Peanut butter cupcakes

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 175°C, line twelve muffin cups with paper liners and bring the butter, eggs and milk to room temperature. Peanut butter is quite thick, so the other ingredients need to be warm to blend in easily. You are ready when the butter is soft and pliable and the oven is fully hot.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Sift 180 g all-purpose flour with 6 g baking powder, 1 g baking soda and a pinch salt into a separate bowl. Peanut butter makes the batter heavier, so careful sifting helps the cupcakes still rise light. The mixture is ready when it is fine and loose with no lumps left in the sieve.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Beat 60 g unsalted butter with 120 g peanut butter, 100 g brown sugar and 60 g granulated sugar on medium speed for about three minutes. Brown sugar keeps the cupcakes moist and adds a light caramel note that suits the peanuts. The mixture is ready when it is fluffy, lighter in color and as smooth as frosting.

   Suggested time: about 3 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Add 100 g beaten eggs one at a time, then 5 g vanilla extract, beating well after each addition. The eggs loosen the thick peanut butter mixture and bind the crumb together. The mixture is ready when it is smooth, with no streaks of egg, and coats the sides of the bowl evenly.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients and 150 g whole milk alternately into the bowl, dividing the flour into three portions and the milk into two. Mix gently, just until all the flour is moistened, because long stirring makes the cupcakes tough. The batter is ready when it is smooth, moderately thick and falls slowly from the spatula in a thick ribbon.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Divide the batter among the cups, filling each about two-thirds full, and smooth the tops with a spoon. Peanut butter batter does not level itself, so you need to smooth it for the cupcakes to rise evenly. The cups are right when the batter is the same height in each and the tops are smooth and flat.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Bake at 175°C for about 18 to 22 minutes, until the cupcakes have domed and the tops are a pale golden brown. With plenty of brown sugar they color quickly, so start checking at sixteen minutes. They are done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed lightly.

   Bake at 175°C for about 18 to 22 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Let the cupcakes rest in the tin for five minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely for about forty minutes. Only fully cooled cupcakes keep the buttercream from melting. They are ready when the bottoms feel cool to the touch.

   Suggested time: about 40 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Beat 115 g softened unsalted butter with 120 g peanut butter for about a minute, gradually add 200 g powdered sugar and a pinch salt, then add 30 g heavy cream and beat quickly for three more minutes. The heavy cream makes the frosting lighter and easier to pipe. The frosting is ready when it is silky, fluffy and holds its shape when scooped.

   Suggested time: about 4 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with a large star tip, pipe a tall swirl on top of each cupcake, then sprinkle with 30 g crushed roasted peanuts. The crunchy peanuts make a fun contrast with the soft frosting. The cupcakes are finished when the frosting holds its shape, the pattern is crisp and the peanuts cling evenly to the swirls.

    Mark step 10 as done