Chocolate Cakes

This chocolate cake with fluffy raspberry filling and rich chocolate butter cream is a gem I found on one of my favorite bloggedy blogs, Saucys Sprinkles. She claims the chocolate butter cream is to die for. . . um yup, pretty much! The cake is just a tricked out cake mix. Saucy explains what to do. So for those of you who prefer simplicity but love great flavor, give it a try!

The chocolate shavings are pretty easy too. Melt some chocolate in the microwave (chocolate chips, a Hershey bar, it doesn't matter, whatever you have!) Spread a thin layer of melted chocolate onto a sheet of wax paper. Let it set back up (stick it in the freezer for a minute or two if you're in a hurry, but shh, don't tell anyone I said to do that. Most chocolate connoisseurs would gasp at the idea!) Now take a metal spatula, turn it upside down and scrape the chocolate off of the wax paper. It should come up in big sheets that you can brake apart.

This is a chocolate peanut butter cup cake. The chocolate cake is a secret recipe that belongs to my neighba lady. She gave it to me and swore me to secrecy! She's been baking it for over 50 years, so I guess she has the right to her secret! I'll just say that it is hands down the BEST scratch cake I have ever had the pleasure of eating. . . allow me to let you drool over it.
Rich, moist chocolate cake slathered with fudgy ganache, filled with fluffy decadent peanut butter cream, all stacked up and surrounded in irresistible chocolate butter cream, topped with peanut butter cups and chocolate ganache. Sound good? Oh it was!!
Okay, so I can't give you the cake recipe (although. . .if you're local I can make you one) but I can share the peanut butter fluffy stuff!

Peanut Butter Cream

1/2 C Butter, softened
1/2 C Peanut Butter
2 C Powdered Sugar
1 t vanilla

Cream together the butter and peanut butter, add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar until well combined. Turn mixer up to med high and let it whip for about 2 minutes. Now it's ready to fill a cake, or spread on top of cupcakes or just eat plain. . . you get the idea.

Chocolate Ganache

1 C semi sweet chocolate chips

3 T heavy cream

Combine ingredients and melt in microwave at reduced power for 30 seconds. Stir, repeat until chocolate is completely melted. Now stir, stir, stir. . .until glossy and cream is completely mixed in. This is just plain HEAVEN on anything!