CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER EARTHQUAKE CAKE

Friends Janice and Leon hosted this month's gathering of the Tasty Bunch. The Tasty Bunch is a group of four couples who meet once a month at a restaurant for dinner and then enjoy dessert, conversation, and games back at the house of the hosting couple. 

For dinner we went to a newly opened restaurant, Riverpark Pub, in Parkville in an old power plant building that was constructed in 1918. Just a hundred feet away on the Missouri River was one of Lewis and Clark's stops on their historic expedition. It has been the home to a number of restaurants each never lasting very long. I hope this one success. When our younger son, Patrick, and Lori got married, we had the rehearsal dinner in a private upstairs room that opened out onto a balcony. Then it served really good BBQ. 

When we got to Janice and Leon's house, we enjoyed this delicious cake with a big scoop of ice cream and then played a few rounds of Family Feud with the men vs the women. (The men won.)

Click here for a printable version of just the recipe.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER EARTHQUAKE CAKE

1     box Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake mix + oil, eggs, and water as directed on the box
1     8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2  cup butter, softened
1/2  cup creamy peanut butter
1     teaspoon vanilla
4     cups powdered sugar
1     cup Reese's cups, cut up (Janice used the mini ones and cut them in half.)
1/2  cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a 9 x 13  - inch baking dish. Set aside.

Prepare cake according to box instructions and pour into baking dish.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and then gradually add the powdered sugar and continue beating til smooth.

Spoon dollops of the cream cheese mixture onto the cake batter. Top with cut up Reese's cups and chocolate chips.

Bake 45 - 50 minutes or til done with a toothpick.

Cool and cut into squares

to serve with vanilla ice cream.