Friday, July 4, 2014

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting


Happy July 4th!  I didn't make anything themed for this holiday.  It's pretty un-festive of me.  I make this chocolate cake for a barbecue.  Parties are an excuse for me to make something a little decadent because I don't end up eating the whole thing.


A couple of weeks ago my mother told me about a chocolate cake that my sister-in law made for my nephews birthday party.  It was one of the best chocolate cakes she has eaten.  She told me that my sister-in law made it from a box mix but added additional ingredients to make it moister and richer. 


I'm not sure if this is the exact recipe my sister-in law used, but I'm sure it was pretty similar.  I have seen other doctored cake mix recipes that have similar ingredients.  Sour cream and instant chocolate pudding seem to be two popular additions.  The cake was a very moist and rich.  My mom knows what she is taking about.




The frosting and cake recipe came from Allrecipes.  The ingredients for the cake are 1 package devil's food cake mix, 1 5.9 ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup vegetable oil, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup warm water, and 2 cups chocolate chips.  The ingredients for the frosting are 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 cups confectioners sugar, and 2 to 3 tablespoons milk.


For the cake, I added the cake mix, chocolate pudding, sour cream, and oil into a big bowl.



I added the eggs and warm water.



I stirred the ingredients together until the batter was smooth and lump free.



I added the chocolate chips and stirred.



I poured the batter into a 9 by 13 inch pan lined with parchment paper.  The batter is thicker than most cake batters I'm familiar with.  


I baked the cake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  If you bake this in a bundt pan, it will require 50 to 55 minutes.


While the cake cooled, I made the frosting.  I beat the butter and peanut butter together until smooth.  My butter was a little too hard, and I had to whisk it together for a bit.


I added the powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture a half a cup at a time.  I stirred after each addition.  




The frosting was thick after all of the powdered sugar was added.  I ended up adding 2 tablespoons of milk to loosen it up to the desired consistency.  The frosting was luscious, and I could have eaten it all by itself.


Once the cake is completely cooled, I plopped on all the frosting.  I put dollops across the cake to make spreading a little easier.


I smoothed the frosting out with a butter knife.  I might have left a little icing in the bowl as a treat to myself.  


I chopped up about half a cup of cashews to sprinkle on top.  Peanut would have been more appropriate, but I didn't have any on hand.  The nuts were a great addition because they provided a welcome crunch.



It was a mouthwatering cake.  Chocolate and peanut butter are a perfect combination.  The cake was dense and moist.  The frosting was creamy and not overly sweet.


The crunch nuts on top were delightful.  It was a excellent cake, and I'm sure I'll use the recipe again in the future.  It can't be kept out in the sun too long or the icing will get soft.  

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Peanut butter frosting? Yes!! I love peanut butter and chocolate.

laura said...

Me too Jessica!