Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup peanut-butter morsels

Peanut Butter Layer:
1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Ganache:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Decoration:
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut-butter chips

Chocolate curls

1. For cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 9-inch round cake pan. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add milk, water, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla; blend until moistened. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with the peanut-butter morsels. Bake for 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Place on serving platter.

2. For peanut-butter layer, in a medium mixing bowl, place peanut butter, butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Mix until combined. Sift in powdered sugar. Mix well. Spread mixture on top of cake. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. For ganache, heat cream in a small saucepan to boiling; remove from heat. Add chocolate chips; let stand 5 minutes. Stir, then refrigerate for 30 or until mixture is spreadable. Spread on top and sides of cake.

4. Place milk-chocolate and peanut-butter chips in two separate resealable bags. Place in microwave. Heat for 45 seconds. Knead chips to make sure they are melted. If not, microwave 10 to 15 more seconds. Snip a corner off each bag, one at a time. Squeeze melted morsels on top of cake in a lattice pattern. Place chocolate curls around cake.

First place in the Village Tavern Dessert Contest at the Dixie Classic Fair, by Lisa Robertson of King.