Peanut butter cupcakes

This recipe is one of my most popular. I often make this one for my colleagues at work and they don't hang around for very long! 

The recipe is based on one from the Hummingbird bakery cookbook, adapted to my own tastes. I sometimes hollow out a scoop in the top before icing the cake and put a spoonful of jam (jelly to Americans) in the middle. Who doesn't love PB&J?!

Ingredients (makes 12-16 cupcakes):

Cakes:

70g unsalted butter (softened)

210g plain flour (sifted)

250g castor sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

210 whole milk

2 large eggs

40-60g peanut butter (you can use smooth or crunchy)

Icing:

500g icing sugar (sifted)

160g unsalted butter (softened)

50g whole milk

80g peanut butter (smooth is easier to pipe although crunchy gives a nice texture, and is possible to pipe using a wide round nozzle)

Decoration:

The icing looks great piped on (as in the photo above) or you can smooth it onto the cake depending on your skill and equipment). You can decorate the top with whole salted or plain peanuts as above or alternatively make some peanut brittle. 

Method:

Cakes:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Line muffin tin with paper cases. 

2. Add butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and beat using a hand mixer or stand mixer until you get a crumb texture

3. In a separate bowl, mix milk and eggs with a whisk or fork

4. Gradually pour milk/eggs mixture into the crumb mixture until combined into a thick mixture

5. Add peanut butter and mix until combined

6. Spoon or pour the batter into the cases approximately 2/3 full

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes 

8. Cool on wire rack

Icing: 

1. While cakes are cooking, use your mixer to beat the butter and icing sugar until combined before slowly adding the milk

2. Beat the mixture on high for at least 5 minutes (this is very important to get a good airy icing)

3. Add the peanut butter until you have a smooth light icing