We had guests for dinner last night to celebrate my husband’s 52nd birthday.  He loves anything peanut butter and requested a cake with chocolate and peanut butter, also adding peanut butter cups.  I decided to make a Bundt cake, filling it with peanut butter cups that I chopped up and also decorating the frosted cake with peanut butter cups.

I started with a simple box cake mix, adding a teaspoon of espresso powder to the mix, along with the other ingredients this particular cake called for (three eggs, vegetable oil and water). Once I poured half the mix in my Bundt pan, I added about 8 small peanut butter cups that I had cut into quarters.  I then poured the rest of the mix into my Bundt pan.  Please note that I sprayed my Bundt pan with non-stick baking spray and sprinkled cocoa powder into the pan, swirling it around.  I didn’t add flour because I didn’t want a white residue on my cake.  I placed my cake in the oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Once it was done, I pulled it out of the oven and after 10 minutes I put it on a cake plate.

Next, I made my peanut butter frosting.  I frosted the cooled cake and decorated it with more chopped up peanut butter cups.

Ingredients for Cake

• 1 box cake mix, chocolate

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1-1/4 cup water

• 1 teaspoon espresso powder

• 16 small peanut butter cups, cut into quarters

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare Bundt pan by spraying with non-stick baking spray and sprinkling cocoa powder into pan making sure to cover all areas with a bit of cocoa powder.  This is to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.

Prepare cake mix per box directions.  Add espresso powder to the mix. Pour half of the cake mix into the Bundt pan.  Add half of the quartered peanut butter cups and continue to pour the rest of the mix into the pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and let cool.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 5 tablespoons unsalted, room temperature butter

• 1 cup confectioners sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Put peanut butter, butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium with the paddle attachment.  Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the heavy cream and continue to mix until light and fluffy.  Frost cake and decorate with the rest of the quartered peanut butter cups.

Until next time, Kris