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

It feels so good to be back. I love vacation, but I'm a big homebody and always love coming home. My sister and her husband invited us for the 4th of July and boy was it a feast. Her husband broke out the famous smoker and made salmon, chicken and pulled pork. We had some great classic side dishes and because the 4th of July also happens to be my sister's birthday I had to make her a cake. I was so excited to break out my Sky High Irresistible Triple Layer Cake book. Every recipe in here looks so delicious I am just waiting for more opportunities to make them. She chose a delicious chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting.

Anyone that knows me also knows when I get too tired you might as well forget about it. Well, who knows what I was thinking but I decided to make this cake at night and lets just say I forgot 2 crucial ingredients. Totally embarrassing, but the cake luckily was still okay and the frosting more than made up for it. It had the perfect amount of peanut butter so it wasn't overwhelming at all and just so creamy and delicious. The cake was moist and dense like a devil's food cake and I will for sure be making this again just to redeem myself. I know it will be even that much better made the right way. We didn't have 3 pans so we just used 2 9" pans and it worked great. If you have a peanut butter/chocolate lover in your family you've got to try this one. Just make sure you're wide awake!

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

Sky High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 sugar

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch Process (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soy bean, or vegetable blend

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups water

2 tbsp distilled white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

Peanut Butter Frosting

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

1/2 c. chopped peanut brittle (couldn't find this so left it out)

For the Cake:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8 in. round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

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.

Bake for 30-35 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.

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

10 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick, 4 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature

5 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

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.

Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended. Makes about 5 cups

For the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze:

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 c. half and half (next time I might add a tad more as it was a little thick)

In the top of a 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.

Remove from heat and whisk in the half and half beating until smooth. Use while still warm. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

To frost the cake:

To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 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.

To decorate with the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake 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. Makes 3 8 inch layer cakes. Serves 12-16.