Peanut Butter Birthday Cupcakes

For my hubby's birthday last year, I sent these bad boys in to work with him. Let me tell you, they were a hit!

They were inspired by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen Cupcake Cupcake Toppers. I thought the peanut butter from the PB Cups should be carried through the whole cupcake, though.

 

Recipe:

 

Chocolate Cupcake:

1 box Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake Mix

Ingredients called for on box

1/2 C Sour Cream

1 small (3.4 oz) box chocolate pudding mix

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake tins by lining them with cupcake wrappers.

 

Mix all ingredients together, just until combined. Fill cupcake tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Place pans on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing cupcakes from pans.

 

While cupcakes cool, prepare peanut butter frosting.

 

Frosting:

1/2 C butter

1/2 C peanut butter

1 lb powdered sugar

1-3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

 

Cream together butter and peanut butter. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add heavy whipping cream, 1 tbsp. at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

 

Frost cupcakes and add sprinkles, if desired. Unwrap 24 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (or more, if batter yielded extra cupcakes; mine often does). Add small swirl of frosting to each PB cup, then place on top of a frosted cupcake.