Dark Chocolate Wacky Cake with Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting

Wow, my last post here was more than a month ago. Sometimes life just happens, you know? But one of the really exciting things that has been taking up my time is real estate hunting. Yes, Big Man and I are close to choosing a great piece of land to buy so we can start building our home! We are so excited to be moving forward with our dream and amazed by the blessings God has poured out upon us. I’m looking forward to getting back to blogging more often and including posts about the progress of our home-building adventure! But in the meantime, I do have a fantastic chocolate-and-peanut-butter treat to share with you.

When I made this cake I didn’t really intend to post about it; I just wanted an easy recipe that didn’t require lots of ingredients or steps. I figured I’d get a tasty dessert, but it since it wasn’t really creative or beautiful it wouldn’t end up on the blog. But then Big Man and I ate some and agreed that it is possibly that best cake I’ve ever made, so I knew I had to share it here.

This cake is the perfect example of two good things coming together and creating something outstanding. The cake is simple and mixed right in the baking pan, so there is almost no cleanup. I used dark cocoa powder to add a deep chocolate flavor, and the cake’s light texture is a perfect complement to the rich frosting. Speaking of frosting, what happens when you take simple peanut butter frosting and broil it? Magic happens. Pure magic. The flavor takes on great complexity and the top gets a crispy sugar shell reminiscent of creme bruleé. Plus watching the frosting in the oven as it bubbles like sugar-lava is really fun!

If you are a chocolate and peanut butter fan, I hope you’ll try this version of the classic combination. The balance of dark chocolate cake and decadent peanut butter frosting is really spectacular. Plus, this recipe is simple, fast, and full of inexpensive staple ingredients. It’s definitely at the top of our favorite desserts list and I know I’ll be baking this cake again in the very near future.

Dark Chocolate Wacky Cake (adapted from Big Red Kitchen)

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3 rounded Tbs. dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbs. white vinegar

5 Tbs. butter, melted & cooled

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 cup cold milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9-inch-square pan, whisk together the flour, salt, cocoa powder, sugar, and baking soda. Make three evenly spaced wells. Pour the vinegar into one well, the butter into another, and the vanilla into the third. Pour the milk over the entire pan and stir until everything is well combined and there are no dry spots.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting (adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup coconut oil*

*I used refined coconut oil because I didn’t want any coconut taste to compete with the peanut butter. You could substitute vegetable shortening for the coconut oil

Combine the ingredients in a stand mixer and mix until extremely smooth (we’re talking no lumps at all). I used the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes.

Pour/spread the frosting onto the cooled cake.

Set the oven to broil and place the cake on the middle rack. Broil for 2-4 minutes, or until deep golden brown, watching very closely to prevent burning. I actually stand next the oven and hold to door open a crack so I can watch the whole time. The frosting can go from perfectly broiled to burnt in about 10 seconds.

Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving, otherwise the frosting will be too runny.

Enjoy!

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PPQ: Berry Pie Bars

It’s my week to host Project Pastry Queen and I picked the Blackberry Pie Bars recipe. Little did I realize that this is nearly identical to the Berry Pie Bars recipe I have already posted, which I adapted from Joy the Baker. I guess this whole pie-in-bar-form idea is popular! Oh well, these bars are a fantastic dessert so I didn’t mind repeating the recipe. You can click here to see how the other PPQ members fared with the recipe.

I actually love to bake pie, but it’s a time- and labor-intensive process so I only bake pies for holidays. These bars, on the other hand, are really easy to make and serve, so they are great for a casual weeknight dessert. (Just make sure you leave enough time to defrost the berries if you are using frozen ones). I made the recipe as directed except for a couple small changes:

~ I used salted butter (all I had in the fridge) and omitted the additional salt in the crust.

~ I used a combination of frozen blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries (again, what I had on hand).

These bars are awesome. The crust has a bit of sweetness and nice texture, and the filling is that perfect blend of sweet and tart. Add a crumb topping and the result is perfection. I hope you’ll try these out soon and enjoy them as much as we do!

Berry Pie Bars (slightly adapted from The Pastry Queen, Rebecca Rather)

Crust/Topping

3 cups flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Filling

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup flour

Pinch of salt

2 (16 oz.) packages frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained

Crust/Topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan with butter or cooking spray. Using either a food processor with the metal blade or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and sugar. Add the chilled butter cubes and process/mix until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1-1/2 cups of the mixture for the topping. Press the rest into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 12-18 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool at least 10 minutes.

Filling: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, and salt and combine. Gently fold in the berries. Carefully pour the mixture over the crust (you might have to even out the berry distribution). Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned (I baked mine for 60 minutes and I probably could have let it go another 5). Cool at least 2 hours before cutting into bars.

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Chicken and Corn Chowder

I know, I’ve been absent from the blog lately. It’s not my fault: it’s because of them! You know, the Little Ones. The cutest, most lovable little people in the world, who also have this amazing ability to transform into black holes consuming all their parents’ time and energy. Yeah, it’s been one of those weeks. Those times where I feel like my life has become a constant game of catch-up, revolving around feeding and cleaning and laundry and answering endless questions. Those days when I make mac ‘n’ cheese from a box for dinner and count it as a victory because I didn’t order a pizza.

But it’s not all bad. “Those days” still come with hugs from Big Man and kisses and snuggles from the Little Ones. Plus an excuse to eat extra chocolate because “it helps me de-stress.”

Do you like my non-matching bowls?

I’m always looking for easy recipes are doable on a weeknight but not full of pre-processed ingredients. Fortunately, I recently found Pioneer Woman’s Corn Chowder recipe and after tweaking it quite a bit for my family’s tastes it is now a go-to weeknight dinner. One of my favorite summer foods is fresh corn, and I love how this soup highlights the sweetness with just the right about of background spice. Did I mention it also has bacon?! My version of the recipe is scaled down from the original and feeds 2 adults and 1 toddler perfectly. I’ve been serving it with homemade biscuits, but it would be lovely with a salad as well. So if you are looking for a great summer soup that’s easy even on a weeknight, I hope you will try this one out.

P.S. This post is linked-up at this week’s Company Girl Coffee

Chicken and Corn Chowder (adapted from Pioneer Woman) Serves 2-3

2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 large yellow onion, diced

3 ears fresh corn, shucked

1/2 red bell pepper, hulled and diced

2 Tablespoons white wine

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies

1 (14 oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 Tablespoon corn meal

1/8 cup water

Slice the corn kernels off the cob. The easiest way I’ve found to do this is to make a “stand” with a small bowl placed upside down in a larger bowl. Hold the cob upright with the larger end braced on the “stand” and slice downwards. That way you can keep the cob steady and the kernels fall neatly into the bowl (instead of flying all over your kitchen).

Place a medium pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add bacon. Cook until the fat is rendered and bacon is cooked to your desired crispiness. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces to a paper-towel-covered plate to drain, and set aside.

Add the chicken to the pot and cook in the bacon fat until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add the onion to the pot and cook in the bacon fat (add a pat of butter if needed) until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes more.

Add the corn and stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any brown bits (a.k.a. FLAVOR) on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken back in, and stir to combine.

Add the chili powder, salt, pepper, chicken broth, green chilies, and cream. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk corn meal together with water. Stir into the soup, cover, and simmer on low for another 10 minutes until thickened slightly. Stir in the cooked bacon from earlier and serve immediately.

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