Maapähkinävoi-suklaakakku / Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

It's finally December. It's finally winter and there's finally snow on the ground. Everything's so white and beautiful and everyone's happy and calm.

Just kidding. 

First of all, there's no snow at all. No light, no whiteness. None. There were a few snowy spots about a month ago but it all melted away immediately. How sad, isn't it? For me there's no Christmas without proper winter and there's no proper winter without snow. So.. Where are you hiding cold weather and snow? 

And secondly everyone, including me, is in a massive stress right now. What to buy for her and him and what to buy fo my parents, is this okay if I give this? Should I write something on this? Should I buy something more? Does he even like Salmiakki?

STRESS.

I'm just going to relax now and eat my not-so-christmassy cake. 

Is it bad if I make a peanut butter cake with chocolate frosting in December when everyone else's making gingerbread men and already roasting their turkey or ham? 

It's not that I don't like Christmas food, in fact I love it. But I have over two hundred peanut butter recipes pinned for later and I had NEVER baked with this heavenly nutty spread before. So I guess it was finally time to do it.

And I think it's needless to say this cake was just as peanutty and delicious as I had imagined. Even though it was like the simplest cake you can whip up in just a few hours.

Recommended? Yes.

Ainekset:

Kakkupohja:

• 1 1/4 dl rypsiöljyä
• 1 1/4 dl maapähkinävoita
• 1 1/4 dl sokeria
• 1 1/4 dl fariinisokeria
• 3 isoa kananmunaa
• 1 tl vaniljasokeria
• 5 1/2 dl jauhoja
• 2 tl leivinjauhetta
• 1 tl ruokasoodaa
• 3/4 tl suolaa
• 2 1/2 dl maitoa

Ohjeet:

1. Lämmitä uuni 175 asteeseen. Voitele kaksi (halkaisija 18 cm) irtopohjavuokaa.
2. Sekoita öljy, maapähkinävoi ja sokerit tasaiseksi seokseksi.
3. Lisää munat yksi kerrallaan hyvin sekoittaen.
4. Sekoita vähitellen joukkoon vaniljasokeri, jauhot, leivinjauhe, ruokasooda ja suola.
5. Lisää viimeiseksi maito ja sekoita seosta kunnes se on tasaista.
6. Jaa taikina kahteen vuokaan ja paista 35-40 minuuttia, tai kunnes kullanruskeaa.
7. Anna jäähtyä huoneenlämpöiseksi ennen kuorruttamista.

Kuorrute:

• 170 g huoneenlämpöistä voita
• 1 1/4 dl sokeroimatonta kaakaojauhetta
• 1 tl vaniljasokeria
• 1/4 tl suolaa
• 7 1/2 dl (350 g) tomusokeria 
• 1-3 rkl maitoa

Ohjeet:

1. Vatkaa voita kunnes se on tasaista. Sekoita joukkoon kaakojauhe, vaniljasokeri ja suola.
2. Lisää tomusokeria vähitellen ja lisää lopuksi maito.
3. Jos kuorrute on liian jämäkkää, sekoita joukkoon vielä vähän maitoa. Jos seos taas on liian löysää, lisää sekaan tomusokeria.

Kakun kokoaminen:

1. Laita ensimmäinen kakkupohja kakkuvadille. Leikkaa kakku tasaiseksi veitsellä, jos se on paistunut epätasaiseksi.
2. Levitä noin 1/3 kuorrutteesta kakkupohjalle. 
3. Laita toinen pohja kuorrutteen päälle, leikkauspinta alaspäin.
4. Kuorruta kakun päällinen ja sivut kuorrutteella.

Resepti blogista Pastry Affair

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two 7-inch cake pans. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl stir vegetable oil, peanut butter and sugars until creamy.
3. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
4. Gradually add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 
5. Add the milk and mix until creamy.
6. Divide the mixture among the two cake pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 3/4 cup (170 grams) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups (350 grams) powdered sugar
• 1-3 tbsp milk

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl beat the butter until smooth. 
2. Add cocoa powder, vanilla and salt.
3. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar and milk.
4. If mixture seems too stiff, add milk and if the mixture is too runny, add powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved.

Assembling:

1. Place cake layer on a cake plate. 
2. Spread 1/3 of the frosting evenly on top of the cake.
3. Add another cake layer and top with the rest of the frosting. Spread evenly on top and the sides of the cake.

Adapted from the blog Pastry Affair

Twix-keksit / Twix cookies

There's nothing better than combining caramel with chocolate. And if you add a shortbread cookie under your chocolate and caramel there's no way you could stop eating them.

In my opinion music and cooking go hand in hand. Isn't it just so much nicer to bake or cook when there's something playing in the background? People tend to think my music taste consists of pop, but I really prefer things like alternative or indie rock, punk and I also like songs I can indetify with. And of course songs I can sing along to.

I have a weird habit of always singing when I whisk. Our electric mixer is so loud that nobody hears me, or that's what I wanna believe. And let's just not talk about how it sounds.

My brother, who's usually the reason I don't have any cookies left, and I sometimes jam together in his room. He tends to play the songs I choose, even though he doesn't like them at all. So today, it was my time to pay back. He brought his old bass amp into my room and told me I have to take pics of it so he can sell it. Instead, I used it as a prop. 

But he liked the pics and told me he could use these instead!

Ainekset: ( noin 28 kpl )

Keksit:

• 280 g voita
• 2 1/2 dl tomusokeria
• 6 3/4 dl jauhoja
• 1 tl vaniljasokeria
• 1/4 tl suolaa

Kinuski:

• 400 g toffeekarkkeja (esim. Rollo)

Suklaakuorrute:

• 200 g suklaata
• 2 tl voita

Ohje:

1. Lämmitä uuni 175 asteeseen. 
2. Vaahdota pehmeä voi ja tomusokeri isossa kulhossa. Lisää jauhot, vaniljasokeri ja suola. Jos seos vaikuttaa liian kuivalta, lisää muutama ruokalusikallinen vettä.
3. Kaada taikina jauhotetulle alustalle ja kaulitse se ohuehkoksi levyksi.
4. Ota pyöreällä, pienehköllä muotilla taikinasta ympyröitä ja siirrä ne leivinpaperin päälle pellille.
5. Paista uunissa 14-16 minuuttia tai kunnes reunat ovat hieman ruskistuneet. Anna jäähtyä.
6. Sulata toffeekarkit liedellä miedolla lämmöllä. Levitä sula massa jäähtyneiden keksien päälle ja anna taas jäähtyä enne suklaan lisäämistä.
7. Sulata suklaa ja voi mikrossa ja sekoita 30 sekunnin välein. Levitä suklaa kinuskin päälle.
8. Tarjoile huoneenlämpöisenä. Keksit voi pakastaa ja ne säilyvät jääkaapissa vähintään viikon.

Ingredients:

Shortbread Cookies:

• 1½ cups butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3½ cups flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Caramel Layer:

• 15 oz of caramel 

Chocolate layer:

• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons shortening

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Add vanilla flour and salt. Mix until combined.
3. Dump dough onto lightly flour surface.
4. Roll dough out to 1/2-inch thick.
5. Cut out cookies with a small round biscuit cutter. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until slighlty browned on the edges. Remove from oven and let cool.
7. Melt the caramel according to the package directions. Spread over the cooled cookies.
8. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and shortening in 30 second burts. Stir to combine.
9. Spread over the cooled caramel layer and let cool again.
10. Serve at room temperature.
11. These cookies can be frozen and stored in the fridge for at least a week.