CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE with PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
Adapted via Jacques Torres and AllRecipes
Serves: 10 to 12

Ingredients
For Cake:
♦ 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon (4.25 oz) cake flour
♦ 1/2 cup + 5 tbsp (4.25 oz) bread flour
♦ 1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp baking soda
♦ 3/4 tsp baking powder
♦ 3/4 tsp coarse salt
♦ 1 1/4 sticks (10 tbsp) unsalted butter
♦ 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp (5 oz) light brown sugar
♦ 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (4 oz) granulated sugar
♦ 1 large egg
♦ 1 tsp vanilla extract
♦ 1 2/3 cups bittersweet chocolate disks or chips, at least 60 percent cacao content (about 1/2 pound)

For Frosting:
♦ 1/4 cup butter, softened
♦ 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
♦ 1 to 2 tbsp milk
♦ 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For garnish:
♦ 2 to 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
♦ a handful of roasted, salted peanuts

Directions
Bake the cake: Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl; set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, mixing well to combine. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop the chocolate pieces in and carefully incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9″ spring-form pan with parchment paper, and set aside. Carefully press the dough into the pan, smoothing out with your fingers until the entire bottom is covered. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown.

Make the frosting: Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar. When it starts to get thick, slowly add the milk until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

For the garnish: place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in the microwave until smooth; stir to melt fully. Drizzle over the top of the cake, and sprinkle the roasted peanuts on top.

To read more about this cake and my musical pairing, click HERE.