Kitchen Story: Peanut Butter Nutella Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

I had you at "Nutella" right??

This is by far my favorite cake to make. Super simple & it NEVER fails me! It's always gone in no time. But I can't take ALL the credit. I took this recipe from Pillsbury & just made a small but important addition of Nutella. (I promised my Pathophysiology group I'd post this after I made it for them, so this is dedicated to my fellow B1s.)

INGREDIENTS:

Cake

1 box (1 lb 2.25 oz) yellow cake mix with pudding <--MUST have pudding or it won't come out moist

1 cup milk (I use fat free)

½ cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Icing

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup Nutella

½ bag (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

Garnish

2 tablespoons chopped peanuts (If you can't find chopped peanuts in the store, put whole peanuts in a ziploc bag and crush them with a heavy object or just the bottom of the peanut jar -- assuming it's a glass jar)

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1.   Heat oven to 350ºF. Generously spray your fluted tube pan with non-stick oil spray (I use an EVOO spray). In medium bowl, beat cake mix, milk, peanut butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer at low speed until all the ingredients are combined well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased pan.

2.   Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean and top springs back when touched lightly near center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto wire rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

3.   For the icing, place the chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl and heat at 30 second increments and stir between each increment to make sure the chocolate does not burn. Once you notice the chips "sweating" (they look glossy), add the peanut butter & nutella and stir. Microwave for another 15-30 seconds or until you can mix it and get a smooth consistency. Drizzle warm icing over top of cooled cake, allowing some to drip down sides (In reality, it doesn't drip evenly in a way that it looks pretty, so I use a spatula or butter knife to guide the icing down the cake so it looks presentation-worthy). Sprinkle peanuts over icing. 

SIMPLE right? So go make it & indulge a little :) And be sure to tell me how it turns out!