Bowzer's Birthday Bake!

Oh what a lovely bit of alliteration...I thought I would start this blog with a bang with this 'Big boy' cupcake. Beware this is not for the New Year dieters or the diabetics. This is a very special cupcake I designed for my friend Becca's Birthday. She has a weakness for Reece's cups (American peanut butter and chocolate delight)  I generally stick to British recipes but this was a special occasion recipe and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Okay, take a deep breath...The Bowzer Cupcake is a chocolate encrusted peanut butter sponge filled with strawberry jam and topped with a fluffy peanut buttercream icing, with chocolate peanuts to decorate. (Hense it's big boy reputation)

Chocolate chip and Peanut butter Sponge Recipe

To make 12 cupcakes you will need:

145g light brown sugar

155g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 pinch of salt

50g butter, softened

130g crunchy peanut butter

100g chocolate chips

1 egg, lightly beaten

178ml whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Strawberry Jam to fill

Preheat your oven to 175°C, Gas Mark 4. Line your cupcake/muffin tin with cases, or grease and lightly dust with flour your silicone moulds.

• In a large bowl, beat together brown sugar, butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

• Slowly beat in the egg, whisking inbetween. 

• In a jug mix together the vanilla and milk.

• Mix flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda and salt together and sift into mixture slowly alternating with vanilla infused milk until everything is combined and mixture is smooth.

• Fold in chocolate chips.

• Spoon into your prepared moulds/cases.

• Bake for 18 minutes, until tops are golden and spring back to the touch.

• Allow to cool completely on wire rack. 

• Once cool fill with jam using a filling nozzle on your piping bag.

 

Fluffy Peanut buttercream icing

This buttercream is really light which allows the sponge to be a bit heavier. 

Ingredients:

115g butter, softened

250g smooth peanut butter

45ml whole milk

250g icing sugar

• Beat the butter and peanut butter together well, gradually sift in the sugar, when mixture gets stiff add milk a tiny bit at a time until the cicing is spreading consistency. Then beat vigourously for about 3 minutes until the icing is very fluffy.

• Pipe onto cupcakes and top with chocolate covered peanuts/crushed peanuts.

P.s. Becca loved them!