Reese’s Pieces Cake

Stirring peanut butter into boxed cake mix gives this dessert decadent flavor.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ⅓ cup oil
• 2 cups butter, at room temp.
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup Reese’s Pieces candy
• Reese’s mini peanut butter cups

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Coat 2 (8”) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. On low speed, beat cake mix, eggs, peanut butter, oil and 1 cup water 30 sec.; on medium, beat 2 min. Divide evenly between pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 28-30 min. Cool 10 min. Transfer from pans to rack; cool completely.
2. On medium, beat butter until fluffy, 2 min. On low, gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar then vanilla until combined. On medium-high, beat until fluffy, 2-3 min. If desired, trim cake tops slightly if domed. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate cut side up. Spread top with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer cut side down. Spread top and side of cake with remaining frosting. Chill until set, about 30 min.
3. In medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips and heavy cream in 15-sec. intervals, stirring, until melted and smooth; let cool slightly. Pour over top of cake; using offset or rubber spatula spread ganache evenly over top of cake, allowing some to drip down side.
4. Place one Reese’s Pieces candy at ends of some of drips. Halve ⅓ cup of mini peanut butter cups; arrange on top with remaining whole peanut butter cups. Sprinkle some of remaining Reese’s Pieces on cake top; sprinkle remaining around cake base. Chill until ready to serve.