Chocolate & Peanut Butter Swirl Bundt Cake

Oh yes, I'm bringing the bundt cake back. Honestly I have a hard time finding things wrong with bundt cakes. For starters, the cake pan does most of the work. And if it looks or tastes bad, you can smother it with a glaze or frosting. Bundt cakes always seem to feed more and go farther than others. Mixing chocolate and peanut butter seemed the right approach to me, and hence this beautiful gem was born (borrowed).

A fairly straight forward recipe here, nothing much to it. And I bet most of you have the ingredients in your cupboards this very moment. As with most things I bake, I ate my small share (i.e. tax) and quickly gifted the rest away before I engaged in too much crumby behavior. 

Just in case you haven't been by his website page yet, Burt the Cat is doing great and getting into his pesky kitty phase. He's becoming quite the ham! Feel free to swing by and check out his plans to slowly take over the world (and drive me insane). 

Enjoy the baking, everyone! 

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Swirl Bundt Cake
Borrowed From: Hungry Couple

• 2 Cups all purpose flour, divided
• 2 Teaspoons baking powder, divided
• 1 Teaspoon baking soda, divided
• 1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 Cups sugar
• 3 Eggs 
• 2 Sticks unsalted butter
• 3/4 Cup water
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Cup peanut butter

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and eggs.  Add the butter and continue beating.  Add the water, vanilla and salt.  Divide the mixture evenly into two bowls.

Add the peanut butter to one bowl, beat until smooth and fold in the first bowl of flour, baking powder and baking soda.To the second bowl, fold in the flour mixture with the cocoa powder.

Butter and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.  Add half the peanut butter batter to the pan, followed by half the chocolate batter, followed by the second half of the peanut butter batter and topped off with the final half of the chocolate batter.  Using a butter knife, gently swirl the batters together but do not over mix.  

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Allow to cool very well before removing from the pan.  Makes approximately 10 servings.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

As some of you know, my life has been turned upside down over the past few months. Major changes have affected the course of the future and I have faced my fair share of struggles. First and foremost, a big heartfelt thanks to everyone out there who has lent me their shoulder, ear, and kind words during this transition. I promise to keep bribing you with baked goods!

A few weeks ago I had another foodie order, this time for vanilla cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream frosting for someone's birthday. With this challenge at hand, off I went to dig up something tasty and inevitably put together these goodies using a Martha Stewart recipe for the cupcakes and a Food.com recipe for the frosting. Even thought I didn't receive any feedback from the folks who received the cupcakes, I am fairly confident this is the best vanilla cupcake recipe I've ever made and the peanut butter buttercream frosting was to die for!

On a side note, please be on the lookout soon for a special posting collaboration I'm doing with Frosting For The Cause. It is a wonderful group doing good things to raise awareness of the fight against cancer and am very excited to be able to participate!

Vanilla Cupcakes 
Adapted from: Martha Stewart 

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature 
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups rice milk

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated; scrape down sides of bowl, and beat in vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
• Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from: Food.com

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, don't use old-fashioned or natural brand
• 1 1/8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 pinches table salt
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter and peanut butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Peanut Butter Jelly Bars

Every so often we all need some comfort food. A little hug from whatever is on your plate. Peanut Butter Jelly Bars are definitely on my comfort food list. I've surely eaten enough of these this week to feel comforted.

As a kid, baking was not part of our household. My mother would lie down if she suddenly had the urge to bake, waiting for the "fever to pass". Holidays usually involved wrangling me into the kitchen to take over cooking whatever my mother had a craving for, but didn't want to labor over. After a while I learned that if I was ever going to get home baked goods, they would have to come from a friend's house. And one of my childhood friend's mother used to make the best Peanut Butter Jelly Bars!

These are fabulously easy to make, very much a tasty treat, and something you should have in your baking arsenal. I didn't make too many changes to the original recipe, other than using walnuts and adding almond extract. There is definitely room to play around here, such as using different mixtures of peanut butter or almond butter as well as an array of different jam/jelly flavors to choose from. I can even foresee using banana slices/chips or even chocolate chips. Play around with the recipe and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Jelly Bars 
Adapted From: Lemons and Lavender

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 3/4 smooth peanut butter
• 3/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg, room temperature 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving 2-inch overhang around edges and pressing firmly into corners and up sides of pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray. 

Whisk flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter,  and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and continue to beat until well combined. Add egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract; beat on low speed until smooth. Add flour mixture; beat just to blend. I do the last bit of this by hand. Transfer half of dough to prepared pan (about scant 1-1/2 cups). Place remaining dough in freezer for 10 minutes. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan. Spread jelly over in even layer. Remove dough from freezer; using fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over jelly/jam layer. Sprinkle walnuts over.

Bake bars until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan on rack.
 

Peanut Butter Dark Chocholate Cupcakes

Another round of birthdays this week. Hell, this month. Which is fine by me, as it means more reason to bake. Although I attempted a late-night (drunkish) baking session last night, and promptly remembered why I shouldn't do that. Ha, a story for another time. ;)

This week's menu: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting. Mmmm, super rich and super sinful.

I picked up this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and have had nothing but positive feedback from taste testers. I didn't change anything in the recipe, however next time I think I would change things up a bit. The peanut butter frosting is a little intense; next time maybe the kaluha frosting from the White Russian Cupcakes. Also, I think the dark chocolate cupcake could improve with a little instant coffee for taste. Tinker around with your batch and share what you discover. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
From: Brown Eyed Baker

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup (1.5 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ¾ cup (3.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• ½ cup (4 ounces) lite sour cream

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325 degrees F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.

Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  1 cup creamy peanut butter
  5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.