Snickers Cupcakes

Halloween is one week away and you know what that means ----

CANDY!!! 

I am already trying to put up my best defenses against the sugar bomb that will inevitably explode on my living room floor next Friday night around 10:00.

The thought of Snickers Bars and Hershey Bars and Twix bars is already got me craving chocolate.  Isn't it a moms prerogative to share in the bounty that comes home in the trick or treat bag?  (Don't judge me - you know you do it too.)

This year I have a plan though.  I am going to turn that yummy candy into cupcakes.  (That makes it better, right?) 

Snickers Cake
For the Cake:
2½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup + 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1½ cups strong black coffee, hot
¾ cup vegetable oil
4½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Nougat Filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup evaporated milk
1½ cups marshmallow fluff
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped






Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in bowl of mixer.















Combine eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla. 














Add wet ingredients to dry and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.







Pour into paper lined cupcakes pans.

Bake 25 minutes at 350.  (For jumbo cupcakes.)

 Cut a hole in the center of each cooled cupcake.

Eat the holes.  (Yes, that is required.)













For nougat, melt butter in saucepan.

















Stir in evaporated milk and sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes. 






Stir in marshmallow, peanut butter and vanilla.

Stir in chopped peanuts.

Fill each cupcake hole with nougat filling.

Make a batch of vanilla buttercream.

Swirl in some homemade caramel sauce.

Top each filled cupcake with caramel buttercream.

Drizzle with chocolate sauce.

What's better than eating a snickers bar on Halloween night?  Eating a snickers cupcake the next day.  :)

Ciao!