Peanut Butter And Jelly Cupcakes make one tasty cupcake! It is no surprise since Peanut Butter and Jelly go together so well and these easy cupcakes are perfect for a PB&J fan!
Moist cupcakes topped with homemade peanut butter buttercream and strawberry buttercream swirled together for the perfect flavor combo!
Peanut Butter And Jelly Cupcakes
With back to school upon us, I thought it would be fun to turn a classic kids lunch into a fun after school treat! For my daughters first day of school I asked her what she wanted for lunch and of course, she chooses the classic peanut butter and jelly. It’s that salty sweet combination that kids can’t seem to get enough. I didn’t mind this choice because how easy is it to throw some peanut butter and jelly onto two slices of white bread and call it a day.
For these cupcakes, I figured the white bread would be a classic vanilla cupcake with a twist of peanut butter and strawberry buttercream. You can change this up to any of your favorite jelly combinations like blackberry with the blackberry buttercream recipe. You can use that blackberry buttercream recipe and just switch out the preserves to your favorite kind of fruit preserves.
Tips for Baking Cupcakes
Follow the recipe. Each cupcake recipe is different. It is important to follow the recipe as directed. all of our cupcake recipes have been tested multiple times to make sure they are perfect.
Bring ingredients to room temperature. Cupcakes will bake best when the ingredients are brought to room temperature before mixing the cupcake batter.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely. Before frosting the cupcakes let them cool completely. If you frost cupcakes while they are still warm then the frosting will melt.
Do not over mix. Over mixing the batter will lead to having tough and flat cupcakes. When making cupcakes you have to be careful that you don’t over mix the batter when you are folding in the flour mixture. If you over-mix your angel food cake batter your cupcakes will turn out flat. You want to mix everything just until mixed, over mixing will cause you to have rough and tough cupcakes. We all know that the best cupcake are light and fluffy.
Fill the cupcake liners appropriately. You do not want to over fill the cupcake liners. Follow the directions for the specific cupcake recipe, if the recipe doesn’t tell you how full stick to the 2/3 full rule. Which is roughly 3 tablespoons of cupcake batter per cupcake liner.
Use the best kitchen tool for filling liners. If you are working with a thick cupcake batter then you want to use a spoon or a cookie scoop to fill the cupcake liners. If it is a thin cupcake batter then use a bowl with a spout or a glass measuring cup to pour in the batter.
Use quality cupcake liners. While you might not think it matters a cupcake liner but having a quality cupcake liner will make it so your cupcakes don’t stick to the wrapper and peel off nicely so you can see the perfect cupcake in it.
Bake one tray at a time. Using the center of the oven rack and bake one tray of cupcakes at a time. This will give you the best cupcake results.
How to tell when cupcakes are done baking
I like to use the toothpick test when I am making cupcakes with the kids because it is easier for them to see and learn. But if you have been making cupcakes for a while you may not want to use that method.
If you are wanting an even easier method, the cupcake bounce done method as we call it is even easier. Pull the tray of cupcakes out from the oven and lightly press on a cupcake in the middle of the baking pan. If if bounces right back and no finger print is left behind then your cupcakes are done. If there is a finger print you need to bake them for a few more minutes.
How to Store Cupcakes
It is best to store cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter. Cupcakes are best to be enjoyed with in 48 hours of making them. They won’t be bad to eat after 40 hours but they will start to dry out and not be as fresh.
After frosting cupcakes you are ok to store them on the counter for a day or 2 but after that they should be stored in the fridge.
If you are storing them unfrosted you can store them in an airtight container or a plastic bag. If you are storing them with frosting on top I suggest using a cupcake storage container.
How to Freeze Homemade Cupcakes
You will want to freeze them without any frosting on them. Wrap them individually with plastic wrap and freeze on a baking sheet. Then once they are solid store in a zip close freezer bag. They will keep for up to 2 months when frozen.
To thaw, simply remove them from the freezer and defrost. Then frost as normal.
Cupcake Decorating tips
You can easily turn these cupcakes into filled cupcakes by adding a filling (Jelly, peanut butter or a bit of frosting works well for these cupcakes) after baking them. Just use an apple corer to remove about one inch of the center of each cupcake. Then you can put whatever filling you want to in them and then frost as you want to.
If you have never decorated cupcakes, be sure to check out these posts to help you. I promise you that it is super easy to have bakery fancy cupcakes made at home in your kitchen!
- How to get a perfect cupcake swirl
- Easy Way to Fill a pastry bag
- How to Swirl multiple Flavors of Frosting
Peanut Butter And Jelly Cupcakes Ingredients
- 24 vanilla cupcakes or peanut butter cupcakes
- One batch peanut butter buttercream
- One batch strawberry buttercream
- 1/4 cup peanuts chopped
How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
Bake the cupcakes and allow them to cool. While they are cooling make your buttercream frostings.
Place a large straight piping tip into a piping bag. Spoon the peanut butter buttercream so it is only on the right side of the pastry bag going about halfway up and half way full.
Spoon the strawberry buttercream into the left-hand side of the pastry bag so it’s equal to the peanut butter side and they’re touching. Twist the top of the bag so it’s closed.
Swirl your buttercream onto each of the cupcakes to create a twisted buttercream swirl.
Sprinkle each cupcake with the chopped peanuts.
Easy Cupcake Recipes
- Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
- Blackberry Cupcakes
- Boston Cream Cupcakes
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Salted Caramel Cupcakes
- Dirt Cupcakes
- Angel Food Cupcakes
Peanut Butter And Jelly Cupcakes
Ingredients
Peanut Butter And Jelly Cupcakes Ingredients
- 24 vanilla cupcakes
- One batch peanut butter buttercream
- One batch strawberry buttercream
- 1/4 cup peanuts chopped
Vanilla Cupcake Recipe Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 pound confectioners sugar
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Hot water
Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter
- 1 cup Creamy Peanut butter
- 3.5 cups confectioners sugar
- 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream.
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract. You can use store bought or homemade vanilla extract.
- pinch of salt.
Instructions
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pans with your choose of cupcake wrappers.
- Place your self-rising flour, cake flour, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Mix them together for a minute or two until they are well combined.
- Cut your butter into tablespoon pieces. Slowly add your butter into the flour mixture one piece at a time continue mixing until you have reached the texture of sand.
- Pour half of your milk into the flour mixture and mix just until the milk is incorporated. Use your rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of your bowl. Add your remaining milk and the vanilla to your batter and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in one egg at a time to the cake batter, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next egg.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling them 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 10 minutes then rotate the cake pans so the pan that was on the top rack is now on the bottom and the pan that was on the bottom is now on the top rack. Continue to bake for another 10-13 minute until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cupcake.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack until they have reached room temperature.
How to Make Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of your mixer beat the butter and peanut butter together on medium speed until nice and creamy.
- Turn the mixer down to the lowest setting and slowly incorporate the powdered sugar into the butter mixture.
- Once you have added all the sugar to the mix add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt.
- Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and continue mixing for 10 minutes until light and fluffy.
How to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Remove any stems from your strawberries and place them into a blender or food processor. Pulse them until all of the strawberry pieces have been pureed.
- Place your butter and shortening together in the bowl of your mixer. Mix them together on medium speed until they are nice and creamy.
- Turn the mixer down to the lowest setting and slowly incorporate the powdered sugar into the shortening mixture. Once you have added all the sugar to the mix pour in the strawberry puree, and the vanilla.
- Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and continue mixing for 10 minutes until light and fluffy.
- If you need to thin your frosting add hot water a little bit at a time.
- Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and continue mixing for 10 minutes until light and fluffy.
- If you need to thin your frosting add hot water a little bit at a time.
How to Assemble Cupcakes
- Place a large straight piping tip into a piping bag. Spoon the peanut butter buttercream so it rest only on the right side of the pastry bag going about halfway up and half way full.
- Spoon the strawberry buttercream into the left-hand side of the pastry bag so it’s equal to the peanut butter side and they’re touching. Twist the top of the bag so it’s closed.
- Swirl your buttercream onto each of the cupcakes to create a twisted buttercream swirl.
- Sprinkle each cupcake with the chopped peanuts.
17 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving on the Freestyle Program
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