Peanut butter and choc chip cake

It was a lazy Saturday, a good friend was coming over for homemade soup and crumpets and cuddles with the baby. I realised I didn't have any "pudding", I'd thought about trifle but didn't have cream or time for that matter. So I thought I'd rustle up a quick sponge cake, and I had some chocolate chips, so I quickly consulted Nigella (DG) and Nigel Slater (Real Fast Puddings), but I didn't have enough time or ingredients. Then I thought "peanut butter goes well with chocolate chips"... 

Ingredients (makes two tier 8" cake) 

Serves 8-12 dependent on gluttony.

Cake mix 

6oz butter softened

6oz caster sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 heaped tbsp peanut butter (any)

6oz SR Flour

1heaped tsp baking powder

Milk approx 2-3 tbsps

3-4oz chocolate chips (dark)

Icing 

2 heaped tablespoons peanut butter

30g butter

Approx 250g icing sugar

Boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (Fan 165°C), grease and line two 8" cake tins*

2. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowls with spoon or electric beaters. Add beaten eggs and vanilla essence and peanut butter. Mix well. 

3. Sift flour and baking powder together into mixing bowl of wet ingredients folding with a metal spoon, add milk if you feel the mixture is too stiff, it should be a slightly dropping (rather than pouring) consistency, stir choc chips through mix reserving some for decoration. 

4. Spoon mix into ready prepared tins and bake for 20-25 mins until top is firm but springy and a knife or skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool. 

5. When cake is cold make icing by mixing butter and peanut butter with icing sugar and gradually adding the boiling water to the icing until it's a spreadable consistency. 

6. I'm sure you could spend ages decorating this cake, but I quickly sandwiched them together with it and slapped the icing on the cake whilst my husband, baby and friend were eating crumpets in the other room... there's something attractive about a "just thrown together" freshly baked sponge! 

Enjoy!!

This was served before the chocolate chips had cooled!