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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes for Anya: Inspired by Spy x Family

Inspired by Spy x Family, I'm making Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes for Anya. Anya is just the cutest and since she loves peanuts so much, I wanted to make something special just for her! The base of this dessert is a soft and moist peanut butter cupcake. It is filled with a super easy, fresh, and tart strawberry jelly and with a fluffy peanut butter swiss meringue buttercream that is so smooth and yummy! A delicious and fun take on a classic PB & J!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Assembly Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Servings 18 cupcakes

Ingredients
  

For the Peanut Butter Cupcakes:

  • 1 ½ cup 255g 1 to 1 Gluten Free baking flour
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
  • 200 g peanut butter I used crunchy
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 225 g granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (112g) vegetable or other neutral flavoured oil
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • ¾ cup lukewarm water or milk I use water

For the Strawberry Jelly:

  • 500 g fresh/frozen strawberries I used frozen
  • 135 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

For the Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

  • 3 large egg whites
  • 215 g granulated sugar
  • 200 g unsalted butter softened
  • 200 g peanut butter smooth or crunchy melted and cooled (beware: crunchy will get stuck in small piping tip)
  • Pink or red gel food coloring

Instructions
 

For the Peanut Butter Cupcakes:

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (with convection). Line two muffin tins with liners and set them aside
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl) add all of the ingredients except for the water/milk, and mix with the paddle attachment.
  • Start on low and speed up once it starts to come together. Let it mix for 1 minute.
  • Add in the water/milk and let it mix on high for about 30 seconds until smooth. Be careful, the liquid can splash out!
  • Divide the batter into the cupcake tray, each cup should be about ⅔ of the way full.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops are springy to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing and letting them cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Strawberry Jelly:

  • Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan on medium low heat and stir to prevent burning on the bottom.
  • Simmer for 5 mins until thick and soft. Mash slightly.
  • Simmer for 5 more mins until nice and thick, blitz in a food processor until smooth.
  • For the Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
  • Add egg whites and sugar to a heatsafe bowl over a pot of simmering water (bain marie). Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl!
  • Gently whisk the sugar and egg whites together until all of the sugar is dissolved. Test if it’s done by carefully rubbing some of the mixture between your figures.
  • Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer and using the whisk (balloon) attachment, mix for about 10-15 minutes and the bowl is completely cool. Mixture should be really light and fluffy.
  • On medium speed, add softened butter in little cubes or single pieces at a time. Take your time and keep going.
  • Once fully combined and silky smooth looking, add in your peanut butter and let whip until combined and fluffy.
  • Add pink coloring, whip to get consistent color and you're done!

To assemble:

  • Use an apple corer to remove the centers of the cupcakes. Fill the cavity with jelly.
  • Pipe or use a paddle to frost your cupcakes.
  • Top with a drizzle of jelly and some roasted peanuts. Don’t skip on the jelly topping! It is honestly the best. And your cupcakes are ready to enjoy!
Keyword Anime, Baking, Dessert, Easy, Geek With Me