HAPPY EASTER!

Here's pictures of the carrot cake I made for Easter!

Julie's Birthday Cake

Nate's Reese's Cake

One of Nate's favorite candies is a Reese's Peanut Butter cup. So for Valentines Day I thought I would make him a Chocolate cake with a peanut butter cream filling and a cream cheese frosting! I have to say, this is my new favorite addition lol.

Chocolate Cake:

Ingredients:
Butter to coat your pan
1/2 (4-ounce) semisweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
1/2 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups firmly packed Light Brown Sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water


Preparation:
1. Coat 2 (10-inch) round cake pans with butter and dust with flour. Line bottoms of pans with wax paper; grease wax paper with butter, and set aside.

2. Melt chocolates in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.

3. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.

4. Sift together cake flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in 1 cup boiling water. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

5. Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Filling:

Ingredients:
2 cups of creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream

1. Cream together PB and butter.

2. Slowly add powdered sugar and cream; alternating off and on until all is combined. Set aside.

Frosting:

Ingredients:
1 pound of powdered sugar
1/2 cup of butter, at room temperature
2(8oz) pkg of cream cheese, at room temperature
Heavy cream

1. Combine butter and cream cheese until smooth.

2. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until combined.
*You might need to add a little cream after about half of your sugar has been added. This will make the frosting not chunky.

3. Once sugar is added, slowly combined in cream, 1 T. at a time until you have a smooth, creamy frosting.


Bringing It All Together:

1. Once cake is completely cool, cut it into 2 layers. Gently spread the peanut butter filling over the bottom layer and then top with the other layer of cake.

2. Frost with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!