Ok, so I am on a peanut butter and chocolate fix lately in case you haven’t noticed. In fact, the last three desserts I have posted now include chocolate and peanut butter ( Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint cookies, Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies) I really just can’t help it. It is by far my biggest sweet craving. So when I was planning to make a cake this past week for a friend’s birthday party and she told me to surprise her with the type of cake to make, I knew exactly what I would make: Chocolate cake with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting of course. 🙂
Now I knew that for this cake I really wanted the peanut butter frosting to be the star so I did not overpower the cake with chocolate. In fact, it is not a dark chocolate at all. It is more of a sweet German Chocolate Cake that has a lighter chocolate flavor. This way, the peanut butter flavor in the frosting really pops! With it being the day after Halloween, it was the perfect time to make this cake because I had some peanut butter cups left over from trick or treating to use as decoration on the cake. Birthday cakes are such a joy to make! They are all about sharing. When you make a cake, you know that there will be some good memories made when you get together with friends and have a good time while you all savor it together. And the smile on the recipient’s face is a treasure. That is why I like to make birthday cakes. And this particular cake definitely brought some great memories with good friends as we sat, ate, celebrated, and enjoyed each other’s company! (Happy Birthday Nancy!) I can’t wait for the next party!!
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
- 2 oz. semi sweet chocolate squares (coarsely chopped)
- 1/2 c. boiling water
- 2 c. sugar
- 1 c. unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 eggs
- 1 t. vanilla
- 2 c. flour
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 c. buttermilk
- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
- 4 TBLS butter (softened)
- 1/2 c. peanut butter
- 1 t. vanilla
- 3 - 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- Double the frosting recipe if you plan to pipe decorations on the cake
- 7 peanut butter cups
- chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9 inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, place cocoa and chocolate and pour in boiling water and whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, place butter and mix until creamy. Add the sugar and eggs and mix after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
- In a separate medium bowl, place flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until incorporated.
- To the bowl with the butter/sugar mixture, add the flour mixture, chocolate mixture, and butter milk incrementally, in two-three separate additions apiece and mix after each addition just until incorporated.
- When it is all mixed pour batter evenly into the two cake pans and place pans in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted, comes out clean and the top springs back when touched.
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack for at least thirty minutes. Use a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen before inverting the pans to pop out the cake.
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese, butter, peanut butter and vanilla together until well mixed and smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl and mix in three additions until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. This frosting recipe is enough to frost one two layered cake.
- Decorate the cake as desired. If Piping is desired, then double the frosting recipe. Use sprinkles on the side of the cake if desired. Coarsely chop 4 peanut butter cups and place them in center of the cake. Cut 3 peanut butter cups in half and place decoratively on top of the cake.
Wow! This cake just looks amazing! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing at Marvelous Mondays this week! Pinned & sharing.
Thank you so much for pinning my cake Carrie!
I am so glad to find your site!!!!!!!!!!! I just really want to be at your home right now, eating some of those yummy looking goodies on your site! Oh, do you mind sending some over my way with your kids????????? Joking…LOL!!!!!!!!
Mrs Turner (SCS 4th grade)
Thanks so much for the compliment Zan. I just checked out your beautiful family oriented blog. I love it! Nice job. ( ill have to send a bag of goodies over for you with Elizabeth!)
Thanks!!!!!!! Will definitely accept a bag of goodies:)
Peanut butter and chocolate are my favorite sweet combination! This cake looks delicious AND pretty! Stopping by from Strut Your Stuff Saturday linky party! 🙂
I COMPLETELY agree Veronica! I appreciate the compliment. Thanks for stopping by!
I think that I’m on a constant pb/choc fix!! Hehe! This cake looks gorgeous!!
You and me both!;) Thank you Jocelyn!