Soy Nut (Peanut) Butter Cup Cake

So we all remember the Chocolate River in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, right? I'll admit - I kind of wanted to be Augustus and get to take a drink of it. I know I'm not alone! So...this dessert kinda gives me that feeling - with a kick of nut butter just for fun :-)

Before I started making my own flour mix (Amy's Flour Mix), I attempted using Pamela's baking mix. I have heard WONDERFUL raves of how great the mix is; however, I stand by the statement: to each his own. In my experimental baking experience, I was not pleased with the taste or texture of other mixes, so I've been sticking with my flour mix I mentioned above. I was OOOOOH so pleasantly surprised at the great taste and texture of this recipe with the flour mix - GREAT STUFF! That being said, use whatever mix you like best - make it work for YOU :-)

This recipe is adapted from a recipe by Stephanie O'Dea: Peanut Butter Cup Cake Recipe

In her blog, Stephanie mentions: "If you like peanut butter with your chocolate, or chocolate with your peanut butter, you will love this cake." I'll go right on ahead and second that!

I am supposedly allergic to peanuts, so I used soy nut butter as a substitute. Even if you can have peanut butter, I'd like to recommend using the soy nut butter for a change. The soy nut gives it the nut butter taste without it being overpowering - it is WONDERFUL!! When Sam first tasted it, he commented on how great it was that the peanut butter taste didn't knock you over. I enlightened him by explaining the use of the soy nut butter...and we both went back to eating :-)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (divided - 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup. This is super duper uber important so don't get all trigger happy and just start dumping it in the bowl!)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy nut butter
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (EEEEEEK! I love white chocolate so I added this. It's a sickness - I just can't help myself...)
1/2 cup milk (I use fat free but whatever you have in the fridge will work!)
1 TBL canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS: I used a 4 qt. slow cooker. If you have one that is much larger, I would put a small baking dish inside the slow cooker to make this recipe

- Coat the crock pot with cooking spray
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt
- In another bowl, microwave soy nut butter for approximately 30-45 seconds (until you can easily swirl it with a spoon)
- Add the soy nut butter to the dry ingredients and combine with milk, oil, vanilla, and white chocolate chips



- Spread this mixture in the bottom of the crock pot (the mix will not be pourable - it's thicker than cake batter)



- In another bowl (yet another one...) mix 1 cup of boiling water with 1/2 cup sugar and cocoa powder (like a chocolate shot for hummingbirds - so close...)



- Pour this mix evenly over the the batter in the crock pot



This is going to appear a little weird. You're thinking "Now I've got a layer of watery chocolate on top of a cake batter that doesn't even have eggs or anything like that. I knew this lady was a lil' off her rocker but....seriously?"
Yep. Seriously.
As it cooks, the cake more or less floats up to the top and you end up with a gooey goodness underneath the cake layer (think thick, non-flowing Chocolate River back at Wonka's place). Ever try the Molten Chocolate Cake at Chili's?! Welcome to your own personal, full-access pass to that happy-land! I don't want to toot my own horn but...*toot toot*...I really think this is way better :-)

The original recipe says to cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours. Keep a CLOSE eye on yours. Mine cooked in about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Cook it until a toothpick or knife can be inserted in the cake portion and come out clean. Don't push it all the way down and expect it to come out clean...it'll be a long night and you'll have to burn the molten chocolate layer to get to that point! Before you serve, let the crock pot sit, uncovered and unplugged, for about 20 minutes (this lets the chocolate firm up enough to scoop!) Just a note: this stuff is good warm OR not!

Here's where it gets serious; I added icing. DOUBLE EEEK! You can make the cake with a sweetner such as Splenda to cut down on carbohydrates and all that good stuff, so go on and splurge on the icing - it MAKES the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 3/4 TBL butter, softened
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 TBL honey
- 3 TBL milk

DIRECTIONS:

- Combine all ingredients together and mix until smooth.

Serve this whole fantastic mess in a bowl and drizzle with the icing. It's a life-changing experience. After I tasted this, it was another moment when I was thankful to have found another way to treat myself. Occasionally, you get an overwhelming urge to eat a big cookie or chow down on some bread, but you know you can't. It's the little things in life, and being able to successfully bake a great dessert that makes even my husband stop and shake his head while uttering "Wow, honey. Now that's good..." really is an encouraging feat. Try this for a splurge for yourself...I promise it's great :-)

One promise I can make is that I'll always be honest about how the recipes turn out (and everything else, too), so here we go...
This is what happens when a recipe is just flat-out, down-right, knock your teeth outta your mouth, good:



You never get it into a bowl. It starts innocently enough - I taste test the result to make sure it's suitable for serving. Well...then Sam walks in the door and I have him taste it. SPECTACULAR. We leave the spoon in the pot and we end up taking a bite every time we walk by. Do we even drizzle the icing? NOPE. Just getcha a spoonful, dip it in the icing, and fly that airplane on home. When a recipe hits the sweet spot, it just happens :-) And really makes me feel good!

And just for a happy ending....finally made it to a bowl :-)