Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes

These are my new favorite cupcakes. I love love LOVE peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I obviously love cupcakes so I just knew this marriage would be a great success. It may seem like I've been baking a lot this week and well, you're right, I have been... but there is a rhyme and reason behind all of it I promise! I mentioned a few weeks ago that I started taking a cake decorating class and since I missed last week to go to Miami (totally worth it) I had to bring cupcakes AND a cake to class this week.  With this class, not only am I getting to learn some new decorating techniques, but it's also a great opportunity to try out new ideas and recipes.. i.e. PB&J Cupcakes. And let me tell you, these things are AH-MAZING.  I actually made two different cupcakes from this recipe and the cake is a different recipe as well, but I'm kind of anti posting before having others actually try the goods so they'll be up by the end of the weekend.

Lets get started on this amazing recipe. First off for the cake part.. I'm always on the lookout for a great white/yellow cake and I think this one is definitely a keeper. After spending a good amount of time on Epicurious I came across a recipe with rave reviews and decided I had to try it. I did make a few modifications to the recipe because it was originally for a Lemon Layer Cake, so I just omitted the lemon component and added in peanut butter. So without further ado...

Peanut Butter Cake

Adapted from Epicurious 

Yields 24 cupcakes

Oven: 350 Bake time: 30minutes

1 cup oil

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBS baking powder

3/4 cup milk

4 TBS sour cream (If you don't want to buy sour cream, you can just use 1 cup of milk)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup peanut butter *if you just wanted a regular cake don't add the PB!

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl mix milk, sour cream and vanilla extract.

Beat oil, sugar, peanut butter and eggs one at a time. Reduce speed and alternate adding flour mixture and wet mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour batter into prepared cupcake pan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and transfer to cooling rack.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, the 'coning method' is used to add in the jelly component. Use a sharp knife to cut out a small hole in the top of the cupcake.

Add a spoonful of grape or strawberry jelly to each hole. I went with grape because that's what was in my fridge. Once the holes are filled, trim a bit of the removed piece of cake so it will fit back on top without completely popping out.

After all the cupcakes are coned and filled with jelly, it's time for the Peanut Butter Buttercream. I actually made this icing a little different than the one I made for the Banana Cupcakes, and to be honest I think it's a little better...so long story short I'll add the recipe here as well.

Peanut Butter Buttercream
1 stick of butter
1 cup of peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
about 2 or 3 cups of powdered sugar
2 TBS water


Beat butter, peanut butter and vanilla till smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and add water till you get a smooth creamy consistency. 

I promise, you will not be disappointed in this cupcake!! Happy Baking!