Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

I was in charge of birthday cake at work this month and since one of my birthday co-workers favorite things is peanut butter and chocolate, I decided to go ahead and make this peanut butter chocolate cake. I ended up making it in a 9 by 13 pan to guarantee some extra slices, but it would be best as a round cake with layers. This turned out pretty tasty, most of my co-workers favorite part was the peanut butter cream cheese frosting, which would be great on top of any boxed vanilla, yellow, or chocolate cake.

Ingredients

Cake:

2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
About 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk

Peanut butter filling:

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Topping:

1 canister of chocolate fudge frosting
2 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour 2 round 9-in. cake pans.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and peanut butter until creamy. Crack eggs into a small dish (do not beat) and add vanilla. Add eggs to the butter mixture 1 at a time, scraping down the inside of the bowl as needed. Beat in flour mixture and milk in alternating batches, starting and ending with the flour and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Invert onto a rack, remove pans, and let cool to room temperature, at least 40 minutes.
Make filling: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth and fluffy.
Make chocolate top: In a glass bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butter and water. Microwave the chocolate chips for 15 seconds, stir, then another 15 seconds, stir until smooth.
Assemble cake: Dollop 1 tbsp. peanut butter filling onto a cake stand (to hold cake in place). Place 1 cake layer on stand. Spread with remaining peanut butter filling. Top with second cake layer. Starting with the top, then working down the sides, frost cake with fudge frosting. Decorate the top edge with candy pieces. Enjoy!