Chocolate Espresso Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting....toast style

Have you ever just craved desert, hoped you had everything in the pantry, miraculously you did and when it came out of the oven you just couldn't wait to dive in? Well...that's why this is "toast style". So...sorry this may not look as tantalizing and scrumptious as an actual cake would. I lacked patience here.

But hey, why follow this version? Make it like a regular cake. Either works. When I make this again I'll make a proper cake and post an update.

So here is a recipe for everything amazing in a desert - chocolate, peanut butter and yummy frosting. Adding espresso intensifies the chocolate.

And word is 2016 is the year of cake. It's supposed to be showing up everywhere with old timey cake deserts and recipes at the forefront. So try this. Then you too will be "trending".

This is a mash up of a cake recipe from Damaris Phillips (Southern at Heart host on Food Network) and my own frosting recipe inspired from Ina Garden (Barefoot Contessa) and Damaris.

Shopping List:

Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp fine salt

3/4 buttermilk (I didn't have any so I substituted almond milk)

3/4 espresso - warm

1/4 cup coconut oil - warm

1 tbs vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Frosting

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup creamy all natural peanut butter

5 tbs butter

1 tbs vanilla extract

1-2 tbs almond milk

Tip - make your own vanilla extract! Scroll back thru my blog to find out how to make your own bourbon vanilla extract. I will NEVER buy vanilla extract in the grocery store (or Mexico) again.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat together the milk, espresso, coconut oil, vanilla extract and 2 large eggs.

3. Mix your dry ingredients together and add to the wet from step 2.

4. Pour into a greased cake or loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick or whatever you decide to use in checking the cake comes out clean.

5. Mix all ingredients together for the frosting. Set aside.

6. Let cool. Or don't. Up to you! Clearly I couldn't hence "toast style" LOL. Frost and GO TO TOWN.

Top this off with a side of vanilla ice cream. Talk about whipping up something that's not part of the diet program but worth every bite!!