Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I made these for Father's Day/Chad's Birthday and they were a hit! Best "from scratch" chocolate cake I've had.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes: 24 Cupcakes

For the Filling:
2/3 Cup Confectioners' Sugar
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla

For the Cupcakes:
8 Tablespoons Butter (1 Stick)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs

For the Frosting - Peanut Butter Buttercream:
1/2 Cup Butter, Softened
2/3 Cup Peanut Butter
3-4 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1-2 Tablespoons Milk

1. Prepare Filling: In bowl, with mixer on medium speed, mix confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla until blended. Shape mixture into 24 balls using heaping measuring teaspoons. (Balls will be sticky and don't need to be perfectly shaped.) Place balls on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line 24 standard muffin-pan cups with fluted paper liners.

3. Prepare Cupcakes: On waxed paper, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, mix sour cream, milk, and remaining vanilla; set aside. In large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat granulated sugar and 8 tablespoons butter just until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 1 to 2 minutes more or until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture. Beat just until ingredients are combined, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

4. Spoon 1 heaping measuring tablespoon into each muffin-pan cup. Drop 1 peanut butter ball in center of each cup and top with another heaping tablespoon batter. Bake cupcakes 25 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cupcake comes out clean. (I baked for 26 minutes I believe.) Immediately remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

5. When cupcakes are cool, prepare frosting.

Making the Frosting:
Cream butter and peanut butter together in a bowl. Add powdered sugar with mixer on low speed and gradually add milk and vanilla. Mix until frosting is smooth. If too thick, add more milk; if too thin, add more sugar. Frost cupcakes as desired.


** I don't ever mix my dry ingredients in one bowl and liquid ingredients in another one. I just mix my liquid ingredients in a bowl and then add all the dry ingredients individually to the liquid ones. I've never had any issues doing it this way. **