Fuzz and I are back from our cruise aboard the Liberty of the Seas. I have a lot to say about it, but haven’t decided how to phrase it or where to put my thoughts – here, or on Cruise Critic. If you have any questions or are thinking of booking something and want a personal review, email me! I love to talk travel. Until then, I’ll just say that the Cupcake Cupboard was one of the highlights of the ship and definitely the inspiration for these cupcakes. They’re filled with peanut butter and topped with an easy scratch icing and ganache.
When I got home, there was a pile of mail and among it my monthly Texas Co-op Power Magazine. I always turn straight to the recipe section, where every month they publish winners of contests. The theme for this month was winning cupcakes, and the winner was a chocolate cupcake stuffed with peanut butter.
This recipe is adapted from Texas Co-op’s winner. I had to make a few small changes. For instance, the recipe said to fill each cupcake with 2 tablespoons of filling, but it’s really more like 1 tablespoon. Minor detail, eh? Also, I a little leery of doctoring up cake mix with 5 large eggs, but the cupcake base was great and didn’t taste eggy at all. I can see why these won. They were simple and sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
UPDATE: I’m not sure how good the cake base will be now that cake mix has been downsized. That is, the new amounts of cake mix might now work with the 5 eggs. If you make this recipe, I suggest using the cupcake recipe as written on the box and using the filling, frosting and topping from below.
- 1 box devil’s food cake mix
- 1 cup water (or brewed coffee)
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons half & half
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup or less half and half or part cream part milk
- 2 sticks butter, unsalted
- teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 24 miniature peanut butter cups and sprinkles
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
- Beat together cake mix, water, eggs and oil with an electric mixer. When smooth, divide batter evenly between cupcake pans. Bake on center rack 20 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely.
- Mix together peanut butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons half and half. Using a knife, cut a hole in the cupcake and fill it with about a tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture.
- For frosting, beat together the 2 sticks of butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder. Add enough half and half to make a creamy consistency, beating all the while. Frost each cupcake generously or pipe on a big dollop. At this point, you might want to chill the frosting so it’s nice and firm when the warm topping goes on.
- For topping, melt the chips, butter and cream together in a microwave-safe bowl using 50% power and stirring every 30 seconds or melt in a double boiler. Spoon a little topping in the center of each cupcake to make a circle or drizzle it. Put sprinkles around the bit of topping. Top center of each cupcake with a peanut butter cup.
These look really great. My SIL had some mini reese’s pb cups in her table decorations on Easter Sunday and I couldn’t stay out of them… yes they were there to be eaten. 🙂 Anyway! I’m sure I’d love these cupcakes.
Please let me know when you’ve posted your review on Cruise Critic…. I’m an avid cruiser and love to read about other people’s experiences.
These look amazing! Although, I’m not sure my peanut butter cups could last long enough to make it inside a cupcake. They’re practically perfect all by themselves. I’m featuring this recipe this Friday!
Looks like a dream cupcake to me! Love the chocolate ganache and peanut butter cup combo, and the ample amounts of both. I’ve been eying Trader Joe’s mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups but haven’t bought any yet. This could be a good way to use them.
The cupcakes look delicious and very professionally decorated – I love the cupcake liners you chose. These are definitely going on the “Must Try List.”
Chocolate and peanut butter…the best of both worlds! Love it!
Judging by your post I have the feeling that you were not happy with your cruise!!! I am so sorry, We have always (4 times) had good luck with RCII. We had problems with Princess and Carnival (Carnival owns both). With Princess they gave us the wrong cabin class and it took them 2 days to straighten it out. With Carnival the attendent left me sitting in a wheel chair in the middle of the airport when we were going to meet our ship. Our Disney cruise was our only cruise before 9/11. We left our luggage at Cleveland Airport and never saw it again until we got into our cabin. Now you have to claim your luggage at every leg of trip. Again, sorry if RCII did not live up to your expectations,
Welcome home!
The cupcakes look delish!
Did you not have a fantastic cruise? Liberty is tentatively on our list as next ship.
well i used to travel….
but ever since we bought a house we are now called ‘house poor’ lol
BUT i am trying to save up to get back to the Caribbean, somehow, someway.
i’ve never do a cruise unless the rooms were huge and came with a huge balcony.
i have to admit, these are the best looking cupcakes i’ve seen in a while
The recipe would be great with any chocolate cake. Personally, I might try it with this scratch cupcake recipe I like.
http://www.cookiemadness.net/2011/02/quick-chocolate-cupcakes-with-flour-type-icing/
Chocolate and peanut butter is a wonderful combination! These look lovely.
Would this work if I used the dry ingredients of my favourite devil’s food cake recipe as I’m not able to get mixes? I’m presuming it’s a two layer cake size. Thanks 🙂
Can’t wait to hear more about your cruise! Welcome home. Yummy cupcakes. SO wish my family liked cake/frosting. But I suppose it’s healthier for me that way! ‘Sides, I definitely do my share of other goodies.
I did once see a cupcake recipe with kale in it, but I must confess I’ve never had a cupcake and thought: “you know what is missing? kale.” Peanut butter is a different story…
Thanks for the comments! It’s good to be home. I’m actually sitting here working on my cruise review for Cruise Critic.
Cookie Sleuth, yeah, the 5 eggs was fine. Strange.
Mary, I’ll have to balance these out by making kale chips next.
Louise, that’s so cool that you use Marine Traffic.com.! Todd loves it. You two would hit it off.
I’m just glad to be home.
Great looking cupcake. I saw your ship docked on the MarineTraffic.com site. I didn’t think to tell Todd that we know certain French phrases don’t have a direct translation. 🙂
Holy richness, batgirl–5 eggs and heavy cream in the frosting and topping, plus peanut butter! They do look AMAZING, and so professional! I love the decoration with the swirl, sprinkles, and peanut butter cup in the center!
I’d be nervous about 5 eggs, too, but I’m glad it worked out! These do look great.