It’s time to celebrate yet another birthday at the office.  I have volunteered to be the  “cake baker” , but the birthday celebrant has to select his/her favorite cake.  Sometimes I even ask them to provide me with their favorite recipe, and I will do my best to create a cake.  This time the selection was a chocolate cake with lots of frosting.

Since I really love this Cocoa cake with Peanut Butter frosting, which several years ago my manager made for my birthday (she loved gourmet cooking), I decided to use that recipe.

It is the combination of the chocolate cake and the peanut butter frosting that makes this cake so decadent, as it reminds you of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Ingredients for Cake:

• ¾ cup butter

• 1 3/4 cups sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cups Hershey’s Cocoa

• 1 ¼ tsp. Baking Soda

• ½ tsp. salt

• 1 1/3 cups water

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup Peanut Butter

• ¼ cup butter, softened

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Directions for Cake:

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Grease and flour two 8 or 9 round baking pans.
3. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs and vanilla.
5. Beat 1 min. at medium speed.
6. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
7. Add alternately with water to creamed mixture, beating after each addition.
8. Pour batter into prepared pans.
9. Bake 35 to 40 minutes for 8 inch rounds, or 30 to 35 min. for 9 inch rounds, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Cool 10 min.
11. Remove from pans.
12. Cool completely.
13. Frost the cake with creamy peanut butter frosting.
14. Cover and refrigerate.

Directions for Creamy Frosting:

1. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and butter, until creamy.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar, and vanilla.
3. Mix well until well blended and creamy.

The latest buzz going around is about a recall on peanuts and peanut butter, due to Salmonella outbreak.

I felt compelled to post some of the links I came across on this subject, to keep my family and friends informed, and safe.

To view a list of organic products being recalled, please click on this link organic foods.

One of my favorite places to shop at, Traders Joe , is recalling its branded seven-ounce containers of sliced green apples with all-natural peanut butter, because they could be contaminated with Salmonella.

General Nutrition Centers Inc. said Friday it is voluntarily recalling its Triflex Peanut Butter Soft Chews. At the same time, Supreme Protein Inc. said it is voluntarily recalling certain lots of its Supreme Protein Peanut Butter Crunch Bars and Caramel Nut Bars because they contain peanut paste which may have been exposed to salmonella bacteria at a Georgia manufacturing facility.

FDA posting 1: Jenny Craig Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Jenny’s Cuisine® Anytime Peanut Butter Flavor Nutritional Bars Due to Possible Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) Contamination and Potential Health Risk

Peanut butter recall – FDA posting 2:  Peanut Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut Products