Peanut Butter Cup (or “Inception”) Cupcakes

As you may remember, I made “Inception” Cupcakes for the Oscars party I went to last weekend.

I think they were a pretty big hit. They were also deceptively easy. That’s a good combination, if you ask me.

You may be wondering what qualifies them as “Inception” Cupcakes.

Well, I’ll tell you.

You see, it’s a peanut butter cup inside a cupcake. Get it? A layer within a layer within a layer. Peanut butter inside chocolate inside cake. Genius.

Also super easy. I totally used cake mix. I have no shame.

More than a recipe, this is a process, but I’ll count it anyway.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 box cake mix (I used Trader Joe’s Yellow Cake Mix and it was good, but you can use whatever you want)
• water (called for on box)
• eggs (called for on box)
• oil (called for on box)
• 24 mini dark chocolate Reeses peanut butter cups

Frosting

• 1 stick butter
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa
• 1/8 cup natural peanut butter

Toppings

• 12 more mini dark chocolate Reeses peanut butter cups
  

Directions

Preheat oven according to cupcake directions. Make cupcake batter according to boxed directions.

Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.

Fill cupcake liners halfway with cake batter. Place peanut butter cups in the center of each half-filled sleeve.

Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 – 3/4 full, covering each peanut butter cup entirely.

Bake according to directions.

Let cupcakes cool entirely.

While your cupcakes are cooling, make your frosting. Use an electric mixer to combine butter and powdered sugar (adding it 1 cup at a time), then add peanut butter & cocoa.

Frost your cupcakes.

Cut your remaining peanut butter cups carefully in half and place half a peanut butter cup atop each cupcake.

That’s it! Pretty fun, right?

Of course, the best part is the middle.

But it’s all good. 🙂