Peanut Butter and Caramel Cupcakes Recipe

Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F). Line a cupcake tray with large paper liners, suitable for 60–70 grams of batter each.

Boil and weigh out 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) of water, allowing it to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, including the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk them together until well combined and set aside.

In another bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients, including the slightly cooled boiled water, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Blend them using a whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.

Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, gently stirring until just combined.

Make sure to *avoid overmixing* and check for any lumps in the batter.

Divide the batter among the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds full.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20–25 minutes. After five minutes of cooling, remove the cupcakes from the tray and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and glucose syrup over medium heat. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and begins to turn golden (170–180°C or 338–356°F).

Meanwhile, heat the cream in another pot until boiling. Once the syrup is ready, *carefully* add the hot cream, stirring constantly. Incorporate the butter and salt, mixing thoroughly.

Lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring, until it reaches 107°C (224°F) for about one minute. Strain through a sieve and blend with an immersion blender. Cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface and let it cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine all the cream topping ingredients: cream cheese, mascarpone, heavy cream, peanut butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.

Whip them together until you achieve a *stable consistency* with distinct patterns from the whisk.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, use the back of a large piping tip (about 3.0–3.5 centimeters) to create holes in each cupcake.

Fill each hole with approximately one teaspoon of caramel sauce and one teaspoon of peanut butter. Cover the holes with the corresponding *'cap'* of cupcake.

Top with the whipped cream mixture using a star piping tip for a beautiful finish. Optionally, garnish with crushed peanuts for added flavor!