Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

When I was a kid, I used to watch Sesame Street and Ernie was always going on about his delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I thought peanut butter and jelly together sounded weird, as I am Australian and that particular combination was completely foreign to me. It was years later when I tried the two spreads together in one mouthful and for the record, Ernie was right and I was wrong.




Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
Makes 10

For the Cupcakes:
150g cake flour or plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt, room temperature
2 egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cups caster sugar
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
150g unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
450g icing sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons milk

For the Filling:
Your favourite jelly (jam) (I used Blackberry Conserves)


Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a 12-hole cupcake pan with 10 paper liners. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, soft the flour, baking powder and salt together. set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the yoghurt and egg white together. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and oil together for about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. While the mixer is onmedium speed, add one third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the yoghurt mixture. Once incorporated, add another thrid fof the flour mixture and the rest of the yoghurt mixture. Mix until incorporated and then add the final third of the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter among the paper liners.

Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcakes comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Peanut Butter Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter together until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the icing sugar and beat until incorporated.

Add the vanilla and enough milk to give you a piping consistency. Beat for a couple of minutes to made it all fluffy and gorgeous.

Assemble the Cupcakes:
Use an apple corer to cut a hole in the top of each cupcake. Fill the hole with jelly (jam) and then pipe the frosting in swirls on top of each cupcake.