Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Posted on October 31, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!

 Halloween is truly one of my favorite holidays.  I have so many great childhood memories associated with Halloween.  Every year my grandmother, who was the type of woman who always looked for a reason for a celebration, would have an over-the-top Halloween party in her basement.  I remember going to her house days prior to decorate and prepare.   We would tie strings from the ceiling pipes in preparation of the doughnut eating contest.  We’d tape black cat and witch cardboard cutout decorations to the walls and the mirror behind the bar.  We’d fill a bucket of water so that we could bob for apples.  (Those were the days when bobbing for apples was fun and not fearful–no one seemed to worry about transmitting viruses like they would today!)  We’d even create a haunted house in the unfinished portion of the cellar!  After my grandmother died my mom continued the tradition by having Halloween parties and always keeping the holiday fun and festive.  What’s funny is we don’t really have any traditional family foods or recipes associated with Halloween.  It’s more about using it as a good reason to have some fun.

I always look for a reason to bake sweet treats and there is certainly not a shortage of Halloween-centric desserts!  From the moment I saw this cake on Smitten Kitchen I couldn’t let it go.  The chocolate ganache seemed like the perfect canvas for a spider web and the chocolate peanut butter combo speaks for itself. I would say this is the perfect dinner party dessert.  It has that wow factor and the richness means a small slice goes a long way.  You will not be sorry you made this cake!

Notes:

  • I only have two round cake pans so I made a double rather than a triple layer.  (I used the leftover batter and frosting for cupcakes!)
  • Deb stresses the fact that these cakes are really soft and somewhat difficult to work with. I highly suggest you follow her advice and wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and freeze prior to frosting with a crumb coat.  Return the assembled and crumb-coated cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before frosting with your final layer of frosting.  Refrigerate again before topping with the warm ganache.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.

 To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips.  Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used the Scharffen Berger Chocolate I received in the swag bag from BlogHer Food)
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Adapted from Deb at Smitten Kitchen.

Filed under: cake, chocolate, cream cheese, Dessert, Fall, frosting, icing, Peanut Butter | 4 Comments »

Maple Pumpkin Muffins

Posted on October 4, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Saturday was a baking day.  There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  It was rainy and dark and I knew I needed to fill our kitchen with scents of the season.  This summer my in-laws visited Canada and brought back some delicious Canadian maple syrup.  I decided to bake something maple flavored so when I stumbled upon this recipe for Maple Pumpkin Muffins I was very pleased! 

A couple of notes:

  • The original recipe suggested baking at 400 F, and though it struck me as odd, rather than follow my gut I followed the recipe.  Unfortunately the oven was way too hot and a few of my muffin bottoms burned.  These should be baked at either 350 F or 375 F.
  • Rather than top these muffins with pecans, I added a crumbly streusel-like topping.
  • As you know I am a lover of chunks, so I almost added some chocolate chips but I feared it would overpower the maple flavor so I refrained.  These were more “breakfast” without chocolate chips.  Adding chocolate would make them more “dessert.”  🙂

Maple Pumpkin Muffins:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin or squash
  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 5 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
  • 1 package cream cheese, softened

    • Topping:

  • 3/4 cup oatmeal
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4  teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons butter

    • Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line muffin tins with papers.

    Prepare topping by combining first five topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Cut butter into this mixture and use your finger tips or a fork to crumble the ingredients together.  The texture should be like that of coarse sand/pebbles.  Set aside.

    In a large bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

    In another bowl whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil and 3 tablespoons maple syrup.  Slowly add dry ingredients to this mixture and stir just until moistened.  

    In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and two tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons syrup until smooth. Gently stir into batter until mixture appears swirled.

    Fill paper-lined muffin tins about three-fourths full.

    Sprinkle about a tablespoon of topping over each muffin cup.

    Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. 

    Adapted from Made by Melissa.

    Filed under: Breakfast, cream cheese, Dessert, eggs, Fall, muffin, oatmeal, pumpkin, squash | 2 Comments »

    Oatmeal Birthday Cake

    Posted on September 16, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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    When I made this oatmeal cake for my father-in-law’s birthday back in April, I knew it was well-received but I had no idea that it would become the most requested birthday cake!  MONTHS ago, my brother-in-law requested this cake for his 30th birthday dinner held this weekend.  While we were eating it every single person was ooo-ing and ahhh-ing about how much they loved it.  More than one person claimed they could drink the frosting—and I had to agree!  If you haven’t made this cake yet–I suggest you give it a try!   

    Oatmeal Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:

    • 1 tablespoon  all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/3  cups  boiling water
    • 1  cup  quick-cooking oats
    • 3/4  cup  granulated sugar
    • 3/4  cup  packed dark brown sugar
    • 1/3  cup  vegetable shortening
    • 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
    • 3  large eggs
    • 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
    • 1  teaspoon  baking soda
    • 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
    • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
    • 1/2  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
    • 1/2  cup  buttermilk
    • Cream Cheese Frosting
    • pecans for garnish (optional)

    Preheat oven to 350 F.

    Coat bottoms and sides of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening  and dust well with flour.

    Combine boiling water and oats in a medium bowl; let stand 20 minutes. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, shortening, and vanilla at medium speed of a mixer for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add oatmeal, beating until blended.

    Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

    Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack.

    Place one cake layer on a plate.  Pipe one thick circle of frosting around perimeter of cake.  Fill with a layer with frosting (recipe below), and top with the remaining layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of cake.

    Cream Cheese Frosting:

    • Two 8-ounce package of cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer, until smooth.  Slowly sift the confectioners’ sugar into the butter/cream cheese, about one cup at a time.  Continue to beat until all lumps are gone.  Add the vanilla and mix until fully combined. 

    Oatmeal Cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light.  Frosting recipe adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella.

    Filed under: cake, cream cheese, Dessert, frosting, oatmeal | 9 Comments »

    Oatmeal Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Posted on July 8, 2009 by kitchenbelle

    j

    I made these cupcakes for a cookout and they were a huge hit!  All of the children at the party found them and ravaged them before dinner was even served.  Then the adults followed suit!  I had to snag one for myself in order to have a taste before they were gone!  DELICIOUS! 

    I used this recipe for the cupcakes-

    Oatmeal Cupcakes:

    • 1 1/3  cups  boiling water
    • 1  cup  quick-cooking oats
    • 3/4  cup  granulated sugar
    • 3/4  cup  packed dark brown sugar
    • 1/3  cup  vegetable shortening
    • 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
    • 3  large eggs
    • 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
    • 1  teaspoon  baking soda
    • 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
    • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
    • 1/2  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
    • 1/2  cup  buttermilk

    Preheat oven to 350 F.

    Insert liners into cupcake pans.

    Combine boiling water and oats in a medium bowl; let stand 20 minutes. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, shortening, and vanilla at medium speed of a mixer for 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add oatmeal, beating until blended.

    Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

    Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack.

    And this recipe for the cream cheese frosting–

    Cream Cheese Frosting:

    • Two 8-ounce package of cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer, until smooth.  Slowly sift the confectioners’ sugar into the butter/cream cheese, about one cup at a time.  Continue to beat until all lumps are gone.  Add the vanilla and mix until fully combined. 

    june 23 021

    Oatmeal Cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light.  Frosting recipe adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella.

    Filed under: cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting, icing, oatmeal | 7 Comments »

    Boston Cream Pie (Cake)

    Posted on June 1, 2009 by kitchenbelle

    m

    My dad’s favorite dessert is Boston Cream Pie.  When my mom asked me to make a cake for his birthday, my brain went crazy with ideas but I kept coming back to Boston Cream Pie.  It is his favorite, after all!  I had never made a Boston Cream Pie before, so I researched several recipes before hitting the kitchen. 

    My research turned up so many recipe variations!  In case you weren’t already aware, Boston Cream Pie is actually a cake.   There are many versions of the story of how it came to be and why it is called pie instead of a cake.  Though the details of the stories tend to vary, most agree that it originated at The Parker House Hotel (now called the Omni Parker) in Boston.  I walk and drive by this hotel quite frequently so it is fun to know some major dessert history was made there!  (Fun fact: Boston Cream Pie is the official state dessert of Massachusetts!  What’s your state dessert?!)

    I decided to combine a couple of recipes and make a cake that is not 100% traditional for the following reasons:

    • I topped the cake with a chocolate frosting instead of a ganache
    • I made butter cake instead of sponge cake

    I chose to use a firm frosting instead of drippy ganache because I wanted a firm surface on which to pipe.  (In the end, however, I decided not to pipe “Happy Birthday” on it because I was pleased with the classic look of the cherry on top!)

    I chose to make moist butter cake instead of separated sponge cake because in my experience sponge cake can be super dry.  Dry cake is a pet peeve of mine so I wanted to be sure that wouldn’t be the case here.

    I decided to stick with The Omni Parker’s  recipe for the filling, which I was very happy to find on Foodnetwork.com!

    ————————————————–

    This recipe has three components:

    1. Cake
    2. Filling (Pudding/Pastry Cream)
    3. Frosting

    I suggest you make the filling first as you will get best results if it sets in the fridge over night (or at least a few hours.)  Next bake the cakes so they will have time to cool.  Finally, make the frosting and then assemble the three components.

    I was extremely happy with the results this mish mash of recipes yielded!  (As was everyone who ate it!)  

    • The cake was unbelievably moist! 
    • The filling was the perfect texture, a little on the egg-y side, but delicious.   (I will definitely use this recipe in the future for trifle and tart recipes!)
    • The frosting was to die for.  It is thick and rich, yet not sickeningly sweet.  (This may just be my new go-to chocolate frosting!) 

    ———————————————————————————

    Check out what I made for my dad’s birthday last year—ROOT BEER Iced Vanilla Cake!  (My dad lovvvves root beer!  When I was little he used to take me to the A&W drive-in and the waitresses would roller skate our food and root beers to the car window!  A&W Root Beer is the best! )

    ———————————————————————————

    Boston Cream Pie:

    Filling

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups light cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    • In a saucepan bring the butter, milk, and light cream to a boil. While this mixture is cooking, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a bowl and whip using a whisk.

    When the cream/ milk/butter mixture reaches the boiling point, whisk in the egg mixture and cook to boiling.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon.  Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent it from burning.  As it begins to thicken, clumps may form.  Use a whisk to smooth it out. Boil for 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula to press the pastry cream through a strainer into a bowl.  Whisk in vanilla extract. Cover the surface with plastic wrap touching the pudding.  (This prevents a film from forming.)  Chill overnight if possible, or for at least a few hours. 

     Butter Cake

    • shortening
    • 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
    • 1/2  cup  butter, melted
    • 8 oz.  sour cream
    • 1 1/2  cups  granulated sugar
    • 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
    • 1/2  cup  egg substitute
    • 2  cups  all-purpose flour
    • 1  teaspoon  baking soda
    • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
    • 3/4  cup buttermilk

     Rub shortening on the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans.  Sprinkle with flour.  Set aside.

    Combine 1/2 cup butter and sour cream in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Add egg substitute; beat 2 minutes or until well blended.

    Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sharply tap pan once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 F for 27-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

    Chocolate Frosting*

  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4  cup  butter, softened
  • 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • 1/3  cup  unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/8  teaspoon  salt
  • 3  cups  powdered sugar, divided

    • Place the cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add cocoa and 1/8 teaspoon salt; beat at low speed until well blended. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; beat at low speed until creamy. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar.

    Assembly

    Do not begin assembly until cakes and filling are completely cooled.

    1. Once ready, slice both cakes evenly in half (into two thinner cakes each) using a serrated bread knife.  Place first cake layer  on cake plate. 
    2. Use a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and fill it with filling.  Pipe a circle around the top of the cake.  Use a spoon to scoop filling from the bowl into the circle on the cake.  (This is a trick I learned from Joanne Chang at Flour Bakery.  By creating this “border” around the cake, you prevent the filling from squirting out when you place the second layer on top.  This is really a great technique and it works like a charm.  Thanks, Joanne!)
    3. Repeat with remaining layers except for top.
    4. Spread chocolate frosting over top of cake using an offset spatula.     
    5. Top with a cherry!

    *This recipe yields much more frosting than you need.  Make some cupcakes to use it up! 🙂

    m

    Recipes adapted from myrecipes.com and foodnetwork.com.

    Filed under: cake, chocolate, cream cheese, Dessert, Flour Bakery, frosting, icing, pie, pudding, vanilla | 6 Comments »

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