Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cake

 Do you remember last week when I shared my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake and told you that more chocolate peanut butter amazingness was around the corner?

This is a serious cake, my friends.

The first layer is a brownie with peanut butter chips in it. The second layer is a a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie (!!!!) and the third layer is a really simple and totally amazing chocolate cake.

You guys. This cake is bananas.

(Ooooo . . . . . I need to make a chocolate banana layer cake! I’m like a kid chasing butterflies when it comes to food.)

Ingredients

Brownie Layer

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup peanut butter chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Cookie Layer

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup butter room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 eggs room temperature

2 tsps vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips I used milk chocolate chips

Chocolate Cake Layer

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 2 TBSPs

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

3/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup water or coffee

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature

1/2 cup chocolate chips melted

2 tsps vanilla

1/4 cup cocoa powder

5 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

mini chips ahoy

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 inch spring form pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1 cup sugar until fully combined. Whisk in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 large eggs.

In a medium bowl whisk together 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup all purpose flour. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, run a knife around the edge of the pan and then remove the side of the pan. Remove the bottom of the pan and allow to cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt.

In a large stand mixer, cream together 1 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Then beat in the 1 cup peanut butter until combined, scrapping down the sides as needed. Beat in the 2 eggs one at a time, and then beat in the 2 tsps vanilla.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour until just combined.

Scrape down the sides of the mixer and then using a spatula gently fold in the 1 cup chocolate chips.

Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Add the batter to the pan.

Bake on the middle rack for 19 to 24 minutes or until the edges of the cake begin to turn golden brown. (The center will still have a slight wiggle to it.)

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for twenty minutes. Gently run a knife between the cake and the edge of the pan, then remove the side of the pan. Cool completely. Carefully, using a serrated knife, level the cake so the top is flat.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cups + 2 TBSPs flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.

Then mix in the 1 egg, 3/4 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 cup water. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 - 27 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of the pan comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, run a knife around the edge of the pan and then remove the side of the pan. Remove the bottom of the pan and allow to cool completely.

To make the peanut butter frosting beat together the butter and peanut butter until combined in a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar and then the milk, followed by the vanilla extract. If not smooth and creamy, add a tiny bit more milk.

To make the chocolate frosting beat the butter in a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand held mixer.

Add in the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Then add in the heavy cream.

Store in an airtight container until you are ready to use.

To assemble the cake, first place the brownie layer on a large plate, cake stand, or 10 inch cake circle . Add a small amount of the peanut butter frosting, adding more as needed to create a nice even 1/4 layer.

Add the cookie layer, another layer of the peanut butter frosting and finally the chocolate cake layer.

Add a thin layer of the chocolate butter cream frosting. Add another, thicker layer of chocolate frosting.

Pipe on decorative peanut butter frosting. Add mini chips ahoy to the top. Add some crumbled chips ahoy to around the base of the cake

Cut and serve!

Caramel Zucchini Poke Cake

 This poke cake is made totally from scratch with fresh zucchini and then you STUFF it with homemade caramel sauce, top it with THE BEST cream cheese frosting, and drizzle more caramel sauce on top. This cake is the stuff of dreams and legends. If you aren’t a poke cake fan, this will turn you.

Do you ever feel like the universe is speaking to you?

So over the weekend we had this most amazingly beautiful day at the beach with our kiddos and my niece and nephew who we were watching for a few days. All the kids and Nathan were playing in the sand and I was in the shallow waves with Piper who was loving every second of it, when this guy walks by and casually says,

“Awww, man. I miss those days. Mine are all big now.”

Ingredients

For Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsps cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 pound zucchini grated finely (about three medium zucchini)

For Caramel Sauce

4 TBSPs unsalted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 TBSP vanilla extract

For Frosting

8 oz cream cheese room temperature

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 by 13 inch pan by spraying it with cooking spray.

Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

Whisk the eggs and sugars together in a large bowl until the sugars are just about dissolved. Now add the oil about a half a cup at a time and whisk in until it’s combined.

Slowly add the flour mixture. Stir in the zucchini. Pour into the pan and bake for 40 minutes.

While the cake is baking, combine the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir consistently while the sauce cooks until it thickens, about five minutes. Add in the vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl or a stand mixer beat the cream cheese. Beat in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Continue beating on medium for five minutes. Put the frosting in the refrigerator to frost the cake the following day.

When the cake is finished, remove it from the oven, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes and then poke about 24 holes in it. Fill each of the holes with caramel sauce, you should end up using about 2/3 of a cup. Reserve the rest.

Cover the cake and allow it to sit overnight. The next day, frost it and drizzle with the remainder of the caramel sauce. Serve the cake at room temperature.

Zucchini Cake

 There is something about gathering a group of friends or family together around a cake. We always feel like it’s a celebration, even if there’s no special occasion to celebrate. And why not? I love the idea of making even the most ordinary moments feel like extraordinary ones. 

Enjoying a slice of this Zucchini Cake is one way to do that. 

I made this for my family when we celebrated my dear dad’s 80th (yes 80th!) birthday. And yes, we did put 80 candles on it. Good thing there’s plenty of surface area on this cake. 

Ingredients

For the Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsps cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 pound zucchini grated finely (about three medium zucchini)

For the Frosting

1/2 cup of butter melted

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 pound powdered sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a jelly roll pan by spraying it with cooking spray.

Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

Whisk the eggs and sugars together in a large bowl until the sugars are just about dissolved. Now add the oil about a half a cup at a time and whisk in until it’s combined.

Slowly add the flour mixture. Stir in the zucchini. Pour into the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

Beat together the butter, milk, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Gently spread over the sheet cake.

Chocolate Snack Cake

 I am so happy to be partnering with Horizon Organic to bring you this fast tasty dessert! We love squeezing in the organic amazingness Horizon has to offer into our kids’ diets! Thank you for supporting the brands that make Wine & Glue possible.

So a week ago Piper had her adenoids and tonsils removed and she had ear tubes put back in. (This is her second round of tubes.)  Honestly, my kids are kind of all blurring together at this very sleep deprived moment, so I can’t remember if I told ya’ll about her surgery or not. Kiddo has had six ear infections since her first set of tubes fell out in the fall. She was snoring, and she refused to eat just about anything.

Ingredients

For Cake

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar packed

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup 2% Horizon Organic Milk

For Frosting

1/2 stick Horizon Organic Butter melted

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 TBSPs Horizon Organic Milk

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Stir into the flour mixture. Then stir in the 1 cup of Horizon Organic Milk, until just smooth.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-38 minutes or just until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and Horizon Organic Milk until smooth. Spread over cooled cake and serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

 I recently did like . . . . the smartest thing ever.

I decided to have Quinn’s 6th Birthday Party at Chuck E. Cheese’s. She hasn’t had her own birthday party since she was one and we went over the top with her Rainbow Party Extravaganza. She was so super excited to celebrate her birthday with her friends – especially because I think she feels like she misses out with a summer birthday.

It was super easy to plan her party online . . . like late at night after the store was closed and I was working my way through my to do list. They have a whole bunch of different options, so it was easy to pick an option that worked for the number of kids we were planning on having. Also! And I maybe love this part the most, you can change certain things a few days before the party! Like you can take food off your order, or if (like us) you have kids who ended up not being able to make it, you can take them off the total number of kids coming.

If you can’t get enough chocolate chips, then make sure you make these Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookies, these Chocolate Chip Cookies Cheesecake Bars, and these Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 egg yollk

1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips I used milk chocolate chips

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time. Then beat in the vanilla until just combined.

Slowly add in the flour a little at a time, until it is just combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the dough into the spring form pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges of the cake are golden brown and the middle has just a slight wiggle to it.

Make the chocolate frosting and pipe it onto the cake.

Candy Corn Poke Cake

 This Candy Corn Poke Cake is a post I shared with you all way back in 2013. You all loved it so much I thought I would update the photos and make a video of it for you! If you are looking for some other great Halloween treats, be sure to check out this Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Pudding and this super fun Rice Krispies Treat Graveyard! And hey grownups! After you go trick or treating, you are going to want to warm up with Slow Cooker Mulled Wine!

Today is my little boy’s first day of all day school! (I have already blogged about this approximately 7,462 times, so forgive me.)  It’s so emotional!!

Yesterday morning I was sitting in the kitchen with him and telling him that we would be heading to his school later that day to drop off school supplies and for him to have his school picture taking. I casually mentioned that this year he shouldn’t make his “poop’n face” in the school picture . . . you know, where your kid does that awkward face that is supposed to be a smile but really just looks like they are pooping (I know, I’m the worst mom ever.) . . . last year {ahem} we didn’t end up ordering any.

Ingredients

one box of white cake mix plus the fixn's needed to make it

food coloring

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

whipped topping

candy corn

Instructions

Make the cake batter as directed. Then divide it into three equal parts. Color one yellow, one orange, and leave one alone. Make sure you add enough to make it really vibrant.

Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan . Spread the yellow layer evenly across the bottom, and then stick it in the freezer (make sure it is sitting flat). Leave it in there for 20 minutes.

As soon as you pull it out, very carefully add the orange layer, pouring it as evenly as possible around the pan, and gently spreading it out to cover the yellow. Put it back in the freezer for 20 more minutes.

Preheat your oven to the temperature specified on the cake mix.

Taking out the cake batter pan, again, carefully spread the white layer. Let it sit on top of the preheating oven for at least 30 minutes.

Bake according to package directions. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes throughout the cake with the end of a wooden spoon. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the cake, making sure to fill each hole.

Refrigerate overnight. Right before serving, top with whipped topping, candy corn, and enjoy!

**Note, the candy corn tends to bleed into the whip cream, so if you aren't going to be serving it right away, you might want to wait to top it.

Pumpkin Frosting

 This Pumpkin Frosting is incredibly popular because it is the perfect creamy frosting texture while having the best pumpkin spice flavor.

It is perfect on chocolate cupcakes, but if you decided to just eat it with a spoon I would totally understand.

Pumpkin Frosting Ingredients

This recipe comes together quickly with so many ingredients that are already in your pantry.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup 100% pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

5 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Slowly cream together the butter and the pumpkin with a handheld mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachement. (Note: I wasn't able to get it to a completely smooth mixture even after several minutes of my mixer on medium, so just get it as close to combined as possible.)

Beat in the vanilla, then the cinnamon, then the nutmeg.

Slowly add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time until you are able to get it to the right consistency.