Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake

I've made Paula Deen's pumpkin gooey butter cake before, but this time I thought I would try one of the variations. They are so good! Very, very moist.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake

(Recipe from Paula Deen)

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup peanut butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread peanut butter mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Peep Bunny Smores

Although these weren't baked, they will be once people take them home! I made these for my co-workers and some friends for Easter. I got the idea from a friend on a message board last year. I wanted to make them last year, but it turns out April is not the right time of year to find canning jars (at least in most stores). So I bought the jars last summer, and they have been sitting in my garage just waiting for Easter!

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

You can always count on Julia at Dozen Flours for great recipes related to snickerdoodles. When I saw her recipe for Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake, I knew I had to try it. The coating of cinnamon sugar on the cake turns nice and crispy in the oven. The inside is nothing close to dry though- it's very moist and tender. I couldn't even wait until the cake was completely cool before going for my piece. So good!

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
(recipe copied straight from Dozen Flours)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup white sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Mix together really well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325F. Here's the exact way I made the crust: Using a spray product like Pam with Flour, generously spray a 9 inch Bundt pan, being careful to cover all the nooks and cranies, as well as the center tube. (Note: If you don't want to use Pam with Flour, you can just grease the pan with shortening.) Gently dust the entire inside of the pan with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. You should only need about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar, but you want to try and evenly coat the inside surface of the pan, including the tube. Save the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture and set everything aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat just the butter on medium speed for one full minute. Add the white sugar and mix for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and blade and add the brown sugar.Mix for 2 minutes until the mixture looks light brown and uniform in color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each for 1 full minute. Stir in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream; beat well. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture over top the cake. Spread the rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the top. (If you run out of cinnamon sugar, you can mix just 1/4 cup of sugar + 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon together for the top of the cake. It should be more than enough.)

Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.