A Rather Holey Endeavor

I'd been eyeballing this lovely concoction over at Smitten Kitchen for some time; chocolate and peanut butter is a favorite combination of mine. How could it go wrong in cake form? It looks so lovely and delicious in all her photos, and she included so many helpful tips. I enlisted the help of my mom, and we set out to recreate this chocolate-peanut butter confection.

I feel that I should take a moment to point out that my mom is rather... known in our family for being an expert baker. Well, I should clarify. She's known for making things that taste exquisite. And look like poop piles. We have running jokes in the family about the tasty disasters she's created over the years, and if you find the ugliest dessert on the potluck table? My mom probably brought it, and it will probably taste divine.

I, on the other hand, am known for making things that look like they're supposed to. I have a tendency to lean toward perfectionism, and will take the few extra minutes (or however long it takes!!!) to make things look good. That's not to say that I sacrifice taste, or that my way is better or worse than my mom's; it's just who I am and my family makes fun of me for having things appear "just-so."

So, my mom and I set out on this endeavor to create the chocolate peanut butter cake. Thanks to my health, I was delegated the task of supervisor, and my mom did most of the work, quite honestly. The result? Well, I'll let you be the judge:



Okay, I have to say it looked slightly more appetizing once we added the chocolate peanut butter glaze on top:



Still, NOT AS PICTURED!!

It did taste divine, however, so I will not complain too terribly much. Okay, I'll complain, but only to my mom.