PEANUT BUTTER GOOEY CAKE

I have so much fun trying to find a new recipe to make and take to Hillcrest Thrift Shop to share with the other volunteers. Even though it seems they like everything I take, I sometimes feel some are better received than others. Last week's "treat" was one of those - Paula Dean's Peanut Butter Gooey Cake.

It was definitely a winner. One volunteered came by the register and told me she wanted the recipe. When my "shift" was over, there were only a few crumbs in the pan. (I'm glad I had taken out two pieces and left them at home. My husband was a little disappointed that I didn't bring any back home.)

In Paula's cookbook, The Lady & Sons Just Desserts, she has a two-page spread covering the basic recipe for Butter Gooey Cake with nine other varieties. This Peanut Butter was just one of them.

I tried to let my piece at home last as long as I could by just taking a single bite every time I walked by the covered cake plate where I had it "hiding". Since my covered cake plate is in the corner in my kitchen, usually I had to go out of my way to "walk by it", if you get my drift. Oh well, I didn't feel so guilty eating it slowly that way. I can't wait to try one of the other varieties.

PEANUT BUTTER GOOEY CAKE

Cake:
1       18.25 ounce chocolate cake mix (I used a slightly smaller Devil's Food cake mix)
1        egg
1        stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Filling:
1       8 - ounce package cream cheese, softened (I used fat-free cream cheese)
3       eggs
1       teaspoon vanilla extract
1       cup creamy peanut butter
1       16 - ounce box confectioners' sugar (3-1/2 cups)
1       stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

1       cup chopped peanuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well.

Pat the batter into the bottom of pan and set aside.

(Whenever I do this I always drop clumps around the pan leaving a little bit in the bowl. 

As you press the batter to cover the bottom,

you can use what you left in the bowl, to fill in the holes.)

Beat the cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer.

Add eggs and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add the peanut butter.

Dump all of the powdered sugar in at once and

stir slowly with mixer until nice and smooth. (Once you have most of it mixed, you can increase the speed.) 

Add melted butter and mix well.

Pour filling evenly over the chocolate cake mixture.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

You don't want to over-bake it, but I did bake it the full 50 minutes in my oven.

Cool completely before you cut it into squares. (I made mine the night before, covered and stored it in the refrigerator overnight.

I cut it into 24 squares before I took it to the thrift shop.)