Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

I think I've said it before but I love the website http://foodgawker.com/ and I came across the recipe for this cheesecake and wanted it instantly. Dave also loves peanut butter and chocolate together. So I made this and it was delicious however it made way too much and I froze some of it.

Ingredients
2 cups Oreo crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4x 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 bag mini peanut butter cups

Topping:
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
15 mini peanut butter cups (saved from the cheesecake ingredients)


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together Oreo crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan and bake for 15 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each. Add sugar, peanut butter, and cream; mix thoroughly. Stir in vanilla. Pour half of the mixture into the cooled crust, layer with some of the smaller peanut butter cups, then top with remaining cheesecake mixture.

Bake for 1 hour. The sides of the cheesecake should be set but the middle will be a little jiggly. (it should not be runny) Cool slightly then put it into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Chop up the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler (or microwave). Cool slightly then add all but 1 tablespoon of cream. Stir and then pour over the cool cheesecake (while still in the springform pan). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of whipping cream in a bowl and microwave until it's a runny consistency. Either place the mixture in a piping bag or using a spoon, top the cheesecake with a peanut butter swirl. Before the swirl sets, surround the outer edge of the cheesecake with the remaining mini peanut butter cups.

Original idea and recipe came from
http://thefoodieandthefamily.blogspot.com/2011/05/peanut-butter-chocolate-cheesecake.html

Rob Passed Quals Batman Cake

So its been awhile since I've updated again. I really need to keep up with this. Rob passed his quals and ever since I made the pokemon cake I've been wanting to do another. We jokingly talked about having a batman party and I said I would make a cake. Well after Rob passed the quals he wanted to celebrate so it was BATMAN cake at the beer trappe. Hopefully I'll be making another celebratory cake for Dave in a month. This is a chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream filling and store bought white cream cheese icing on the outside.

Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 13x9 (Or 9 inch) baking pans and set aside. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract; beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in hot coffee.

Pour batter evenly between the two pans and bake on middle rack of oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before frosting


Butter Cream Frosting
Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup whole milk
3-4 cups of powdered sugar (more or less to achieve desired consistency)

Directions
Whip the room-temperature butter on medium speed with the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes. Shift to low and add cocoa powder slowly, one teaspoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Still on low, add in the powdered sugar (also one teaspoon at a time), alternating with the milk, to achieve desired consistency and taste. Then, beat on medium speed until very light and fluffy, another 3-5 minutes. Add in more sugar if consistency is too thin.

I let the cake cool over night and then took them out of the pan (Well just one of them and the other broke and it was put back together with frosting of course but I have learned my lesson I promise!) I then frosted the middle with the butter cream I cut the recipe in half and used that. Then I frosted the whole cake with store bought cream cheese icing. Then icing on the batman, batman signal, and buildings. Overall I thought it turned out great and so did the rest of the group including Dave. :)

Original recipe came from
http://www.foodess.com/2011/03/moist-chocolate-cake/ and http://confessionsoftart.blogspot.com/2010/05/quick-chocolate-buttercream.html