Snickers Cupcakes

I've already made a Snickers Cake, and from what everyone has told me about it the two times I've made it is that it's amazing.  I had a different recipe for cupcakes that were completely different - and I have a taste tester who is slightly picky and who loves peanut butter.  I love a challenge so I was all over making these.  The cake has chopped peanuts in it, then a peanut butter/marshmallow nougat topping and then topped off with a chocolate frosting and then some peanuts on top for garnish.  Sound good to you? 

tastes just like the candy bar

Now I will never eat this, or any dessert with nuts in it.  Which is funny because I love peanuts on their own, but if you add chocolate to the mix, it just doesn't taste right to me.  I have tried Snickers, Peanut M&M's, Dilly Bars from DQ, countless of other things and I've never been a fan of them.  So I have to trust the taste of others when I make things like this.  This is why I have taste testers - well that and so my family and I don't eat it all because let's face it, the amount that I bake is lethal. 

Snickers Cupcakes

makes 24

For the cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

10 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole milk

2 cups chopped salted roasted peanuts, plus more for garnish

For the Nougat Frosting:

(2) 13 oz jars of marshmallow creme (about 4 cups)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

pinch of salt

For the chocolate frosting:

6 oz.   milk chocolate chips

4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup whole milk

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1. Make the cupcakes: preheat oven to 350 degrees and line standard muffin tin with paper liners.  Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs and both sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Gradually beat in the melted butter and vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture, the milk and then the remaining flour.  Fold in the peanuts but don't overmix.
3. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups, filling each about halfway.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes.  Let cool in pans for 10 minutes and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
4. Make the nougat frosting: beat the marshmallow creme, peanut butter and salt with a mixer until smooth; set aside.  Make the chocolate frosting: put both chocolates in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave 1 minute.  Stir, then microwave at 30 second intervals until melted. Add confectioners sugar, milk, butter, vanilla and salt and beat with mixer until smooth and creamy.
5. Spread nougat frosting over each cupcake, then top with chocolate frosting, leaving some of the nougat exposed. Garnish with peanuts.