so I thought peanut butter cookie dough in the middle of a chocolate cupcake would be a really tasty!
I tried to cut it in half straight away which didn't go very well!
I decided on a light fluffy peanut butter swiss meringue buttercream for the frosting as the cake and cookie dough are pretty intense. I also made some homemade salty peanut butter cups as toppers.
I used the chocolate cupcake recipe from the Love Bakery Book (I've loved everything I've made from it, please support Samantha and buy it). It's important to use an egg free cookie recipe as this part doesn't cook the whole way through. The peanut butter cups and cookie dough can be made a day or more in advance and stuck in the freezer (the cookie dough will be placed in the batter frozen anyway).
Eggless Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
adapted from All Recipes
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1. Mix the peanut butter, butter, both sugars and buttermilk until combined.
2. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt to the peanut butter mixture and mix until well combined.
3. Using a cookie scoop take one round of dough at a time and place it into a container. Make sure to squish the dough down a little bit so it's more flat than what I've done (use a fork). A few of my cakes ended up with air holes because I didn't. Freeze overnight or for a few hours.
Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from Love Bakery (makes 24)
Ingredients
120g unsalted butter at room temperature
300g caster sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
40g cocoa powder, sifted
300g self raising flour
280ml buttermilk (about 3/4 cup)
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp white wine vinegar
Early birthday present
1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C and line muffin tray with liners. Cream the butter and caster sugar together for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
2. Add the cocoa powder and mix. Add the flour and buttermilk and mix until combined. Add the baking soda and vinegar and mix for 2 more minutes.
3. Add one scoop of batter into each cup.
4. Place one frozen cookie dough ball in the center of each cup on top of the first scoop of batter. Cover with one more scoop of cake batter. Bake for 25 minutes and place on a cooling rack.
Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream
adapted from the Red Deer
Ingredients
8 egg whites
2 1/2 cups caster sugar
500g unsalted butter at room temperature
4 tsp vanilla
8 tbs peanut butter
1. Place the egg whites and caster sugar in a double boiler. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are really hot.
Ingredients
8 egg whites
2 1/2 cups caster sugar
500g unsalted butter at room temperature
4 tsp vanilla
8 tbs peanut butter
1. Place the egg whites and caster sugar in a double boiler. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are really hot.
2. I got my "station" ready with the butter cut into cubes and the peanut butter measured. Once the egg whites are ready (transfer to a large bowl if necessary, eggs will start to double in size). Start whisking on medium high speed until the mixture is completely cool (this can take 10 plus minutes).
3. Start adding the butter one cube at a time on medium speed. Add the peanut butter and vanilla. Turn back up to medium high and keep whisking until it becomes thick enough to pipe. I've only got a hand mixer and had to stop because I thought my arm was going to fall off, so it wasn't as thick as I would have liked!
4. Pipe on each cake and top with chocolate sprinkles and peanut butter cup! I also gave each one a drizzle with some Wilton Peanut Butter drizzle.
