Snickers cupcakes with peanut butter caramel buttercream

A few weeks ago I was asked to bake for a support group that my colleague was involved in . She definitely wanted lemon cupcakes so I whipped up a batch of those but I also wanted to make something else that involved chocolate. I brainstormed a few ideas and finally decided on a snickers cupcake. I made a dark chocolate cupcake and filled it with a caramel and chopped snickers filling. This was decorated with a peanut butter caramel frosting and added a drizzle of caramel, chopped, roasted peanuts and chopped snickers to finish. The peanut butter idea came from seeing peanut butter snickers in America and of course you know my love of peanut butter! The cupcakes were a huge success and I received lots of lovely compliments about them. My colleague's husband was so impressed he asked where he could buy them from! 

This really tasted like snickers in a cupcake form. The dark chocolate cupcake was not sweet at all and paired well with the sweetness of the caramel and buttercream. I loved the crunch of the peanuts and the filling in the middle was heavenly. 

 I used tinned caramel for this recipe as I was short on time and I hate making caramel but you can of course make your own. 

 making the cupcakes 

 ready to go in the oven 

 core out the middle of the cupcake - I used a melon baller 

 fill with snickers and caramel filling 

 pipe buttercream on top 

 drizzle with caramel - use a round tip or just snip the end off the piping bag 

 add a small piece of chopped Snickers on top and some crushed, roasted peanuts 

 yum! 

For the cupcakes (Makes 12) 
113g unsalted butter, chopped
60g dark chocolate, chopped
40g cocoa powder
105g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
130g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
115g sour cream

For the filling

2 snickers bars chopped into small pieces

2 - 3 tablespoons caramel 

For the Peanut Butter Caramel Frosting

113g butter

85g smooth peanut butter

185g icing sugar

2 tablespoons caramel

1 - 2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To decorate

1 snickers bars chopped into small pieces

Chopped roasted peanuts

Caramel for drizzling (about 2 -3 tablespoons) 

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. 
• Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. 
• Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
• Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated.
• Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. 
• Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.
• Divide the batter evenly in 12 cupcakes cases. 
• Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack until completely cold before decorating.
• To make the filling, mix chopped snickers bars and caramel in a small bowl.
• Make the frosting by beating the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
• Add in icing sugar and continue beating.
• Finally mix in vanilla extract and caramel. 
• To assemble the cupcakes, core out the middle of the cupcake using a melon baller or cupcake corer.
• Fill with 1 teaspoon of chopped snickers and caramel filling.
• Pipe buttercream on top of each cupcake.
• Sprinkle chopped, roasted peanuts on top.
• Place caramel in a small piping bag with a round tip or a ziplock bag with the end snipped off and drizzle caramel on top of each cupcake.
• Place a small piece of snickers on top of each cupcake.