Page 223 - Cupcakes

2. Place the cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large

mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until blended, 30
seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber
spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes longer,
scraping down the sides again if necessary. The batter should be well blended.
Spoon or scoop ¼ cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of
the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty
liners, if any.) Gently place 1 Kiss on top of each cupcake. Do not press the Kiss
into the batter. Meanwhile, place the Peanut Butter Cups in the freezer for at
least 30 minutes. Place the pans in the oven.

the CupcakeDoctor says...

Although they make a fun garnish, feel free to omit the Peanut Butter Cups.
If you do use them they are easier to chop if they have first been frozen. For
variation, garnish with white chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

3. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed
with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place
them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of
the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the
end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips.
Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Buttercream. Remove the Peanut Butter
Cups from the freezer and coarsely chop them.

5. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it
out with a short metal spatula or metal spoon, taking care to cover the tops.
Garnish with chopped Peanut Butter Cups. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room
temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze
them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the
cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.