Peanut Butter Cake

 I'm always looking for new and different cake recipes. I'm also always looking for new peanut butter recipes since my friend Katie is always asking for something peanut butter. Seriously, sometimes I think that girl needs an intervention, but I digress. Anyway, CLEARLY it was fate that I should discover this recipe.
 First, let me just say that I would like to buy a vowel because....O..... MY..... GOD. Just wait until you taste this cake! It's like a Reese's Cup in the form of a cake! How delicious is that?
 I LOVE the fact that it uses so much peanut butter. Did you ever see a recipe that only includes, like, maybe a 1/4 cup of the key ingredient? What's that about? If I'm gonna have a peanut butter cake, I want it to have A LOT of peanut butter in it! Don't you agree? More is more! The same is true for the ganache. I think the original recipe only had a little peanut butter in it, but it seemed to me that the chocolate was covering the peanut butter taste, so I added more. Actually, I think I just added the rest of the jar of peanut butter. (which is why it says "or more" in the ganache portion of the recipe).
 I made this cake when I went to my Jeanie's house for dinner. It was a big hit! Kristin was an immediate fan, and Rick LOVED the ganache. I know I always say how delicious every recipe is, but seriously, this is one of the BEST cake recipes I've ever posted. Like, I'm not even kidding. And it's as easy to make as it is delicious. If you have any peanut butter lovers in your life, then you DEFINITELY need to give this one a try!

1 1/4 cups smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Heat oven to 325°.
Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan.
In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat peanut butter and butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a bowl. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture along with half of the buttermilk. Slowly beat until well blended then add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and the remaining buttermilk. Beat until blended then slowly beat in remaining dry ingredients. Beat until smooth and well blended. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake bounces back when lightly tapped.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes then carefully remove from the pan and invert on a baking rack.
Glaze with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache.


3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup corn syrup
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
pinch of salt
1/4 cup (or more) creamy peanut butter

In a saucepan, combine the cream and corn syrup. Bring to a simmer, add chocolate and salt, and remove from heat. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in the peanut butter until well blended.
 Spoon the warm chocolate mixture over the cooled cake, letting excess drip down the sides. If you have any extra ganache, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Then just warm it and use as a sauce for pound cake or ice cream.

Tips:
Be careful not to over bake your cake. If you do, it might become too dry. 
In addition to the peanut butter, the key to this recipe is the salt. Don't omit it! It brings out the sweetness of the chocolate and really enhances the flavor of the peanut butter.
Be creative! You can pair this cake with all sorts of things. Try adding diced (not mashed) bananas to the batter just before you pour it into the pan, or garnish your cake with sliced bananas.
Another yummy variation would be a Peanut Butter and Jelly cake. Instead of making the ganache, just add a few drops of water to some grape jam, then glaze the cooled cake with it. Easy!!
Oh here's an idea that just hit me.... I just might have to try baking this cake in two 9" round pans and then putting marshmallow creme between the layers. A Fluffernutter cake! Fabulous.