Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cake

This is an easy way to get a cake in the oven for dinner and still have time to cook dinner, too. If you have a family like mine, they would figure dessert should be prepared first and the meat, vegetables, and other mundane things can happen when they will!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cake
2 cups coarsely chopped, salted peanuts
1 box of your favorite brownie mix
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest (It really brings out the peanut taste.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Vegetable oil spray a 9-inch, round baking pan and then line with parchment paper.

Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan evenly. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.

Let cake cool for ten minutes before removing from the pan and letting it complete the cooling process on a wire rack. Either dust with powdered sugar or frost with a peanut butter cream frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Frosting
1/2 stick softened butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Whip up the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add in the rest of the ingredients and beat to form a spreadable frosting. You might need to add a few drops of milk to reach this depending on the weather and the dryness of the air.

Generously spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake. If you want to add chocolate sprinkes or crushed peanuts, do so.