Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Oh My Goodness!!! This has to be one of THE richest cakes I have ever eaten. This might rank right up there with the nine layer chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting at The Metropolitan Grill. You will definitely need a glass of milk, maybe even two, with a slice of this baby. If you love chocolate and peanut butter then you will think you have died and gone to heaven. If you only tolerate chocolate and peanut butter then you should probably just look and appreciate but move on to another recipe.

With the above being said, this cake was a little over the top for me. I can definitely handle the chocolate but I think the peanut butter pushed me over the edge. If I could just nibble a bite here and a bite there I was fine, but when I had to eat it as a slice I think I went into a sugar coma. So, when (yes, I said when not if) I make this again I will make a regular chocolate cake and use the chocolate peanut butter frosting. It was just a bit too much to have the peanut butter candies in the cake and in the frosting and on top of the frosting. It also made it difficult to slice neatly when you have big chunks of peanut butter cup throughout the cake.

The most difficult part of baking this cake had to have been unwrapping the over two and a half pounds of miniature peanut butter cups! And just look at how messy this cake is when you are putting it together. Yikes! But oh so fun to lick off the fingers when you are finished. Grab a glass of milk and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Cake
Source: Bakerella


1 devil's food cake mix (or your own chocolate cake recipe)
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (plus more for garnishing - I used almost a 2 pound bag)
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line with wax paper and coat paper.

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high, beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides after 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.

Pour batter into pans as bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes completely.

Place chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth.

Trim each cake layer so the top is flat. Place one layer on a wire rack and pour 1 cup of frosting on top. Spread evenly with a spatula. Place second cake layer on top and pour remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Smooth out with a spatula.

Gently press remaining chopped peanut butter cup pieces all over the top and sides of the cake. (Reserve larger chunks for top and smaller chunks for side - they tend to slide off if they are too heavy).

Place in refrigerator about an hour to set. Remove and serve.

Daring Bakers - Orange Tian

The 2010 March Daring Baker�s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse�s Cooking School in Paris.

Where do I start? My brain is still trying to process the experience of my first Daring Baker's challenge. While each piece was not in itself a challenge to me, just making sure that I had read all the fine print, re-read helpful tips before getting started (and while baking), and making sure that I documented all my steps seemed to be the challenge for me. If any of you know me in real life you know that I like to do things correctly the first time through and I don't want to waste time or ingredients by messing up. This was somewhat of a test for me to take on recipes for various items that I had never made before and know that I might have to redo a step if it didn't work out like it was supposed to.

The recipe for Orange Tian was actually fairly easy to follow and put together even though all its elements needed to be made from scratch. There were essentially five parts: pate sablee (pastry crust), orange marmalade, whipped cream, orange segments, and caramel sauce.

The pate sablee, or pastry crust, took me by surprise a bit. I was expecting a flaky crust kind of like a pie crust whereas it actually resembled more of a sugar cookie. It was buttery and melted in your mouth. I didn't have any problems with this part of the recipe, besides trying to use my food processor that I never use instead of my Kitchenaid mixer.

Next up was the orange marmalade. This was an experience in and of itself. I remember when I was little and my family used to pick berries and then come home and make homemade jam. In all the years that we did that when I was younger, I had yet to make jam (or anything like it) as an adult. I probably could have minced the orange pieces smaller because they were a bit large when spreading on the pate sablee, but overall my marmalade experience went amazingly smooth.

I've made plenty of whipped cream before so I didn't figure I would have trouble with this part of the recipe. I'm not sure if I whipped it quite enough because it did seem a bit soft the moment it was out of the fridge, but it went together without a hitch.

 
Segmenting an orange was new territory for me. I am a visual learner so I was appreciative of the link that showed someone segmenting an orange on a cooking show. I'm not sure I would have been able to follow the directions if I hadn't been able to watch the demonstration. I should also mention here that the challenge allowed for variations in the citrus fruit used for the tian, so along with oranges I also made one with lemons and limes. Those were definitely a challenge to segment since they were so tiny and juicy. Once they sat in their juices all night they became a pile of mushy pieces so they weren't the prettiest things to work with. I would recommend using larger citrus fruit.

The caramel sauce was probably the most difficult of the individual pieces for me to make. My first batch (the two top photos) ended up going partially down the drain and partially in the garbage. Why both, you ask? Well, the fresh squeezed orange juice went down the drain and the rock hard caramelized sugar (at least the stuff I could get out of the pan) went into the garbage so no one would break their teeth on it. I followed the recipe heating the sugar in the pan until it turned bubbly, but it quickly went to brown which meant it burnt, and then immediately upon pouring orange juice into the pan the sugar turned into rock candy. Interesting science experiment but not something you want to have happen when you are trying to make a caramel sauce to soak your orange segments in.

Assembling all the pieces was a bit of a challenge. It had to sit in the freezer a bit longer than the recipe stated because the first time it came out the oranges started sliding off the whipped cream. The finishing touch: left over caramel sauce drizzled over the top. It was yummy and very rich! I would recommend doing smaller portions. The springform pan size could have served 2 or 3 and the small heart shape served one.

If you want the recipes you'll have to email me because they aren't posted at the Daring Bakers site anymore. Enjoy the orange tian!

 

Lime Chicken Tacos

These tacos are highly addictive. You can dish up just one or two on your plate but it will feel like you've eaten nothing and you will want to keep going back for more and more. My husband and I make that comment every time we eat this meal and it never fails, we usually go back for thirds and wish we could go back for fourths. Enjoy!

Lime Chicken Tacos

Makes 12 tacos

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup chunky salsa

12 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed (we've used corn and hard shell, also)

sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce, optional

Place the chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine the lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred and return to slow cooker. Stir in corn and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese, and lettuce if desired.

Chocolate Peanut Banana Bread

You can never go wrong with a Betty C.rocker recipe, especially for baked goods. Her banana bread recipe has been my old standby for many, many years and this variety is one of my favorites. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Banana Bread
Makes 2 loaves or 4 mini loaves


1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans.

Mix sugar and margarine in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips and chopped peanuts.

Pour into pans. Bake about 60 to 75 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing.

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Brownies = chocolate. At least that is the assumption that I have been going off of for my entire life. I have always figured that if I am going to make a brownie it's going to be a chocolate brownie, typically with as much chocolate as possible. So, in an effort to begin working on my Top 100 list I decided to bite the bullet and bake a blondie. For those of you who are in the dark as I was, a blondie is basically a brownie without the cocoa powder. It has a butter and sugar base so it tastes more like toffee. Of course, as you can see from my photo that chocolate can be added to the blondie if you can't live without it.

I enjoyed the detour from a chocolate based brownie. And yes, it took me summoning up all of my will power to not eat the whole pan in one day! Enjoy!

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies
Source: Southern Food and Brown Eyed Baker

1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chocolate chunks or chips

--Optional Topping--
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon butter or shortening


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan.

Combine the flour and salt; set aside.

Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla extract until well blended.

Slowly beat in the flour mixture until blended, then stir in the coconut and chocolate chunks.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth even with a rubber spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until set in the center but still soft. Do not overbake.

For the optional topping: Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a small bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Let the bars cool slightly before drizzling with chocolate. Cool completely before cutting them into bars.

Iron Cupcake Challenge - Chocolate Mint Chip Cupcakes with Swiss Mint Meringue Buttercream

Monday afternoon I was checking our local paper online for some information about a restaurant that we heard was possibly closing when I stumbled upon an article about a cupcake challenge that had been held at the restaurant this past summer. Who can resist a cupcake challenge? Not me, so I researched the contact person and sent off an email inquiring if their group was still holding challenges. Sure enough, I got an email back confirming that not only were they still hosting challenges but that the monthly challenge was that very evening. Well, as I said earlier, I cannot resist a challenge so I inquired further as to whether it would be too late for me to participate. After getting the green light from my husband and the affirmative that I could indeed still enter I frantically started searching for the perfect cupcake recipe for my entry. The theme, Ireland. What is more perfect for Ireland than green? What goes with green? Mint. What goes with mint? Chocolate! And that is how the search for Chocolate Mint Chip Cupcakes with Swiss Mint Meringue Buttercream was born.

I have to confess that I did not win the challenge. Sadly, I did not even come in the top three. However, my achievement was still sweet to me because I not only used a recipe that I had never made before, for both the cupcakes and frosting, but I had to wait to pick up a few necessary ingredients until after naptime and I still managed to whip up a double batch of cupcakes resulting in over 75 mini cupcakes and one regular sized while also preparing my display in just under 3 hours. Whew!

We won't tell anyone that I had to put my cupcakes in the freezer to cool them enough to frost them. We won't tell anyone that I was sitting in the backseat trying to pipe buttercream onto my little cupcakes and then sprinkle them with crushed mints while my husband was frantically trying to get us there on time. Finally, we won't tell anyone that my three year old son seems to have an aversion to sugar. He would rather have a tortilla than a fresh baked cupcake. I guess steering him away from sugar for his first few years is now reaping its benefits, but I digress.

For more information on the local Iron Cupcake challenge you can go here. Enjoy!

One trick I've learned for filling mini muffins and cupcakes is to fold the edges of a plastic bag (quart freezer works best because it is big enough and thick enough), set the bag in a small cup or bowl, and then pour or spoon the batter into the bag. You then seal it and snip a corner of the bag for whatever size hole you need for squirting the batter or frosting. It makes fairly evenly sized cakes and it is usually less messy. Also, this cupcake is a bit dense (you can see that in the picture) so make sure you don't overbake it. I didn't overbake and mine still were a little dry.

Chocolate Mint Chip Cupcakes
Source: Taste and Tell and How to Eat a Cupcake

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped, melted
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup chocolate milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 (6 ounces) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
chocolate garnish (jimmies, Andes baking mints, chocolate shavings)


Preheat oven to 350F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Beat the melted chocolate into the butter mixture. Add the eggs, peppermint extract, and chocolate milk. Beat until creamy.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour and baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and beat until blended - do not over beat. With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.

Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 - 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes (regular size cupcakes) or 10-12 minutes (mini cupcakes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan. Frost with desired frosting. Sprinkle with chocolate garnish.


Mint Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Makes about 3 cups

3 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put egg whites and sugar in a double boiler over simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees).

Pour heated egg mixture into a clean bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes. (It's very important to beat it for the whole 6 minutes.)

Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears soupy or separated after all butter has been added, beat on medium high speed until smooth again, 3-5 minutes more.)

Beat in all extracts. Reduce speed to low; beat 2 minutes to eliminate air bubbles. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth.

My Top 100

Have you ever looked through all of your cookbooks in one night and realized how many delectable looking treats and breads have been right at your finger tips, some for almost 15 years, and you have yet to make them? That's what I experienced last night. So, I decided that I am going to make a list of my top 100 things that I would like to make/bake/cook so that I have something to refer to when I'm twiddling my thumbs some afternoon deciding what I'd like to bake. To be honest I guess I went over 100 by just a few, but that's pretty good considering how cookbook photographers make you drool over each and every recipe. (A few of these items I've made before, but I'd like to try a new variety this time around.)

Savory Breads
1. french bread
2. flat bread
3. deep dish pizza dough
4. calzones
5. wheat bread
6. popovers (7/24/11)
7. cheese whirls
8. cheese straws
9. breadsticks Soft Breadsticks (3/10/10)
10. cornbread (10/5/10)
11. sourdough bread
12. soft pretzels (3/11/11)
13. pita bread
14. soda bread Irish Soda Bread (4/14/11)
15. tortillas (7/12/11)
16. focaccia bread
17. antipasto bread
18. italian bread
19. dumplings (7/16/11)
20. baguette
21. stromboli (2/24/11)

Sweet Yeast Breads
22. monkey bread
23. cinnamon swirl bread
24. babka
25. cinnamon rolls Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls (12/28/10)
26. yeasted coffee cake Meringue Filled Coffee Cake (3/27/11)
27. braided bread
28. challah

Quick Breads
29. french breakfast puffs
30. scones Quiche Lorraine Scones (3/27/10), Orange Cranberry Scones (4/16/10), Maple-Oatmeal Scones (7/5/10), Strawberry Scones
31. biscuits
32. english muffins
33. muffins Orange Blueberry (4/16/10), Raspberry Muffins (6/6/11)
34. banana bread (new flavor) Chocolate Peanut Banana Bread (3/23/10); Coconut Macadamia Banana Bread (2/16/11)
35. gingerbread
36. pound cake Browned Butter Pound Cake - Ice Cream Petit Fours (8/27/10)

Pastries
37. turnovers
38. baklava (6/27/11)
39. cream puffs Croquembouche (5/27/10)
40. eclairs
41. pecan tassies
42. strudel

Spoon Desserts
43. pudding Traditional British Puddings (4/27/10)
44. mousse Chocolate Marscarpone Mousse - Pavlovas (6/27/10), Maple Mousse (4/27/11)
45. rice/bread pudding
46. trifle Raspberry/Lemon and Chocolate Pudding Trifles (1/29/11), Brownie Trifle (6/16/11)
47. tiramisu
48. torte
49. parfait
50. creme brulee
51. souffle

Cookies
52. gingerbread cookies
53. surprise cookies
54. macarons
55. macaroons
56. thumbprint cookies
57. pinwheel/spiral cookies
58. cream wafers
59. stained glass cookies
60. shortbread Dipped Shortbread (5/22/11)
61. biscotti
62. gingersnaps
63. french lace cookies
64. sugar cookies w/royal icing Valentine Sugar Cookies (2/14/10), Spring Flowers (3/30/10), Fall Themed Cookies (9/27/10)
65. skillet cookie
66. cookie bowl Edible Cookie Bowl (4/27/11)

Brownies/Bars
67. blondies Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies (3/11/09)
68. rocky road brownies
69. caramel macadamia nut brownies
70. marbled brownies Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies (3/26/10)
71. lemon bars
72. rice krispy treats (new flavor) Scotcharoos (4/18/11)

Cakes
73. peanut butter cup cake (3/14/10)
74. black forest cake Black Forest Cupcakes (10/12/10)
75. midnight cake
76. spice cake Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle (10/22/10)
77. german chocolate cake
78. angel food cake Mini Angel Food Cake (3/20/10)
79. bundt cake Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle (10/22/10)
80. six layer cake Six Layer Rainbow Cake (6/1/10)
81. checkerboard cake Raspberry Checkerboard Cake (5/18/11)
82. better than sex cake
83. red velvet cake
84. boston cream pie
85. pineapple upside down cake
86. cake roll
87. madeleines
88. petit fours Ice Cream Petit Fours (8/27/10)
89. specialty cupcakes Mint Chocolate Chip w/Mint Swiss Buttercream (3/8/10), Tiramisu Cupcakes (4/12/10)
90. black bottom cupcakes

Tarts
91. tartlets Caramel-Hazelnut Mini Tartlets (5/1/10)
92. fruit tart

Pies
93. lattice topped pie
94. meringue pie
95. cream pie Triple Coconut Cream Mini Pies (4/25/10)
96. pecan pie
97. mini fruit pies

Frozen
98. ice cream cake Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake (7/27/10)
99. thick milkshakes
100. homemade ice cream (new flavor) Toasted Almond and Candied Cherry (7/27/10), Vanilla/Chocolate - both custard based (7/27/10)

Miscellaneous Desserts
101. popcorn balls
102. jello jigglers
103. peanut brittle

Miscellaneous
104. homemade dog treats
105. applesauce
106. eggs benedict
107. aebelskivers Apple (2/6/11)
108. pancakes (new flavors) Apple Pancakes (3/19/10), Pumpkin Pancakes (10/31/10)
109. baked stuffed french toast
110. crepes