Butterfinger Birthday Cupcakes

Butterfingers are one of my top 3 favorite candy bars. They also happen to be my friend Pam's favorite as well. Even my daughter knows it. Every year Pam goes trick-or-treating with us, and my daughter always sets some of her Butterfingers aside for Pam to take home. :)

Pam celebrated her birthday this week and I told her that I would make her some cupcakes. I had these on my "to bake" list, and I knew that it was finally time to try them out. The end result was a great cake with an out of this world frosting. You must put this on your "to bake" list immediately.

For the cupcakes:
2 large eggs separated, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
3¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
Top with chopped fun-sized Butterfingers

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cupcake pans. Separate the eggs. Put sifted flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
In a mixer, beat the butter until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Now add egg yolks, one at a time, until completely incorporated. Add vanilla and almond extract until combined, about 30 seconds.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Now add 1/2 milk mixture, mix until combined. Add half the remaining flour, combine. Now add the rest of your milk and combine. Add remaining 1/3 of your flour mixture, and go ahead and mix until combined.
In a separate clean bowl with clean whisk attachment, whip eggs whites until foamy then add the cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks occur, and then gradually add in your remaining sugar (4 tablespoons). Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold the eggs whites into the batter. Make sure they are fully incorporated, but do not over stir the batter.

Put batter into prepared pans and bake for 13-15 minutes.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth and well blended. Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy.

To assemble the cupcakes, place a candy bar half on top of each cooled cupcake.  Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes, covering the candy bar completely.  Sprinkle with chopped Butterfingers.

If not serving immediately, store the cupcakes in the refrigerator.

Happy Baking,
AJ


Sources:
Cupcakes: I am Baker
Frosting: Annie's Eats