A Perfect Combination: Chocolate Peanut Butter Poundcake

The theme of August on my Facebook page has primarily been Poundcakes.
This is because I started a new business concentrating on Poundcakes. I am trying to expand on the idea of the "Family Core". I truly believe that having a "Family Core" helps to ground someone in who they are and what is expected of them, thus providing them a  foundation of where they want to go in life.
It provides security and a feeling of belonging that defines "Love" for a person.
My Poundcakes provide a vehicle for that conversation. The ability to sit with a relative, Mom, Aunt, Grandmother etc, sharing a piece of poundcake and cup of tea going over the things that are truly important in life is my mission . If you have a moment stop by my Facebook page and let me know how you feel on the issue. I'd love to hear from you :)  a Pound of Love Poundcakes
If you'd like to share the Love stop by my Poundcake website and ship a poundcake to someone you love!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Poundcake

A fantastic Chocolate Poundcake with a Peanut Butter Cake center. The Peanut butter tries to be the star of the show, but the Belgian Cocoa makes the Chocolate portion stand right out! It's the perfect combination!

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Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup Cocoa

½ teaspoon salt

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1.2 cup Peanut Butter

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature, whisked to blend

1 cup milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan or another 12 cup pan with a center tube.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper; set aside.

Put the butter into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or work with a hand-held mixer) and beat at medium speed until smooth.

With the machine running, add the sugar.

Stop the machine and scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Continue to beat at medium speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

With the mixer still at medium speed, begin to add the eggs in small additions (1 at a time)

If the mixture appears watery or shiny, stop adding the eggs and beat at an medium high speed just until it smooths out.

When the batter has come together again, decrease the speed to medium and continue adding the eggs.

Scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl from time to time; it will take 3 to 4 minutes to incorporate the eggs.

You know when the mixture combined correctly when it appears white, fluffy.

Reduce the mixer speed to low.

Add the flour mixture and the milk alternating in 4 additions. Starting and ending with Flour, scraping the paddle & bowl frequently.

Mix until the batter is smooth after each addition.

Add the vanilla and mix just to combine.

Spoon 1 1/2 cups of batter into a small bowl and set aside.

Add Cocoa to batter in mixer and mix on low only until combined.

Fold peanut butter into batter that is set aside. Mix only until combined.

Baking the cake:

Spoon 3/4 of the Chocolate batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Dollop Peanut butter batter over the chocolate batter in the pan. Add remaining chocolate batter and smooth.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rack, remove the pan, and cool to room temperature.

Serve in 1 inch slices. Serves 8-12.

Storing. The cake can be covered at room temperature for 3-5 days or frozen for a month