Bargaining for my vacation time

So I had to pass on this week's puff pastry challenge. Instead I spend my time creating a fabulous cake to fulfill my manager's blackmail whims. Apparently, I do not take enough vacation. This is probably true. In order to "encourage" me to take more vacation time off, my boss has decided to refuse all vacation requests under a week long. I just want 3 days off to spend in upper NY with my gal Beany. What to do? Why not turn my obsession to my advantage and bribe my boss? She has an insatiable love of chocolate, peanut butter, and my pastry creations. I offered a PB Chocolate Cake. My vacation time has been approved! (Mind you she never would've really refused, she's much too nice to ever say no. This was done more in good jest.)



Its going to my office so I haven't cut into it yet but I can tell you straight off the cake inside is sinfully dark chocolate and if the batter I tasted proves anything, it will be incredibly delicious.

PB Chocolate Cake

Cake:

2 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 vanilla bean, cut in half and seeds removed
2 eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup brewed coffee
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325F.

Beat sugar and butter together until creamy. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix. Dissolve cocoa in coffee and add. Mix. Sift together flour, bk soda, salt, and bk powder. Add in half the dry mix and 1/2 cup milk. Mix until just wet. Add in the rest of the dry mix and milk and mix until its fully combined. Batter will be smooth. Pour into two 9 inch pans (I lightly oiled my silicone ones but if you have metal I recommend oiling, adding parchment cut to the size of the pan bottom, and oiling the parchment.)

Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Fully cool in the pans. Freeze over night or for as long as you have time for but at least an hour. This makes for easy frosting and no need for a crumb coat.

Frosting:

1 cup peanut butter (the creamy and not natural kind)
1 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk

Mix PB, butter, and vanilla together until creamy. Add powdered sugar and mix slowly. Add a tsp of milk at a time to loose the frosting until its spreadable. Be careful not to add too much. Take frozen cakes out of pan. Frost.

I added chopped mix of mini dark and milk chocolate Reeses cups to the side of mine for extra oomph but this isn't strictly necessary. Does make for a pretty picture though right?