Marathon Peanut Butter Cupcakes!

One of my best friends Lola decided that she was crazy enough to run the London Marathon on Sunday. When she told us she was going to do it, I promised her I'd be waiting at the finish line armed with cupcakes. Now, I never break a promise, so I spent Saturday baking these beyond yum Peanut Butter Cupcakes just for her...motivational bunting included! Plus, in those orange cases, they look like real life Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!

We're all proud of you Lo. But don't go too crazy and start running every Marathon you can think of...you make us look so lazy!!

Click below for the recipe.

Ingredients

Sponge

- 200g unsalted butter

-150g dark brown sugar

-1 large egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla essence

-300g plain flour

-1 teaspoon baking powder

-300ml whole milk

-170g smooth Peanut Butter

Peanut Buttercream

- 100g unsalted butter

- 500g icing sugar

- 20ml milk

- 150g smooth Peanut Butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. 

1. Mix the butter and dark brown sugar together in a bowl using your hands until light and fluffy (I prefer this technique as it makes sure all big lumps of butter have broken up). Then using an electric whisk, add in the egg and vanilla essence and keep mixing until all of the ingredients are well combined.

2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl, and add half these dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture. Then add in half of the milk, and repeat this process with the rest of the dry ingredients and milk. 

3. Finally, add in the peanut butter and whisk for another 2-3 minutes. Make sure all the ingredients are well combined using an electric whisk. 

4. Divide the batter between 12 muffin cases using an ice cream scoop until the cases are about two thirds full. Place in the oven to bake and leave for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

5. Whilst you wait for the cakes to bake, you can get on with making the Peanut Buttercream. Firstly you'll need to mix the butter and icing sugar together, again using your hands and then with a whisk. Then add in the Peanut Butter and make sure everything is well combined. 

6. When you've taken the cupcakes out of the oven and they have completely cooled, you can apply the frosting. You can do this with a piping bag (I used a star nozzle) or just spread it on with a palette knife.

7. Grab a glass of milk and eat your Peanut Butter heart out! Or run a marathon, like Lola.