Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake - Awesome

My daughter made this cake and wow, was I impressed!  But then look who taught her to cook!  Actually, about 26 years ago she came home from college at Christmas break and told me she was in love - and she needed to learn to cook. HaHa!  A two week break and she thought I could teach her to cook in that amount of time!  She had never cared before so needed to begin from scratch.  You know what I did?  I gave her a cookbook and told her to start reading!  And she did!  And she became a wonderful cook.  She cooks from scratch using fresh ingredients.  Just look at the fresh herbs in the background of her picture.  Anyway, when I tried this cake I knew we had to share it.  It is to die for!

Makes an 8-inch triple-layer 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 canola oil

 1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. 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.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden 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. (These cakes are very, very soft. Firm them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled.)

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup 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. Once the cake is fully frosted, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply 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. Decorate the top with chopped peanuts. 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 (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

1. 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.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

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

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of a 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.

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

Lemon Cake

This is turning into a food blog.  I need to get a life!  But for now - It is what it is!  This is a wonderful simple cake that I just prepared for tomorrow - Easter.  I didn't want a rabbit cake but I also wanted something light for spring and lemon just seemed perfect.  I made it a bundt cake because I happen to like bundt cakes but you don't have to.

• 1 pkg yellow cake mix
• 1 small lemon jello
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 C. canola oil
• 3/4 C. water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 5 minutes, scrapping the sides of the bowl often.
3. Pour into your pan of choice - 9 x 13 or bundt (grease the pan or if it is non-stick, then spray with pam.
4. For the 9 x 13 inch pan, bake for 35 minutes.
5. If you use the bundt pan, bake for 45 minutes.

Make a glaze of the following -

• 2 Cups powdered sugar
• Juice of 2 large lemons

When the cake comes out of the oven (for the bundt pan method) while still in the pan use a large meat fork and poke holes in the cake.  Pour some of the glaze around on it.  Let it sit for another 5 minutes and then place on a cake plate.  Now use the fork on the top of the cake.  Slowly pour the glaze all over the top of the cake letting as much as possible soak into the cake.

Enjoy the rave reviews you will get!

Banana Cake with Pale Ale and Cream Cheese Frosting

As usual, we didn't eat the bananas.  So there I was with 4 ripe bananas and my daughter and her husband coming to dinner.  I needed to make a dessert so of course I went online in search of the perfect Banana Cake recipe.  I ended up at Tasty Kitchen and found a great recipe!  What makes it so good is the ALE!  Yes, ale in the cake.  It makes it so rich and moist and you don't taste the ale...just the yum!

Of course I changed it just a bit but I have to give credit where credit is due - I didn't make this up!  And the good part is that it is the best banana cake ever! Try it next time you buy too many bananas and don't eat them! 

2 sticks of butter
1 cup Pale Ale
4-5 very ripe bananas
2 cups of sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt


1 stick butter, softened
1 8-oz block of cream cheese, softened
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla

 

Preheat your oven to 350.  In a saucepan combine the 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup of ale over low heat and bring to a simmer.  

In the meantime thoroughly mash, with a fork, bananas with 1/3 cup of sugar.  When the butter/ale mixture has simmered 1 minute, remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.  Stir in banana mixture.  

In a bowl combine the remaining 1 2/3 cups of sugar with the two eggs and vanilla.  With the mixer on low slowly pour in the butter/ale/banana mixture to help temper everything together.  Continue mixing for another 2 minutes.

 

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour batter into a 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes (test with a toothpick for doneness).

For the frosting simply cream together the softened stick of butter and softened cream cheese, then add the vanilla.  Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until desired consistency is reached.  Spread on the cake and decorate with chopped walnuts if desired.

1

Nutty Coconut Carrot Cake

This is an antique recipe.  It came from Kirby's mother who would be about 90 right now if she was still with us.  The recipe I have only lists the ingredients, oven temperature and cooking time.  This time as I made it, I wrote down the method - as I believe it to be.  So, following is what I came up with.  If you think the method should be different, by all means feel free to change it.  By the way - this cake is to die for; rich, moist, heavy and delicious! (I know my picture is a little funky but it was Kirby's birthday cake and had a red decorators frosting on it and I forgot to get a picture until the cake was almost gone!)

2 C. sugar
1 C. oil
3 eggs
8 oz can crushed pineapple (undrained)
2 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C. chopped walnuts
2 C. grated carrots
1 C. coconut
2 tsp. vanilla

1. With a mixer, cream the oil and sugar for about 2 minutes.  Add the eggs and beat for 2 more minutes. Add the pineapple and mix with a spoon.
2. In another bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda.  Add the chopped nuts.
3. Pour the flour mixture into the oil/sugar mixture and mix to combine making sure the flour is all mixed in.
4. Now add the coconut and the grated carrots.
5. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

ICING

Now you need to top the cake with this frosting which had some instructions with it.

Combine 1/2 C. butter , 8 oz cream cheese, 1 tsp. vanilla and cream well.  Gradually add 1 lb. powdered sugar, beating well.  If too thick, add a small amount of milk.