Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Fudge Frosting is a reminder of long summer afternoons filled with sweet conversation and friendship.

Faint smudges of peanut butter, and hand-written notes on an old recipe, sent me to recreate a relaxed state of mind too often neglected.

Make this deliciously adult cake, call a special friend, and share.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

12 servings

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup Dutch Process coco powder
• Pinch ground allspice
• ¾ cup milk
• ¾ cup chopped roasted peanuts (unsalted)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with wax paper; butter paper.
3. In a large bowl, beat together peanut butter and butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
4. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt, coco powder, and allspice. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk to peanut butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour, and beat until just blended.
5. Stir in ½ cup chopped peanuts. Turn batter into prepared pans.
6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes, and then unmold onto wire racks and remove wax paper.
7. Invert cakes and let cool completely. Fill and frost.

Peanut Butter Fudge Frosting

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

• One, 1-ounce square sweetened chocolate
• ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
• 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 Tbsp milk

Method

1. In small glass bowl, microwave on medium chocolate 2 to 2 ½ minutes, or until softened, then stir until completely smooth. Let cool slightly.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together peanut butter and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth.
3. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Alternately add remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Add remaining 1 Tbsp milk, if necessary, for desired spreading consistency, and beat 1 minute longer.
4. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with lightly salted peanuts.
5. Freshly made peanut butter further enhances this wonderful dessert, but whether you use peanut butter fresh from the processor or fresh from the jar, this recipe will become a prize in your collection of good things to eat.