Like most people from Europe I didn’t grow up with peanut butter and jelly. I also didn’t grow up with cupcakes. So these PBJ cupcakes are novelty for me. They are also a departure from the normal kind of recipe that I post on Drizzld. However, I made them a couple of years ago after buying Martha Stewart’s cupcake book and they were a huge hit with my Mum and my friend Kate. Mum took some persuading to try one, Kate didn’t! Since then they have both been badgering me to make them again! I made some this weekend and they were eaten in record time! The recipe that I have included here is a variation of Martha Stewart’s peanut butter and jelly cupcake. I tweaked the cupcake batter a bit and made the frosting lighter and fluffier!
Peanut butter was invented in the mid 19th century. To begin with it was seen as a delicacy and tended to be served in the posh tearooms of New York paired with ingredients such as cheese, pimentos or cress. However, in 1901 Julia Davis Chandler wrote in the Boston Cooking School Magazine a ‘recipe’ for peanut butter and jelly on bread and that started the PBJ combination phenomenon!
In the early 1900’s the price of peanut butter came down and with commercialisation, sugar was added to it. This meant it became easily accessible to all households and because of the sugar, a favourite with children. Adding jelly to peanut butter on bread become common and millions and millions of PBJ sandwiches were eaten across the US every year. It became such a staple part of the US diet that it is said to have been on the ration list for US soldiers during World War II.
This pairing is common in the USA – search the internet and you come across recipes for souffles, cookies, waffles, ice cream, popcorn, you name it, all made with peanut butter and jelly. However, it is still seen as an ‘odd’ combination by lots of people living in the UK and Europe. As I said, my Mum was very wary the first time I made these cupcakes, but I think she now recognises the great taste combination. There were other friends that refused to try them, despite my pleading.
So I hope if you are a PBJ convert, you enjoy these cupcakes. If, on the other hand, you have never tried PBJ combination, I urge you to overcome any ‘icky’ thoughts about it and try it in this cupcake form. My guess is that you will become a convert. They are really, really good! Promise.
Recipe:
PBJ Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 40m
- Cook Time: 22m
- Total Time: 1h 2m
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Category: Cakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 cup all purpose flour (120g)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 stick of salted butter (85g)
- 1/3 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon (85g)
- 7/24 cup smooth peanut butter (85g)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1/4 cup soured cream (75ml)
- 1/2 cup salted peanuts chopped (115g)
- 6 teaspoons strawberry jelly/jam
For the frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter (150g)
- 1/4 cup powdered/icing sugar (30g)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (120ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / 375° F. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cup cake cases and set aside.
- Place the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and then the eggs one by one. If the mixture starts to separate add on or two tablespoons of the flour mixture to it to combine. Mix in the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture gradually to the wet ingredients and beat until combined. Do not over beat as this will make the cupcakes heavy.
- Fold in the sour cream and peanuts.
- Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases and place on the middle shelf of your preheated oven for 22 - 24 minutes until they have risen and are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Dig a little hole out of the middle of the cupcake (or use a cupcake corer if you have one!). Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry jam into the hole.
- In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add the peanut butter and salt and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl whisk the cream and vanilla essence until medium stiff peaks. Fold the cream into the peanut butter mixture. You are now ready to finish the cupcakes.
- Either place the frosting in a piping bag and pipe on to the top of the cupcake or use a offset spatula to smooth the frosting on.
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