I’ve had Butterfinger Cupcakes on my things-to-make-soon list for quite some time but somehow they never made it to the top of the list – until yesterday. Jordan loves Butterfinger candy bars and I was all set to make them a few months ago only to discover that someone had eaten every single Butterfinger we had! And anyone who has ever been to my house knows I have a decent size candy bowl at all times ;). So I wasn’t going to let that happen this time! I bought the butterfingers and the next day I was baking up some cupcakes with them. =)
I wasn’t sure exactly what kind of cupcake I wanted to make, so I went to google to see the most popular Butterfinger cupcakes. I didn’t really find one that jumped out at me, so I decided to start with my favorite chocolate cupcake (I know, I know… I’ve used this same recipe for so many of my cupcakes but it really is the best!) and my favorite frosting. I folded crushed Butterfinger pieces into the chocolate cupcake batter and started with my favorite cream cheese frosting but instead of adding peanut butter, I just folded in more crushed Butterfinger! And if you eat them right away the Butterfinger pieces are still crispy…so delicious =). Enjoy!
Butterfinger Cupcakes
for the cupcakes:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
3/4 cup hot coffee
3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon caramel extract
3/4 cup crushed butterfinger candy bars (about 6 fun size bars)
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin pan with baking-cup liners.
2. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
3. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
4. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.Gently stir in crushed butterfinger.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
*adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
for the frosting:
8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 1/4- 1 1/2 cups crushed butterfinger candy bars
1. Beat cream cheese and butter together in bowl of stand mixer until smooth.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Add vanilla and heavy cream and beat about 30 seconds more.
3. Stir in crushed butterfinger pieces.
Note: This frosting will be kind of chunky, so if you want to pipe it onto your cupcakes use a large round tip.
Yield: 18 cupcakes.
