Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

Yes, the name is a mouthful, but so is the taste! I recently made this cake for a friends birthday and it was a HIT!!! The ganache glaze really adds something special, so don't skip it. As for the cake, it is probably the moistest chocolate cake recipe I've ever eaten. And the best part is, it only takes one bowl and a spoon/whisk to make it. Easy clean up.

A few tips... I made the cakes a day in advance and then wrapped them in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. It made them MUCH easier to work with the next day (this is a pretty soft cake). Also, if you grease your cake pans, then line the bottom with parchment paper, the cakes will come right out of the pan (you might have to take a knife around the edges is all).

Next time you need a "special" cake... give this one a try. (Just a note... I made this chocolate cake recipe again the other day, but instead layered it with cream and strawberries and it was amazing as well.)

(Sorry the picture is sub-par.)

Adapted, only barely, from Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes (I got it from Smitten Kitchen)
This cake is INTENSE. Serve it in the thinnest slices possible, and keep a glass of milk handy.
Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16 (the book says, I say a heck of a lot more)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Deb note 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

Peanut Butter Frosting
 - Makes about 5 cups
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze - 
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Blackberry Lime Muffins

These are quite possibly my new favorite muffins... you MUST MAKE!!! (Recipe courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 2 limes
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blackberries
Turbinado sugar-for sprinkling on muffins before baking (I used regular granulated sugar and it was great)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 9 paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

3. In a small bowl, add the sugar and lime zest. Rub sugar and zest together until fragrant. Add sugar and zest to the flour mixture. Whisk ingredients together.

4. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, mix canola oil, egg, buttermilk, lime juice, and vanilla extract together.

5. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture. Slowly stir together, the batter will be thick. Don’t over mix. Gently fold in the blackberries.

6. Fill 9 muffin cups with the batter. Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar.

7. Bake muffins for 17-20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool on a cooking rack.

*Note-you can use frozen berries, but try to use fresh blackberries. They make these muffins extra special. This recipe only makes 9 muffins, feel free to double it.

Makes 9 regular size muffins

Katie's Mac N Cheese

Tried it. 

LOVED it!!

Plus, it was super easy!

I used all sweet potato, which was delicious, but I might try a half & half concoction next time. There seems to be plenty of room to play around with this one. And if you're skeptical about whether your kids will detect the veggies, they won't.  Just leave out the mushrooms if they don't eat mushrooms & puree the veggies really smooth (we loved the mushrooms, btw). Brandon couldn't tell, until he saw the leftover sweet potato on the counter and clued in. The cheese sauce (at least mine was) was pretty thick, so I thinned it with a little pasta water, but you could use some more milk, too, if that's your thing. I also think you could do 2.5 maybe even 3 C of pasta if you add the pasta to the cheese sauce gradually and stop when your heart desires.

I am definitely making this one again!

Asian Lettuce Rolls

Ingredients:

*2 packages (3 oz. each) chicken-flavored ramen noodles

*2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken

*1 each: red and yellow bell peppers

*1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops

*2 tablespoons reduced -sodium soy sauce

* 2 teaspoons Asian Seasoning Mix (by pc, but they suggest using oriental flavored ramen to substitute)
*2 teaspoons vegetable oil

*1 garlic clove, pressed (or me...1/8 tsp. garlic powder)
*1 1/2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root, pressed (or me again...1/4 tsp ground ginger)
*1 medium cucumber, scored, seeded and thinly sliced
*2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips
*1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
*24 Boston lettuce leaves (couldn't find in store, substituted with green leaf lettuce)
*1 jar (11.5 oz.) sweet and sour sauce

Directions:

1. Cook the ramen noodles as directed ( break each block of noodles into quarters). Drain noodles and rinse under cold water.

2. Slice tops and bottoms off bell peppers; remove stems and chop tops and bottoms of bell peppers. Set center portions of bell peppers aside. Place noodles, chicken, chopped bell peppers and green onions in bowl.

3. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, seasoning mix, and oil. Add garlic and ginger. Pour over noodle mixture in large bowl; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate.

4. Slice reserved bell peppers into thin strips. Thinly slice cucumber. Cut carrots into julienne strips. To serve, spoon noodle salad into medium bowl; sprinkle with peanuts, if desires. Place bell peppers, cucumber, carrots and sweet and sour sauce into small bowls. To serve, top each lettuce leaf with noodle salad and vegetables. Drizzle with sweet and sour sauce and roll-up.

Yields 8 servings.

Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese

This is for you mac and cheese peeps, both with children and without. We could all use a few more vegetables in our diet, right? And what better way than smothered in cheese and pasta? With that, I give you a recipe that I have modified from Jessica Seinfeld's Creamy Macaroni and Cheese recipe. (You should know... I rarely measure anything these days unless I'm baking. So the amount below should be close to what I used, but really I just sort of threw general quantities in the pan, and certainly didn't measure the seasonings.)

Ingredients:

2ish cups macaroni (or if you’re me... whole wheat or barilla PLUS penne or something like that)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup nonfat skim milk
1+ cups butternut squash, sweet potato, or cauliflower puree (I used 1/2 cup-ish each of sweet potato and cauliflower)
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces) (USE MILD OR MEDIUM CHEDDAR, NOT SHARP)
4 ounces (almost 1/4 cup) reduced-fat or nonfat cream cheese
sauteed mushrooms with garlic salt and pepper (one 8 oz container sliced)... (you could certainly leave these out if your young ones, etc. won't enjoy them, personally I LOVED this addition, either way, a little garlic salt is a good idea... it added something special to the mac 'n cheese flavor)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika (I forgot to add this and it was still good.)
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander.

While the macaroni is cooking, heat a pan and add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable puree, cheddar, cream cheese and seasonings and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm WITH BROCCOLI!!!