Why I chose this recipe:
From the time I was a little girl, peanut butter and jelly’s have always been a comfort food for me. Whether on whole wheat bread in sandwich form or smeared between two crunchy crackers, this American staple has evolved over the years from a lunchbox favorite to a decadent dessert served by top chefs.
With my recent obsession with dark chocolate, I wondered how a pairing of these favorites would work together. After many iterations, my Chocolate PB&J Cupcakes were created and seem to now be the new “Go To” treat for children and adults alike.
If you have always been a PB&J fan like me, give these Chocolate PB&J Cupcakes a try and you will see how easy it is to .
Cake Ingredients
2 cups flour
3/4 cup black cocoa
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
½ cup Hershey’s chocolate syrup
Raspberry Filling Ingredients
10 oz. fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Peanut Butter Buttercream Ingredients
16 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
7-8 Tbsp whipping cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare muffin tins with paper muffin cups and set aside.
Prepare raspberry filling by placing raspberries in food processor and process until smooth.
Push fruit puree through sieve discarding any seeds left in sieve.
Place raspberry liquid in small saucepan on medium heat adding sugar and cornstarch.
Stir constantly so mixture does not burn.
Stir for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens and slightly darkens in color.
Remove from heat, transfer to glass bowl and chill to thicken further.
Next, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pudding mix. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium high for 30 seconds.
Gradually add sugar, ½ cup at a time scraping down sides after each addition.
Continue beating on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one egg at a time, beating and scraping bowl after each egg addition.
Add Hershey’s syrup and vanilla, then mix until combined.
Finally, alternate adding flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed, and scraping down bowl as needed to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.
Once all is added, beat on medium-high for 30 seconds. Finally, pour batter evenly between the prepared cupcake tins.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cake tester inserted comes out with crumbs clinging to it.
Let cupcakes cool on rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pans and allow cakes to completely cool on racks.
While cupcakes are cooling, prepare peanut butter buttercream.
In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, cream butter and peanut butter together for 30 seconds.
With speed on low, add half the confectioners sugar and salt.
Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
Add remaining confectioners sugar, vanilla and 3 Tbsp whipping cream.
Blend on low until confectioners sugar is incorporated then increase speed to high and beat until buttercream is light and fluffy. (Add 1 Tbsp of whipping cream if you would like the buttercream to be even smoother.)
When cupcakes are cool, scoop out a small hole in the center.
Spoon a teaspoon of raspberry filling into the open center of the cupcake.
Repeat with all cupcakes.
Frost cupcakes with peanut buttercream frosting as generously as you would like.
Note #1: I used a pastry bag to frost the cupcakes using different tips for different designs. This isn’t necessary, but a fun was to make the frosting as little more festive.
Note #2: While the raspberry filling is quite easy, feel free to use your favorite raspberry jam instead.