Recipe to share: Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

[pilgrim719]

Terri-Lynn asked me to post this recipe, and I thought others might enjoy it as well. It's from the Taste of Home Chocolate Lover's Cookbook, and it's easy to make and very tasty! I made one change to the recipe, and that was to sub peanut butter chips in place of the chopped pecans. I don't care for nuts, but didn't want to omit the topping completely, and I thought the peanut butter chips went very well in this cake and gave it an extra boost of peanut butter flavor (I LOVE peanut butter!!). I also thought it was kind of odd to top a peanut butter cake with pecans, why not use peanuts instead? I also used 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, but didn't lighten the cake any further, although I'm sure you could sub something in place of the vegetable oil (applesauce, sour cream, etc). I ate my cake warmed in the microwave for a few seconds to make the topping all gooey like it was fresh from the oven. Yum! Oh, and I thought this cake tasted better the second day, but I feel that way about most cakes I've made.

Kari

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Chocolate batter:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Peanut butter batter:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar, divided
1 egg
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir in water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla; mix well. Pour into a greased 13x9-inch baking pan.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/3 cup sugar, egg, and salt until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls over cake batter; cut through batter with a knife to swirl the peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with pecans and remaining sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before cutting. Refrigerate leftovers.

[shumanata]

This looks SO good!! I LOVE peanut butter and chocolate (I used to eat 2 scoops of Baskin Robbins' Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream every day when I was a kid). Thanks for posting it!

[ErinM]

Thanks, Kari! I have that book as well, and have never even taken a look at it. I should do that one of these days...

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by shumanata
I LOVE peanut butter and chocolate (I used to eat 2 scoops of Baskin Robbins' Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream every day when I was a kid).

We would have been great friends! :D

Erin, I've made a few things from it and have enjoyed them all. I love to just flip through it when I'm not even "on the market" to bake anything. The pictures look so good!

Kari

[lindrusso]

Oh my, I knew I shouldn't have opened up this thread! :eek: :D

This sounds wonderful!

My favorite PB and chocolate combo is Ben & Jerry's or Hagen Daz chocolate ice cream eaten along with spoonfuls of Jif PB! :eek: :o

Mmmm.....I must give this recipe a try.

Alysha

[Mamasue]

Hi ya Kari! Sounds awesome and so are you! Going to add it to my "Kari's Sweets Cookbook" in Mastercook. ;)

P.S. Kari...how many servings would this be?

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by Mamasue


P.S. Kari...how many servings would this be?

Hi ya Sue! :D The recipe said 24 servings, but I made 1/2 the recipe in an 8" square pan and cut it into 8 servings as usual. So that would have given me only 16 servings for the whole recipe, but everyone has a different idea about how big 1 serving of cake is. ;)

Kari

[Jazzmatazz49]

Why, oh why do you people keep doing this to me? Chocolate and peanut butter...I have to make every recipe with chocolate and peanut butter. Then five minutes ago, I saw a commercial for Reeses' WHITE chocolate peanut butter cups. Kill me now.

[Terri-Lynn]

Thanks for posting Kari, this looks great. Peanut Butter and chocolate just go so well together.

I like the idea of the peanut butter chips, although I admit I love pecans.

Is the chocolate recipes T of Home magazine something that is currently on news stands?

Thanks

Terri

[pilgrim719]

Terri, I got this magazine last summer. I'm a sucker for these types of recipe collection magazines. I also bought the Bread Bonanza issue that was out recently, I think that's the same one you have.

Kari

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by Jazzmatazz49
Why, oh why do you people keep doing this to me? Chocolate and peanut butter...I have to make every recipe with chocolate and peanut butter. Then five minutes ago, I saw a commercial for Reeses' WHITE chocolate peanut butter cups. Kill me now.

LOL!! :D Think of it more as doing it for you rather than to you! ;) Have you tried the Inside Out Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? They are pretty good. I don't care for white chocolate, so I am "safe" from that new creation.

Kari

[SueK]

Kari- I tried to post this yesterday, but wasn't able to. Anyway, I have this cookbook too, and have also made this, and agree that it's awesome!

I think I'll have to dig it back out to look up some good V Day dessert recipes, so thanks for the post and the reminder!

[Gracie]

Reese's also come in DARK[/COLOR] chocolate, too (as do Kit Kats).

I love both dark and white chocolate, but for me, the original Reese's are the best. I guess I'm a purist when it comes to my Reese's! ;) The Inside Outs are too much peanut butter. :rolleyes: But I love the dark Kit Kats.

Loren

[Terri-Lynn]

Thanks Kari, one less magazine I must go in search of. I just have this overwhelming need to buy these kind of things when I am in the check out line. My mom had picked up the bread bonanza one for me around christmas time.

Terri

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by Gracie
The Inside Outs are too much peanut butter.
Loren

:eek: Too much peanut butter?? :confused: Not possible!! :D

Sue, hope you didn't post a review of it on another thread before. I searched but didn't find this cake anywhere on the BB, but we all know how tricky this search engine can be. Please let me know if you try anything from this magazine for Valentine's Day. I'd love to hear more reviews from it, since so many things look good!

Kari