Fluffernutter Cupcakes

These cupcakes. I live and die by these cupcakes.



I know you're thinking "not such a wonderful picture you have there" but the truth is these really didn't hang around long enough to be photographed in any sort of presentable manner.

Okay, that's a bit dramatic.  But these really are the most amazing cupcakes on the planet.  Sorry, I can't stop.

My husband's dessert philosophy baffles me.  Chocolate and peanut butter all the way, all the time.  Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing combination, and one that I enjoy myself quite often.  But I'm different in the way that I order desserts depending on what mood I'm in at that very second.  Lemon & white chocolate one day could be followed by some sort of chocolate indulgence overload the next, and then next time I'll want something with salted caramel oozing out of it.  This is why it takes me 10 minutes at our favorite ice cream shop at the beach to order - I have to figure out what I'm in the mood for while he looks at the menu, spots "chocolate & peanut bu...." and closes it back up.  There are so many crazy delicious combinations in the world that I can't imagine just limiting myself to one. 
I digress.

These cupcakes were originally found on my favorite food blog of all time, How Sweet It Is.  Jessica is my
hero for so many reasons, but reason #1 is she invented these.  She nails the taste of a fluffernutter sandwich, but without the pesky bread and with the addition of 3 sticks of butter.  Amen, sister.  The cake itself is flecked with peanut butter chips and has a marshmallow swirl for the perfect harmony of flavor and texture.  She then fills the cake with peanut butter frosting and tops it off with a subtly-sweet marshmallow buttercream.  Have I mentioned she's my hero?  Major girl crush.  You can find the original recipe here.  And do yourself a favor and check out all of her other amazing recipes.

By the way, my husband says these are his favorite cupcakes that I have ever made (even without any chocolate being involved).  And I bake a lot, people.  
 
Fluffernutter Cupcakes  
Originally by Jessica from How Sweet It Is
Makes 12 cupcakes.
 
For the Peanut Butter Cupcakes with a Marshmallow Swirl:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter morsels
2/3 cup marshmallow fluff
 
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Cream the butter and peanut butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  Add sugar and eggs and beat toggether until fluffly, about one minute.  Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.  Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.  Add the milk and mix.  Once the milk is mixed, add remaining dry ingredients.  Fold in the peanut butter morsels and marshmallow fluff with a spoon or spatula.  Pour into prepared cupcake tins and fill 2/3 of the way full.  Bake 15-18 minutes and let cool completely before frosting. 

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1-2 teapsoons milk, if needed
 
Beat the butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until creamy.  Add the vanilla extract.  With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar.  Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes until fully combined, scraping down the sides a few times to make sure everything is fully incorporated. If the frosting is too thick, add in milk and beat for 1-2 minutes more.  Fill a pastry bag with frosting or using a spoon, poke a hole into the cupcake and fill (only if cupcakes have completely cooled!).

For the Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
3 cups powdered sugar

Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until creamy.  Add in the fluff and beat for 2-3 minutes, then add vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated, making sure to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.  Once all the powdered sugar has been added, beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.  If the mixture is too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar to stiffen it up.  Frost the cupcakes and drizzle with melted peanut butter, if desired.