French Vanilla Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

I don’t know about the rest of you, but this year is flying by for me.  In a way that is great because it’s just one more semester of classes behind me towards graduation.  I’ve been at this for some time and it always seems like the time gets away from me when I am studying.  No time for anything but studying and if you would see my house, you would know I am in need of a good Spring Cleaning.  Not to mention, this blog has been neglected and I am remedying that today.

Yesterday was my youngest daughter’s 22nd birthday and she is home this week for her Spring Break so we got to celebrate with some good food, quality family time, and of course Birthday Cupcakes.  Traditionally in our house, the birthday person gets to choose what they would like to have for all three meals. One meal is typically at a restaurant plus what kind of birthday dessert they would like.  Having classes yesterday made it hard for me to keep up some of that tradition but I got most of it in with her.  I took her to IHOP for brunch, she loves some good hashbrowns! Dinner after my classes was at PeKing Garden (she wanted sushi) and then back home for an evening of playing the game Cache Me If You Can.  Quite fun!

Her birthday dessert choice was “something with peanut butter” and I think I managed to please her with what I came up with and it was quick to make between classes.

I took a French vanilla boxed cake mix and made my simple additions to it, just as I did in this Jazzed Up White Cake.  Instead of a cake, I made cupcakes with a surprise inside them – a mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Topped the light and delicious cupcakes with my homemade peanut butter buttercream frosting and garnished with chopped up peanut butter cups. They turned out so yummy with just the right amount of sweetness.

French Vanilla Cupcakes with Peaut Butter Buttercream Frosting

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Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 box French Vanilla cake mix I used Duncan Hines brand
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter cooled slightly
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp CLEAR vanilla
• Unwrapped Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups I used both the original and white chocolate varieties

For the Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp CLEAR vanilla
• 2-4 tbsp milk
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
• Blend cake mix, milk, melted butter, egg whites, and vanilla in a large bowl at low speed until moistened for about 30 seconds.
• Beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes.
• Spoon batter into cupcake cups about 2/3 of the way.
• Place a mini peanut butter cup in each cupcake and cover with additional batter.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes, until done. Check on the lower end of time to see if they are done.
• Remove from cupcake tin and let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the frosting:

• Beat together the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
• Add the CLEAR vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk.
• Add powdered sugar gradually(one cup at a time) until desired consistency is reached, adding more milk if needed. Beat until light and fluffy. I use about 3 tablespoons of milk to get the consistency I like.
• Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.

For the Garnish:

• Chop up some of the mini peanut butter cups and place on top of frosted cupcakes, pressing slightly.

Enjoy!