Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake... Milk Required

It was Thursday afternoon. We were sitting outside on our campus academic quad drooling over kitchen aid mixtures online on Jessie's computer. Realizing this beautiful piece of machinery was a distant dream, we got out the 1970s electric hand mixer and made ourselves feel better with this beauty:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. Yum. The cake is simple enough, it does require cake flour (to substitute you'll need 2 tablespoons cornstarch for every 1 cup flour), and you also better run out to the store and buy a couple gallons of milk; it is a necessity. Dense, rich layers of peanut butter chocolate marbled cake, decadent chocolate fudge frosting, and plentiful chocolate chips mixed in... this is an indulgence you won't want to miss.

recipe by Spache the Spatula

ingredients

cake:

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

frosting:

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• scant 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

• bag of mini chocolate chips to garnish

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for about 5 minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add in the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour.
5. Remove half of the batter and place in another bowl. Beat the peanut butter into one half, and the melted chocolate into the other half.
6. Pour the peanut butter mixture into half of each prepared pan, then divide the chocolate mixture between the other sides of the pans. Using a butter knife, swirl the batters together. There's no "right" way, so have fun!
7. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean Cool for about 10 minutes before turning the cakes onto a wore rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, salt and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Boil for about 1 minute until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the mixture (with a sieve) into a small bowl and then cool completely. Feel free to pop it in the freezer for a bit.
   
2. Beat the butter in a medium-sized bowl until creamy. Add in the cooked flour/cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Finally add in the melted chocolate and beat until combined.
3. Spread the frosting onto the cake layers. In between layers toss on the chocolate chips then cover the top of the cake with chocolate chips as well.