Because I Can't Have It

To torture myself, I have decided to drool helplessly over this delicious chocolate cake. No, I didn't give up cake for Lent. I didn't give up anything for Lent actually (bad Pachey). Since I am trying to lose weight.....I am down 17 pounds so far........I am trying to eat healthy. This cake does not constitute healthy. In fact, it is making my arteries clog up just thinking about it.

Food that tastes good is bad for you. At least generally that's the case. Food that tastes good can also be healthy (see the last few entries for proof). This is not one of the healthy recipes. It contains the following fatty (aka TASTY) ingredients:

* devil's food cake

* buttermilk

* oil

* peanut butter

* butter

* confectioner's sugar

So you be asking yourself "If she can't eat it, why in the world is she making it?". Maybe you aren't asking yourself that, but I will confess. I didn't make it. I made this cake several months ago. I just haven't blogged about it until now. A girl can dream right?

I can't even keep peanut butter in the house. It's one of my "danger" foods. Meaning, I will eat it. All of it. So, until I can be safe around peanut butter, I will just drool at this cake.

Notice I don't have any after pictures of the cake assembled. See above about peanut butter being a danger food. I probably was too busy scarfing down a giant piece of cake and a glass of milk that I didn't have time to take a picture.

Needless to say, this cake is delicious. For all you food purists that turn your noses up at using a cake mix, I say: Tough. Have you ever tried a recipe from the Cake Doctor? Don't knock it til you try it. Her cakes are amazing and you can't tell they came from a mix.

This sheet cake would make an awesome addition to a potluck, or if you want to bribe someone, this cake is the way to do it. It's portable since you don't remove it from the pan. It's almost like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in cake form. Now if it were only Weight Watchers friendly. It actually is, but with a little alteration. Yes, I have calculated it.

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

from: The Cake Mix Doctor

1 package (18.25 oz) plain devil's food cake mix

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil, or canola oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 13x9 inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thick and combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.

Time for a new 13x9 inch pan. Errr, maybe it's just well seasoned.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Place the peanut butter and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and the vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well combined, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting lightens and is fluffy, 1 minute more. Blend in up to 1 tablespoon milk is the frosting seems too stiff.

2. Use at once to frost the cake.

I really could eat this by the spoonful.