Puppy Chow Cake
Let's take a moment to walk down nostalgia lane, shall we?
Back to a time where you had energy, lots of sleep, no bills to pay, and were dependent on others to provide for you. And the only worry you had was making sure Sister Marjorie's 5th grade Social Studies class didn't run oven into lunch so you could sprint downstairs, give your lunch ticket to Mr. Olson, get lunch (fingers crossed for pizza day!), and then run over to the table of baked goods for the quarterly bake sale. Because everyone knew if you weren't one of the first, you weren't getting puppy chow and your day would be ruined.
It wasn't until I was older - maybe in high school - that I learned how to make puppy chow on my own and it was a slippery slope into sugar addiction. I mean chocolate, peanut butter, sugar, and it was crunchy - SIGN ME UP. It was always such a pain to make as someone told me the easiest way to make it was to throw everything into a paper grocery bag and shake it up, then discard the bag when done. Well, I have news for that person, the easiest way for me is to make it all in a large Tupperware, and that way you can melt, mix, shake, and store it all in the same container.
Since switching up my diet a few weeks ago, I have really really been craving something sweet and salty and puppy show came to mind. I was baking pies all day that ended up in the garbage because they were disgusting, and after feeling a little defeated I decided this cake would be a winner.
My no-fail chocolate cake plus some savory-sweet peanut butter frosting with puppy chow sprinkled throughout - amazing. Now only if I would have indulged and eaten some, but my coworkers sure enjoyed it. I'm thinking of other nostalgic things to incorporate into baking so if you have any ideas send me a message or add a comment to my latest Instagram post!
Puppy Chow Cake
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup black cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cups smooth peanut butter
6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
Puppy Chow:
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
2-3 cups chex cereal
1 cup powdered sugar
Cake Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Sift all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl, and mix until well combined. Make a well in the middle and add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Slowly add in the boiling water and stir again until thin and smooth.
Pour into two prepared 8-inch cake pans and bake for 32-35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Instructions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter and peanut butter until light and smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar, alternating with the heavy cream to reach desired consistency. Cover tightly until ready to frost.
Puppy Chow Instruction:
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute on power level 7. Remove from microwave and stir. If not smooth and thin, microwave for an additional 30 seconds on normal power. Once smooth, stir in Chex cereal until completely covered. Add powdered sugar and fold until a light dusting of powder is on all the pieces.
Cake Assembly:
Take your first layer of cake and put it on a cake round or your serving plate. Scoop about 1/4 of the frosting onto the top and smooth out. Sprinkle with half of the puppy chow. Top with a second cake layer. Scoop another 1/4 of the frosting out onto the top of the cake and make a light crumb coat of frosting over the whole cake. Chill in the fridge for 10-20 minutes until slightly hard. Use the remaining frosting to cover the cake, and top with the remaining puppy chow.