Not from Scratch Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Heat oven to 350F.

Grab your trusty old bundt cake pan. This is one of those pans that some people just don’t have, but once you buy it, and you end up using it a couple times a year, you are glad you bought it. Because boy oh boy, cakes turn out so dag-gum pretty when baked in a bundt cake pan.

Spray the heck out of your cake pan with Baker’s Joy. This is better than Pam for baked goods, especially if you have to dump something out of the pan and need it to be completely intact and beautiful looking. Baker’s Joy has flour in it so it’s the same as greasing and flouring the pan like our grandmothers use to do. Bless their hearts, they had to do stuff the hard way.

Now in a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, 1/2 cup peanut butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Blend really well together. Add the miniature chocolate chips.

Now pour batter into your bundt pan. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes. Keep watching this, because it really does vary. I set the timer to 30 minutes, and kept checking on it. If it looks done, be sure to put a toothpick right in the center and make sure it comes out clean.

When done, set aside on the counter for 5 minutes. If you sprayed the pan well enough, after 5 minutes, this precious thing will flip out onto your serving plate with ease.

Now, in a small saucepan, on medium heat, melt the icing ingredients (1/4 cup peanut butter and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips). Once the mixture has melted, immediately drizzle it over top of the pound cake. Let it drizzle all down the sides. No need to spread it like frosting, just take a spoon and let it drizzle down and get in the nooks and crannies.

Now, take your cocktail peanuts. Put them inside a zip lock baggie. Grab a rolling pin, or, if you don’t have a rolling pin, a can of green beans will do. (I don’t even know why I have a rolling pin, I never use it, I don’t even remember how I ended up with one) and gently break up the peanuts.

BE CAREFUL. Don’t get all Hulk Hogan now, we don’t want them mashed up too much, just a little bit (I’m dating myself because I don’t think Hulk Hogan is even popular anymore).

Sprinkle the diced peanuts on top of the chocolate drizzle.

To all my “NOT from Scratch” friends: Let this be our little secret, and don’t you dare fess up. Act like it took you all afternoon to make, trust me, everyone will believe it did.