Peanut Butter Passion Cake

♥ ♥ ♥ Sweet love ♥ ♥ ♥

What better way to celebrate the day of Love than with something sweet from a cake called Peanut Butter Passion Cake. This cake popped up from the most unlikely places. Facebook. When I clicked the ad from my homepage, it lead me to this recipe from Just a Pinch Recipe Club. This entry is from Melissa, and when I saw what the cake looked like, OMG. I saved the recipe just for Valentine's Day. This cake is very rich and dense. And if you're a chocolate and peanut butter lover, this is another one for 'ya.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Do something sweet for your sweet :)

Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup coffee, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round pans. Set aside

2) In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3) In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract on medium speed until well blended. Slowly add flour mixture in the bowl, alternating with the coffee and buttermilk. Continue beating over medium speed for 2-3 minutes.

4) Divide and pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan to cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese frosting
8 oz (1 package) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
12 oz non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, for garnish
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups, for garnish
1/4 cup prepared chocolate frosting, melted

1) In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectioner's sugar over medium speed until smooth.

2) Using a spatula, fold in whipped topping until well combined. Chill frosting for an our to overnight. Frosting will have the consistency of mousse.

3)  Frost cooled cake. Press cookie crumbs around the side of the cake. Top cake with chopped peanut butter cups. Drizzle melted chocolate frosting over peanut butter cups. Chill until serving time.