Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

It's that time again! All the kiddos are headed back to school and mommas will soon be making PB & J's assembly line style again. Unless your kiddos are like mine then you've been making them all summer long. My kids will pick PB & J's over just about anything. So I figured it's the perfect time to check another cupcake flavor of my never ending cupcake "to bake" list, peanut butter and jelly of course :)

 

For these cupcakes I wanted the cake to be similar to a soft white bread so I chose to use Pillsbury white cake mix and substitute mayo instead of the oil for a super moist cake. However any brand will do and you may bake as directed on the box...this is simply my personal preference here :)

 Here's what your going to need:

Cupcakes

1 box Pillsbury white cake mix 

3 egg whites

1 cup water

1/3 cup mayo

Icing

2 cups peanut butter

2 Sticks butter

4-6 cups powdered sugar 

Filling-

1 jar of strawberry or grape jelly

(amount used will depend on how much filling you would like)

Makes 24 Cupcakes.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Step 2: Mix cake mix according to box, substituting the oil for 1/3 cup mayo instead.

Step 3: Fill each cupcake liner with 3 TBS of cake batter.

Step 4: Bake at 350 for about 16 minutes. Every oven is different and white cake can be tricky I pull mine out just as the top is beginning to darken. Now set the cupcakes aside to completely cool on a cooling rack.

Now for the icing.

Step 5: Beat butter until nice and fluffy. Here's a little trick for you busy bakers. If your anything like me and bake on a minute's notice you may not have time to let the butter soften....just cut up the butter into small chunks then give the mixer just a bit more time. 

Step 6: Once butter is light and fluffy mix in peanut butter. Then slowly add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency, the more you add the "stiffer" the icing will become. I liked mine at 5 cups. (sry no pic!)

Set icing aside to fill cupcakes.

Step 7: Fill cupcakes with jelly using a pipping bag and round tip. Make sure the filling tip your using has an opening large enough to allow the thick jelly to come through. I just used a large round tip and inserted into the cupcake the pulled out while applying pressure. 

Step 8: Now simply pipe on your icing swirl on top with your peanut butter icing!

Wouldn't these be perfect to send to school with the kiddos? Even my toddlers at the whole cupcake this time (the normally just lick off the frosting). These will be going to preschool for sure this year ;).

Happy Baking!