Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

I made this many years ago for a dear friend's birthday and it was a memorable treat. Chocolate cake from a box? I can handle that. And peanut butter mousse? Sounds very chefy, right? If you cannot manage to properly frost a layer cake, try the parfait version below because your friends and family will love you either way. Your hips? Well, that's another story.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) package devil's food cake mix without pudding
2 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
1 (10-ounce) package peanut butter morsels
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Garnish: chopped roasted peanuts

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour into 2 lightly greased 8-inch round cakepans. Bake according to package directions. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely.

Combine 2/3 cup whipping cream and peanut butter morsels in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until morsels melt and mixture is smooth; remove saucepan from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, and cool 25 minutes.

Beat 1 1/3 cups whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir one-third whipped cream into peanut butter mixture. Fold into remaining whipped cream. Spread between cake layers; cover and chill.

Bring remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1 tablespoon butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Add chocolate morsels; remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir until morsels melt and mixture is smooth.

Pour glaze over cake; garnish, if desired. Serve warm, or chill and serve at room temperature.

OR - if frosting a layer cake is just too much to take...

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse Parfaits: Cut cooled cake layers into cubes. Layer 8 Parfait glasses evenly with two-thirds peanut butter mixture, cake cubes, and half of chocolate mixture. Top with remaining peanut butter mixture and chocolate mixture; sprinkle each parfait with chopped peanuts, if desired.