Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosted Cake

Dear Friend,

It's been awhile since we've last spoken. Months, years—I've lost count. We used to be close, you and I, talking and laughing over ordinary events and everyday life. We discussed the simple things, such as what we were making for dinner, as often as the big events, the events that would eventually lead our lives away from each other and down different paths.

We no longer live in the same place together, now separated by time zones and countless miles. Our friendship held in the beginning. Though we never talked as often as we wished, we made time now and then to sit in front of a computer and catch up, stealing glimpses of each other's new lives through our living room backdrops. A painting here, a splash of color there; foreign to me, but so familiar to you.

Then, as time predicted it would, our friendship grew strained. A missed call here, a forgotten reply there, and we began to drift apart. As our new lives took hold, it all but seemed to evaporate together. We didn't talk anymore, but we thought of each other often and then less. I learned about your daily life online, so informal and impersonal, but I would take it over silence.

Time and distance pulled us apart. We had fallen victim to the most common reason of lost friendship. We were not the first, nor will we be the last, but knowing this doesn't make it any easier to stomach. Perhaps it was the right time for our friendship to come to a close. Perhaps we will never know.

I feel as if too much time has passed to reach out to you and pretend as if we still are the friends that we were so long ago. I'm torn between writing you to say hello and never writing words to page in the first place. I think of you every now and again, wondering what your daily life is like, hoping that you are happy. I do wish the dearest of happiness to you.

If we do find each other again, I'd love to invite you over for an afternoon, where we could drink coffee and eat cake and talk about simple things and big events. I'd make you this cake, a combination of flavors that you loved more than I ever did. I'd love to hear how you are doing. I've missed you.

As always,

Me

Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosted Cake is a classic cake with a familiar flavor combination. The cake is mixed with peanut butter, which permeates the cake through and through. The final cake is dense, but moist. Spread with a thick chocolate buttercream, it begins to taste dreamy. This is the type of everyday cake that should be enjoyed with friends and loved ones, on sunny afternoons with a side of conversation.

One Year Ago: Lemon Pudding Cake, Grapefruit Margaritas, and Chocolate Oatmeal Flaxseed Muffins
Two Years Ago: Cinnamon Sugar Muffins, Basic Caramel Sauce, and Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Three Years Ago: Lemon Chocolate Tart, Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies, and Cinnamon Sugar Toast

Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosted Cake

Yields double layer 7-inch cake

1/2 cup (120 grams) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (130 grams) creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease 7-inch cake pans and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the oil, peanut butter, and sugars until uniform. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the milk, stirring until batter is uniform and smooth.

Divide batter between cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream
3/4 cup (170 grams) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups (375 grams) powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Mix in the powdered sugar slowly, adding the milk gradually. If frosting is too thick, add a small amount of milk until desired consistency is achieved. If frosting is not thick enough, add powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved.

To assemble, place a cake layer on a cake plate. Top cake with 1/3 of the frosting and spread evenly. Top with second cake layer and the rest of the frosting, spreading it evenly across the top and down the sides.