Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

For a few years cupcakes have been all the craze. I've seen so many varieties, some which look delicious and others leave me wondering who would eat such things. The craze seems to be cooling off a bit, but that doesn't keep me from making them. My children sure like them and I'm certain would be quite disappointed if I stopped making various cupcake creations.

Sometime ago I made peanut butter cupcakes for my nephew's birthday. It was his 18th birthday,but he loved them {peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are his favorite}. I topped each with a bit of jelly before frosting them with a creamy peanut butter frosting. They were tasty, but messy. I haven't made them since, but have wanted to with some improvements. I finally got around to fixing them up. In addition, I've come across a great post on making whipped cream that would be a delicious topping for these cupcakes: Easy Ways to Make Whipped Cream.

The batter bakes up moist and fluffy with a slightly crispy top, almost like you have toasted your bread for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

The point of improving these was to keep them from being so messy while eating them {who wants jelly on his shirt}. That problem was solved by frosting the cupcake with just a ring of peanut butter frosting . . .

then filling the circle with jelly.

It worked beautifully.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
2 1/2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 c brown sugar
1 c peanut butter
1/4 c vegetable or canola oil
2 eggs
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
peanut butter frosting {recipe below}
1 c strawberry preserves

frosting recipe from allrecipes
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c creamy peanut butter
4 c powdered sugar
1/3 c whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Set aside.
Place sugar, peanut butter, and oil in bowl of stand mixer. Stir with paddle attachment to combine. Add eggs and beat til smooth. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and stir to combine; while stirring, add 1/3 of the milk. Continue until all flour and milk have been adding, scraping sides of bowl between each addition. Add vanilla and blend on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Divide batter between 24 lined muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until edges are golden. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove from pan and let cool completely before frosting.

While cupcakes are cooling, make frosting. Place butter and peanut butter in mixer bowl; whip until fluffy. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and wh1ip til fluffy. Add 1/4 c cream and beat. Add remaining powdered sugar and cream; whip til fluffy. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes, just around the edge {I used a 1M tip}. Fill centers with a small spoonful of jelly.

He went straight for the jelly.