Would you make your own?

I don't get a chance to make cakes very often and I love when I get to. In fact, I think the last cake I made was the Mickey cake for Jeff's birthday. So... today I went ahead and made my own bithday cake - Do/would you make your own or would you rather buy it?

Since you know I am a big fan of peanut butter, of course I was going to have a Peanut Butter Cake! I've never made a peanut butter cake before, but I am quite pleased with how it turned out. It has a distinct peanut buttery flavor, is quite moist, and baked very even with no "dome" to trim off. Although... it would have been fun to have that dome to trim off and nibble on!

I thought for awhile about how I was going to frost and fill it, but I decided to just keep it pretty simple and do a chocolate buttercream. I was afraid the chocolate might overpower the peanut flavor, but the cake really held it's own. To give a texture difference and some more peanut taste, I scattered some chopped peanuts on top. I wanted to have some fun with the outside decoration, so I tried to do my first basketweave on the sides. My piping skills could definitely use some improvement and the frosting was probably a touch too thick, but it went okay I guess. Next time I make this cake (and I will so be doing this one again), I might try a peanut butter mousse filling with a smooth chocolate ganache frosting.

I don't mind sharing - would you like a slice?

Tonight's dinner was something Jeff and I had been talking about making for awhile. While it is pretty simple, it was so darn good. Using a new recipe for Beef Meatballs, we made Cheesy Meatball Subs. I baked the meatballs in the oven so they kept their shape well while they cooked. When they were done, I simmered them in some fresh chunky marinara and then spooned them over lightly toasted rolls. We topped them with provolone and then set under the broiler to melt the cheese. The meatballs have a bit of spice to them and were very flavorful. I served these with some baked tortilla chips.

Recipes
Beef Meatballs
Peanut Butter Cake