Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Chocolate and peanut butter...

With the oven back, we are able to continue on with baking for the weekly Wednesday Treat Day that Jeff does for his co-workers. I've heard through the grapevine that some sly people have figured out that we post the treats the day before Jeff brings them in and they come to sneak a peak at what Jeff will be bringing... hmm, I wonder if we should play a trick on them one day!

For a change of pace (and I wanted to make full use of the oven), I opted to make a cake. Not just any cake, but a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bundt Cake.

This is not a dull chocolate cake flavored with peanut butter, but an intense and rich double chocolate cake with a sweet and thick hidden ring of luscious creamy peanut butter mixed with cream cheese. Two forms of chocolate, natural cocoa powder and chopped bittersweet chocolate, make for a dark cloak to off-set the light filling.

Sour cream is used in the cake batter which keeps the cake extremely moist. Between making the filling, the batter, combining them and the baking, it does take quite a while from start to finish, but the joy of eating a sliver certainly made up for it. I'll be sending along some whipped cream and chopped peanuts if they wish to gild the lily, but I thought this cake needed nothing else but a fork.

On to dinner tonight... we heated things up tonight with a dish of Rice and Corn Cakes with Spicy Black Beans. To make things easy, instant brown rice is used to form the base of the cakes. To perk up the flavor of the rice when it cooks, scallions, garlic and fresh thyme are added before the water comes to a boil. Once the rice is done, corn kernels and fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs are added and the mixture sits to cool down for a couple minutes. This mixture is then mashed with a couple eggs to bind to together. I found the mixture to be pretty loose, but I was still able to form them into cakes and get them in the pan without falling apart. They are then cooked until each side achieves a golden crisp crust. While they brown, a mixture of drained black beans and salsa (use whatever kind/heat level you wish - I used Trader Joe's Chipotle and Lime salsa... it is quite spicy!) is warmed in small saucepan to be served with the cakes. The moist cakes with the spicy beans made for a very filling dinner that left our tastebuds dancing around to cool off.

18 comments:

  1. The cake looks amazing, and your cake pan desing is beautiful Joe!!!
    Ana

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  2. Wow that cake looks incredible! And dinner's not to shabby either. I love black beans.

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  3. That cake looks totally sinful Joe....OK, where does Jeff work? I need to get a job there....I want to be at Wednesday Treat Day!
    Val

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  4. That is probably my favorite cake.

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  5. I would've pondered putting one of those hershey's penutbutter swirl kisses on top for presentation :)

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  6. Merci Jeff,

    wonderful recipe. I hope they enjoy. I would. Can I move next to you.

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  7. This cake looks so gooood!!!!But for some reason I can't open the recipe. I can open the other one on the same post but not this one. Anywhere else I can see it? Pleeeeze! I've got to have it!!!!!

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  8. That cake looks awesome! I have to make a birthday cake Sunday...I may have to try this one!

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  9. The cake looks too pretty to eat...almost ;)

    -- Miriam

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  10. Oh, that looks like a very good reason to dust off the bundt cake pan. I haven't used it sine having a few cakes stick, but I might have to get it out again.

    You're right - PB and chocolate is a no-fail combination.

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  11. That cake - yum! What a neat looking bundt pan. I think I would like to eat it...

    Those patties look good for dessert too.. haha.

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  12. Ana - I like that cake pan too!

    Barbara - I am still surprised how much we are liking beans now!

    Val - He expands his "distribution" list pretty often from what I hear - I guess word travels around that his co-workers are getting treats now!

    Krista - It moved up near the top of the list for us!

    wheresmymind - maybe!

    Helene - I hope they liked it too!

    Isveco - I sent you a note!

    Patti - Let me know if you try it!

    Miriam - True! But you couldn't have stopped me from having a piece!

    Alysha - How do you prepare your pan? I find the baking sprays with flour work the best - I haven't had a stuck cake yet.

    Lauren - Thanks!

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  13. It's time for a bundt cake revival! Not that they ever went out of style.

    That one looks particularly good, Joe.

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  14. What a gorgeous Bundt cake! Jeff's coworkers sure are lucky.

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  15. Hi Joe.

    Thanks - I will give the baking sprays a try.

    I had switched to preparing pans with shortening a while back because that seemed to work best for me when I was doing Wilton cakes for the kids.

    However, nothing seems to help my bundt pan, so I think I may just get a new pan and see what happens. It used to work fine and then I had troubles with it - perhaps something happened to the finish...

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  16. Anna - I need more pans, it's fun to play with the shapes.

    Tracy - Thank you!

    Alysha - It should work well with the spray with flour combination... Do you let them sit to cool or remove them soon after they leave the oven?

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  17. Joe, do you subscribe to CL? if not, how do you come across these recipes.

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  18. Randi - I have a friend that sends me clippings occasionally!

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