College Homecoming – one of the few weekends a year we go back to visit campus and return to our old binge drinking habits to relive our college days. I thought the novelty of going back for Homecoming as an alum would last for at least a few years, but what I quickly discovered this year was that they only fun part of going back was seeing my best friends – which we all agreed we could do anywhere. Needless to say, my calendar will be marked for Homecoming each year, but more as a reminder to plan some much-needed girl time with my friends – no matter where it may be.
Growing up, we moved around a fair bit. It was never far – just back and forth between two counties – but enough to devastate an 8, 11 or 15 year old. As a result, I quickly learned that I was terrible at keeping in contact with people. We’d move, I’d beg my grandmother to take me to see my friends, and eventually, we would drift apart and time would move on. As a result, I never really had that ‘best friend’ that everyone else seemed to have. No one who I’d known for my entire life or who lived down the street and I always got to spend time with.
That was, until college. By some miracle, I managed to find people who are just as bad at responding to text messages as I am, ones who are okay with picking up the phone every few weeks and talking for an hour, or spending an entire Homecoming in a hotel room instead of the bar, and who – most importantly – make 6 months apart feel like no time because we pick back up where we left off. I may not have ever had ‘that best friend’ but I certainly do appreciate the people who ended up in my life.
So, in honor of another Homecoming well spent, I’m dubbing this the ‘Girl’s Night’ Cupcake – whip up a batch, call your friends, and stay in and enjoy them with some good movies and better memories.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup butter room temp
- 1 1/3 cup peanut butter name brand
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs room temp
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup peanut butter name brand
- 1/2 cup butter room temp
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- 3-4 tbsp. heavy cream
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with desired liners and set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
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In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together your butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly add in the sugar and beat until fluffy.
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Add in the eggs, one at a time followed by the vanilla. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl well!
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Slowly add in the dry mixture, alternating with the milk to keep the consistency smooth. Once done, remove from the stand in fold in your chocolate chips.
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Scoop into cupcake liners until about 2/3 full - should make 20 - 24 cupcakes total!
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Remove from oven and let cool.
Chocolate Ganache
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In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until lightly steaming, but not boiling.
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Add in the chocolate chips and cover. Let sit for 3 - 5 minutes.
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Slowly whisk the mixture until smooth. Set aside to cool until it thickens enough to set in a spoon - about 30 minutes.
Peanut Butter Frosting
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In the bowl of your mixer, beat together your butter and peanut butter until creamy.
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Slowly add in 2 cups of the powered sugar. Mix in the salt and vanilla.
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Add in the remaining sugar and heavy cream until the frosting is smooth, but not milky.
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To swirl your frosting and ganache, lay out a piece of plastic wrap. Scoop the peanut butter frosting into a vertical line about 1/2 inch thick on the plastic wrap. Do the same with ganache and alternate until you have 4-6 rows.
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Roll up the frosting into a small log and slip it into a large piping bag. Cut the end of the bag and pull the frosting tip through the piping tip. Snip again and begin swirling!
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Decorate with sprinkles and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Make sure to use name-brand peanut butter! Off-brands tend to contain more oil which make for a gritty texture. I highly recommend Jif - it's a personal favorite!
- The peanut butter cupcakes will let off a lot of oil during the baking process which means the liners will not stick well - this is why I removed them and opted for the au-natural look for the photos!
