peanut butter frosting.

This year, I was invited to an Oscars party with an intriguing challenge: bring an appetizer or dessert honoring the oeuvre of Sandra Bullock. Among such creative - and delicious - entries as pecan sandies, "Two Leeks' Notice" leek tarts, and "While You Were Steeping" Earl Grey shortbread, I submitted "The Cake House." Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, topped with a house drawn in chocolate because I can't resist the opportunity to use my decorating set whenever possible.


Although I made a sheet cake this time for ease of transportation, this frosting is lovely on cupcakes. (I don't covet a cupcake-carrier as much as I covet an apartment with the space to store a cupcake-carrier.) Also, I cheated and used a chocolate cake mix for reasons of time and available ingredients, but the frosting is so wonderful that the cake really plays a supporting role anyway.


Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing
from Barefoot Contessa at Home

1 c. confectioner's sugar (*I use a scant cup)
1 c. creamy peanut butter
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp.
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 c. heavy cream

1. Beat all ingredients except the cream at medium-low speed (*the KitchenAid is great for this, but I'm sure it would work just as well with a hand mixer) until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work.

2. Add the cream and beat on high speed until mixture is light and smooth.


This makes enough for 24 cupcakes or one sheet cake.

Chocolate Icing

In case you're curious about the piped chocolate icing on top, all I did was melt about 4 oz. of dark chocolate in the microwave on 30-sec. intervals, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn. (A double-boiler would obviously work as well; this was faster.) Once it was melted, I added glug of heavy cream left over from the frosting; stirring thoroughly thickened it up into a sort of ganache, firm but not too stiff to pipe.


Then I just spooned it into a pastry bag fitted with a small circular tip and started doodling. (I've also done this on the rims of dessert plates for special occasions.) It hardens fairly quickly.