Reese's Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Hello! I've gone home to Utah this week for just a few days for a friend's wedding. It is nice, like a little vacation...although come to think of it I am not doing much these days, so maybe I don't need one? Still, being unemployed is not exactly like a vacation so, I am on vacation from that.



There are a few flavors you will hardly ever see me bake with. Some of them are sadly common, flavors I have just grown tired of (although I remain a hardcore worshipper of the mighty vanilla bean).

But usually a good way to tell which flavors I don't like much is to ask my husband which flavors are his favorite.

It's unfortunate.

But last week was his birthday. And everyone knows that when it's your birthday, you get to call the shots. So fine, here it is. A Reese's Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter cake.



But you know what, maybe it isn't fair of me to just write off chocolate and peanut butter, alone or together. Maybe it's close-minded. Because this cake was just plain tasty. Peanut butter has such a strong taste, and when combined with the sweetness of chocolate, particularly a strong bitter chocolate, it really does turn into something worthwhile. Kind of smoky, still sweet.



Sometimes it's good to break out of your boring routine of lavender, fennel, and other overdone flavors (ha), and really explore.

Reese’s Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (from Annie's Eats)
Ingredients:

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract1 cup buttermilk
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)
1.For decorating:
1 ½ – 2 batches peanut butter frosting
miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped

Directions:

For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350E. Butter two 9H2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Place the pans on a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, if using, folding it in with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. (If desired, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups.) Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing (from The Barefoot Contessa [who doesn't love her?]):

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.