Peanut Butter Cup Cake

You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!


You got your chocolate in my peanut butter?



I mean, really, is there a more perfect combination that chocolate and peanut butter? I LOVE BOTH. And if you knew me in person, this would be quite obvious when you see the size of my bottom. Oh well.

This weekend, we had dinner with good friends. No, great friends. No, family. LOL :) In this certain circle, I've been labeled the dessert goddess, and usually people secretly wish I'm bringing dessert, even if I don't say I will. In all fairness, these people were friends before I knew I could bake well...so they got to eat a lot of my experiments.

Baking for me is very cathartic. It's the only thing I want to do when I'm stressed out. I used to work at a REALLY high stress job (pre kids, and even part of it pre husband). I'd work 20 hour days, come home and bake for 3 hours before I could go to bed. My co-workers loved it because I would bring my baking creations in the following day. My one boss used to joke about finding ways to stress me out so that I would bake something to bring in. :)

This recipe is a conglomeration of a few recipes I'd tried in years past.

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Cake:
1 Box Bakers Corner Yellow Cake Mix
1 1/4 Cups Water
3 Golden Hen Eggs
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 Carlini Vegetable Oil (or Canola Oil)

Filling:

1/2 Cup Country Creamery Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Friendly Farms Half and Half
2 to 3 Cups Powdered Sugar

2 Tubs of Baker's Corner Milk Chocolate Frosting

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Using and electric mixer beat all cake ingredients together. Start slow for 30 seconds until combined. Then beat for 2 minutes on medium speed, scrape sides as necessary.

Pour into two round cake pans with parchment paper cut to fit the inside. Bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center come out cleanly. Cool for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen cake from sides of pan, cool for 1 hour before proceeding.

Prepare Peanut Butter Cream Filling. Cream together peanut butter and butter. Add half and half. Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup at a time until the frosting is creamy and thick and desired sweetness.

After cakes are completely cooled, gently cut each cake in half horizontally (you'll end up with 4 thin circles of cake). Spread half of the peanut butter filling between two of each circle of cake.

Top one cake with a generous helping of chocolate frosting. Place 2nd cake on top. Frost top and sides with the rest of the chocolate frosting.

Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until ready to serve.