Rita H. Addicks | Fayette EC

Addicks suggests refrigerating these cupcakes to help set the buttery frosting and create a fudgy texture.

Filling
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon 2% milk

Batter
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup 2% milk
½ cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons 2% milk, or more for texture

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups.

2. Filling: In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and milk until smooth, then refrigerate while you make the batter.

3. Batter: In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, water, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moistened. (Batter will be thin.)

4. Fill paper-lined cupcake tins with half the batter. Drop a generous teaspoon (or a scant tablespoon for jumbo tins) of peanut butter filling into the center of each, then cover with remaining batter.

5. Bake 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

6. Frosting: In a large bowl, whisk together butter, powdered sugar, cocoa and milk until smooth. Frost cupcakes and serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Makes 24 regular cupcakes (or 12 jumbo cupcakes).

Cook’s Tip

The peanut butter filling is easier to work with if it chills for at least 30 minutes beforehand. For a deeper flavor, consider substituting strong, room-temperature coffee for the water.

Correction: February 5, 2018
The first step of the instructions, including oven temperature, was missing from this recipe.