I am part of a group of bloggers who, each month make a peanut butter treat with a different ingredient and this month my fellow Peanut Butter Bashers and I are mixing it up with Maple Syrup. If you fancy joining in the fun check out the end of the post for joining details. But lets get on with these Maple Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting for now!
I have to admit this recipe took quite a bit of time to get just right, I love maple syrup it has a great flavour but it is also a very delicate flavour. Usually I consume it when its been poured all over something like pancakes or waffles.
In hindsight it would have been far easier to make peanut butter cupcakes with maple frosting! But for some daft half baked mad idea I wanted to try and get that flavour in a cupcake.
I did manage to get it but it was very faint and delicate, almost like an afterthought. Because as you took a bite you could smell it you were almost convinced you could taste it. Then I remembered an old trick used by the Primrose Bakery on a lot of their cupcakes. They brush the tops with a simple or sometimes flavoured sugar syrup while they are still hot so the flavour permeates the cupcake a lot more and it helps to keep the sponge moist.
So I followed this idea on the 4th attempt (yes I went through a lot of male syrup and the bank balance is feeling it. The good stuff costs a fortune!) and it worked a treat. While the flavour is still delicate, it really is a lot more prominent then just adding it into the batter alone.
As for the frosting that was the easy part, the only slight change I made to a regular peanut butter frosting was I slightly lowered the amount of peanut butter in it………… What! Wait! Did you say lower? Yes I did, the reason being I didn’t want to overpower my new found maple syrup flavouring. By doing this neither one of the flavours overpowered the other. Perfect!
These lovely maple cupcakes with peanut butter frosting make a great afternoon treat or even a cheeky little dessert.
- 125 grams unsalted butter (1 stick + 1 tablespoon)
- 65 grams light brown sugar (1/3 cup - packed)
- 2 large eggs
- 160 millilitres maple syrup (2/3rd cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125 grams apple sauce (1/2 cup)
- 300 grams plain / all purpose flour (2 and ½ cups)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 130 grams smooth peanut butter (1/2 cup)
- 225 grams icing sugar (2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons double / heavy cream or milk
- 14 mini peanut butter cups (optional)
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F / Gas mark 4 and line a large muffin pan with liners or lightly grease it if you are not using liners.
- In a bowl using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs one at a time beating between each addition.
- Pour in the maple syrup, vanilla extract and apple sauce and mix. The batter will split but the flour will bring it all back together so don't worry if your batter looks like a curdled mess.
- Pour in the flour, baking powder and salt and gently fold or mix it into the batter.
- Equally divide the batter into your muffin cups, filling each one no more than ⅔rd full.
- Pop them in the centre of your hot oven.
- Check them after 20 minutes by inserting a pick into them if it comes out clean they are done, if not give them a few minutes more. I have a slow oven so they took 25 minutes for mine to be fully baked.
- Take them out of the oven and after a couple of minutes of siting in their pan remove them to a wire rack.
- While the cupcakes are still very warm take the 5 tablespoons of maple syrup and using a pastry brush carefully brush the tops with maple syrup. This must be done while the cupcakes are still very warm.
- Then leave the cupcakes to fully cool down before frosting them.
- Beat the butter with an electric hand whisk or stand mixer until it is pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes will give you the desired feel and colour.
- Add in the peanut butter and mix it into the butter.
- Add in the icing sugar and salt. The buttercream will look very dry but that is fine.
- Pour in the cream or milk and beat for another few minutes until you have a pale smooth fluffy buttercream.
- Pipe, spoon or dollop the buttercream onto of your cupcakes and decorate with a mini peanut butter cup if using.
- Because this buttercream has cream or milk in it the cupcakes must be kept in the fridge, they are best when taken out of the fridge at least 15 minutes before eating.
- These cupcakes kept in an airtight container in the fridge will last at least 4 days.
- They can be frozen before they are frosted, consume within 2 months.
Do you want to join in on the peanut butter bash fun? If so, email Miranda and request to join the Peanut Butter Bash facebook group! The first Thursday of each month we post a dessert with peanut butter and a mystery ingredient. There is also a Facebook group if you want to join in the fun but don’t run your own blog The Peanut Butter Recipe Box. Here are the other peanut butter and maple creations!
Maple Peanut Butter Fudge from Miranda of Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Peanut Butter Sheet Cake & Maple Frosting from Gina of Kleinworth & Co.
Maple Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting from Emma of Bake Then Eat
Vegan Peanut Butter Pie from Stephanie of The TipToe Fairy
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