Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SURPRISE CUPCAKES

FOR THE FILLING:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream
FOR THE CUPCAKE BATTER:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk*
FOR THE FROSTING:
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream

Line 12 standard muffin cups with liners and set aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
In a medium bowl with a hand-held mixer or by hand, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter, honey, confectioners' sugar and heavy cream until smooth. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE CUPCAKE BATTER:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Lightly whisk and set aside.

With a mixer set on low, beat butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. On medium speed, beat in brown sugar until light and lump free. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla until blended. Add flour mixture in two portions, alternating with buttermilk in one addition until smooth and just blended.

Fill each muffin cup one-third full of batter. Drop a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese and peanut butter mixture into center of each cupcake, gently nudging it into batter. Continue to fill each cup with more batter until each is nearly full.

Bake in center of preheated 350 degree F oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip, about 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool cupcakes in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
With a mixer on medium-low speed beat together butter, cream cheese, peanut butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. On the lowest speed, add confectioners' sugar alternately with the cream and beat until smooth. Liberally spread frosting onto each cupcake.

*If you don't have buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon vinegar into 1 cup of milk and let stand 10 minutes before using in the recipe in place of buttermilk.

Makes 12 cupcakes
Source: Holiday Baking: New and Traditional Recipes for Wintertime Holidays by Sara Perry