Chocolate-Peanut Butter Buttercream Snack Cake

This is a quick snack cake with the best peanut butter frosting!  Be sure to have plenty of ice cold milk!

Chocolate Cake

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 x 2 cake pan with nonstick spray

Whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

Add oil, vanilla and 1-1/4 cups water; whisk until smooth.

Fold in chopped chocolate.

Scrape into prepared pan.  Bake 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Let cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup egg whites (from 2 large eggs)

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

6 Tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" cubes

Pinch of salt

Combine sugar and egg whites in a medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.  Whisk constantly until sugar dissolved and mixture is hot to the touch, 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed until cool and thick, 5-6 minutes.

 Beat in vanilla and peanut butter.

With mixer running, add butter a few pieces at a time beating to blend between additions.  Add a pinch of salt.

 Spread peanut butter buttercream over top and garnish with chopped chocolate.
I had a Hershey bar with almonds and grated that on top to give it a little crunch.

~From Bon Appetit Magazine