2010 with 2009's Last Dessert

  Hello again everyone.  I thought for my first blog in 2010, I would use the last thing that I baked in 2009.  I am not much of a sweets baker nor much of a sweets eater.  For Christmas Dinner my Mother cooked a most fabulous ham and I offered my Scalloped Potatoes and also to make the dessert.  (My Dad has the sweet tooth in our family.) So in my search for something different I came across a very old cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens "Treasury of Baking Recipes" circa 1978, yes 31 years old.  Well in it I found this recipe for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake.  As Rachel Ray would say "YUMMO"! 

Ingredients for Cake
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 1oz. squares of unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups milk

Combine butter and peanut butter; cream or beat together with the sugar.  Blend vanilla, three 1oz squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled, in with the eggs.  Add egg mixture to sugar mixture and beat at medium speed till light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape bowl frequently.  Thoroughly stir together flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating at low speed after each addition.  Turn batter into greased and lightly floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till cake tests done.  Allow to cool thoroughly while making the frosting.

Ingredients for Frosting
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk

Cream together 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla.  When creamed together and light and fluffy; add 1 1/4 cups additional powdered sugar alternatelywith the milk.  If necessary, blend in a little additional milkby tespoons to make speading consistency. 
When cake is completely cooled frost with Peanut Butter Frosting.

Ingredients for Chocolate Glaze
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon butter

Heat toghether the semisweet chocolate and the butter.  Drizzle over Peanut Butter Frosting.  Cut unto bars or diamonds.  Makes 12 to 14 servings.

I must add that the recipe called for chunky peanut butter and I preferred to use creamy.  I also upped the amount in the frosting from the 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup for more peanutty goodness.  And I must also tell you that this cake is VERY sweet, we had to cut our slices in half to eat.  Therefore having many more servings than we originally thought.  Enjoy.

Mike and Carla