Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting are cupcakes made with peanut butter and topped with a homemade peanut butter frosting. Try my Peanut Butter Banana Muffins for another wonderful treat!
Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
As you can tell by the title of these cupcakes, I like peanut butter. Both the cupcakes and the frosting are made with it to give you plenty of peanut butter flavor in every bite! The cupcakes are delicious on their own, with a moist crumb and a hint of peanut butter. But, the frosting adds that little extra flavor I expected in a peanut butter cupcake. I loved the frosting so much, I also used it in my Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies.
Peanut Butter Cupcakes Ingredients
Yes, it’s all about the peanut butter in this recipe. But, there are a couple of things to keep in mind with other ingredients.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature ingredients (especially butter, eggs, and buttermilk) will help you get the best results when baking these cupcakes. Butter is at room temperature at 65°F. Don’t put it in the microwave to soften it; simply cut it up into small pieces and let it sit out if you forgot to take it out of the refrigerator.
Baking Powder: Double-check the date on your container of baking powder for freshness. Old baking powder can definitely affect baked goods.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have any on hand, make your own homemade buttermilk to use.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, you will notice that before being used in the frosting, it should be sifted. Sifting the sugar breaks up any lumps there may be before mixing with other ingredients.
How to Make Cupcakes
Skip the boxed cupcake mixes at the grocery store and make your own, homemade cupcakes. It really does make a difference in the final product. And, making these cupcakes are not a lot of work! To get started, line muffin tins with cupcake liners. I was able to get 20 cupcakes made from this recipe. Set the lined tin(s) aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda and set that aside. Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Next, beat in the peanut butter and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time. Finally, starting and ending with the flour mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk.
Fill each cup of the muffin tin about 2/3 of the way full with batter. (I like to use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop.) Unless you have a large muffin tin, you will probably need to use two tins. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes, rotating the tins halfway through baking them (unless you are baking the cupcakes one muffin tin at a time). The cupcakes are done when an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter. Let the cupcakes cool before adding the frosting.
How to Store Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to two days at room temperature.
More Amazing Cupcakes
Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (184 g) buttermilk
Frosting
- 1 cup (125g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cups creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. This recipe makes 20 cupcakes, so prepare one pan (or maybe two) with cupcake liners. Set aside.
Cupcakes
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar for 3 minutes, or until fluffy.
- Beat in the peanut butter and vanilla.
- Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full with batter.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through (after 10 minutes). The cupcakes are done when an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Then, remove them from the pans and let them cool completely on the racks.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to beat the confectioners' sugar, butter, peanut butter, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt.
- Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy.
- Spread a thin layer of the frosting on the cooled cupcakes. Serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Love peanut butter! Do you have to use heavy cream in the frosting? I hate to buy a container of heavy cream, use 3 tbsp and throw the rest out.
I followed direction for frosting but it is nowhere near fluffy.
Can you substitute buttermilk if you don’t have any?
Hi, Kim! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Here is a homemade buttermilk recipe you can use if you don’t have any on hand. Have a great day!