Fudgy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Treat your sweetheart to deliciousness this Valentine's Day with fudgy chocolate peanut butter cake! 

Recipe written and developed by Sheila Chandler of The Kitchen Chandler thekicthenchandler.com and @thekitchenchandler

Sheila's son loves the combination of chocolate and peanut butter together. I bet you know someone who does, too! She fell in love with Anne Byrn's chocolate cake recipe 20 years ago from her cookbook, but knew it just had to be combined with peanut butter frosting and garnished with fat peanut butter cups or peanut butter pieces to make it over-the-top! So that's exactly what she did and it became her thing, which she is now sharing with all of you.

She has made more of these cakes, for more people than she can count. Birthday cakes, graduation cakes, potlucks, Sunday dinner, you name it, there is no place this cake can’t take center stage, especially when you dress it up with candy. It's a must-try for an upcoming gathering or to please someone special. 

CAKE RECIPE

• 1 package – 18.25 ounce dark chocolate cake mix
• 1 package – 3.9 ounce chocolate instant pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
• 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Cooking Spray for spraying pans

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 12 cup pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, warm water, and oil. Blend on low speed for one minute, then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber scraper. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend for about 2 minutes more. The batter will be very thick and should be well combined.

Fold the chocolate chips into the batter, making sure they are well distributed throughout. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth it out with the rubber scraper.

Place the cake in the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes. The cake should spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and it will just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. When finished, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long knife around the edge of the cake and invert it on a wire rack to cool completely, about 20-30 minutes more. Once completely cooled frost or dust with powdered sugar.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
Makes 3 cups of frosting, which is enough for one 2 layer cake or one bundt cake or one 13 x 9 sheet cake

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons) room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 3 – 4 tablespoons heavy cream (can substitute milk)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place the peanut butter and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, about one minute. Stop the mixer and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla. Blend on low speed for one minute, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting becomes light and fluffy, adding more cream if needed, just a bit at a time. Frost your fudgy chocolate cake and top with peanut butter cups or peanut butter candies. 

Enjoy the recipe and share with us how you made it for your special someone. Above all, have fun makin’ a mess in the kitchen!