Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Active & Total Time: 45 minutes 
By Sherry Coleman Collins, MS, RDN, LD

Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake pan with liners. Spray liners with pan spray (optional). Cream together softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer. Sift all remaining dry ingredients to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients together. Alternate adding wet and dry ingredients to mixing bowl until smooth, scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed. Divide batter evenly between 12 cups and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the center of a cupcake. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, blend together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add confectioner’s sugar, ½ cup at a time until all has been incorporated. Add vanilla and mix completely. Add milk, if needed in 1 tablespoon increments, to create fluffy, spreadable frosting. Frost cupcakes.

Optional Decorative Toppings

Toast the coconut in a nonstick pan until lightly browned. Set aside to cool completely. Pour the finely chopped peanuts onto a plate and gently roll the edges of the frosted cupcakes to create a border of peanuts. Top the center of each cupcake with toasted coconut and one chocolate peanut butter egg.

Nutrition information per serving (1 cupcake): 
Calories: 445
Calories from Fat: 230
Fat: 25.5 g
Trans fats: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 60 mg
Carbohydrate: 49.6 g
Protein: 7 g
Fiber: 1.4 g
Sodium: 238 mg