Peanut Butter Heaven, I Mean Cupcakes.

Ooooww, oH ooooooooooooooooooooooooooomm. There are no words. There are NO WORDS. When I die, if I keep being good (shhh don’t tell), I will go here, right HERE, to the middle of this cupcake, so I can roll around in its wondrousness and know that I've made it all the way to heaven. But hey...why keep being good, they’re here, on earth, and you can go and make them now, today, and know that heaven on earth is in a cupcake. 

Ok, so I knew they would be good when I embarked upon the PB cupcake mission, but really, I would think an old battery tasted delish if you wrapped it up in natural peanut butter. But seeeeeeerioulsy. I had no clue that new heights of kitchen pleasure would be achieved. 

The sponge...pretty immensely peanut buttery. But it’s the icing that really does it; all fluffy and light and marshmallow and, of course, peanut buttery....but not in a claggy way, which I know is one of the thing peanut butter haters (what a strange breed) complain about. It’s the ‘Fluff’ you see, that weird American invention which is basically marshmallow in a jar, and is ever more of a pleasure to me because iiiiit’s veggie (yes people, marshmallows are not vegetarian usually and the deprivation is a struggle).

If you can’t find ‘Fluff’ or Marshmallow Creme’.....Hunt It. Down. Mine was a gift from one of my favourite people but I have it on good authority that Harvey Nicks is its original source. But even my local farm shop has it (obviously best shop EVER). If you really can’t find it or find the idea a bit repulsive, I understand, just omit it and you’ll have a regular peanut butter buttercream. Either way....MAKE THESE. Do a Nigella and shun guilt while taking earthly pleasure where you can. With Love and Cake.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes.

Icing inspiration from the Cookbook Queen herself.

A few notes:

• If the dunking in chocolate parts is one step too far into faff-dom for you then feel free to skip it, you can see that they look just as lovely without there brown coat.
• You might end up with a bit of icing and chocolate left over...I really don't see this as a hardship.

Makes 8

You will need

For the sponges

1x12 hole muffin pan, lined with 8 muffin cases

55g soft butter

170g smooth peanut butter

110g caster sugar

1 egg

a splosh of vanilla extract

155g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

155ml milk

For the icing

110g soft butter

110g peanut butter

1 splosh vanilla

2 tbsp milk

225g icing sugar

1/2 jar Fluff

For the chocolate layer

150g chocolate, milk or dark or a combo

50g butter

• First job....get your oven to 180°c.
• Then fill the empty holes in your muffin tin (as in, the ones with no muffin cases) with water. This just allows the heat to be distributed more evenly and everything cooks as equally as poss once in the oven.
• Now to make the sponge. In a nice big bowl cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar together with an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla until everything is well combined and the mixture is light and fluffy looking.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently fold into the mix.
• Finally stir through the milk and divide the sandy coloured batter between the 8 muffin cases.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until risen and golden.
• Allow the cakes to cool completely before even thinking about applying the icing.
• When it is icing time....beat the butter, peanut butter, vanilla and milk together until well combined and you have a nice smooth paste. 
• Sift over the icing sugar a bit at a time and beat in to combine.
• Finally stir through the Fluff until just combined...be gentle, you don't want to beat the fluffyness out.
• Pipe or spoon the icing onto the cakes, tryingtrying not to eat it all from the bowl.
• For the final dunking stage...melt the chocolate and butter together with short blasts in a medium microwave, being careful to check it regularly, burnt chocolate is not nice. Or you could use a double boiler.
• Pop the lovely liquid chocolate in a mug or little bowl that is just a bit wider and taller than the icing part of the cupcake.
• Slowly and carefully dunk the icing of each cake into the chocolate, pull it out slowly and turn the right way up. L
• eave to set to a soft, shiny, ohso heavenly shell. There are NO WORDS.