Decadence

There was a recipe floating around facebook a few weeks ago for a Peanut Butter Chocolate Eclair Ice Box Cake. I've never made an ice box cake, nor eaten one as far as I know, and thought this would be a new learning experience. And it sure was. It turned out that some of the measurements were incorrect and I was left to improvise. For anyone who makes my recipe, please let me know if this is what an ice box cake should taste like, since I am a bit clueless. Oh and I lightened this baby up as much as I could because I know you're all going to want seconds.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Eclair Cake with Chocolate Frosting
makes 16 slices in a 9 x 13 inch pan

Cooking spray
1 box chocolate graham crackers (you will have a few left over)
2 boxes Jello Sugar Free/Fat Free Instant Vanilla Pudding (1 oz each)
3-1/2 cups fat free milk
1 8 oz container of Sugar Free Cool Whip defrosted
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting
this is Diane Smith's recipe and it is out of this world rich
1/4 c unsalted butter softened
1/4 c cocoa- I use Hershey's Extra Dark, yummmmm I really see a difference when I use this brand
1/4 c low fat evaporated milk
1-1/2 c powdered sugar- Diane uses more and you can too, but I decided to cut back
dash of salt
2 T peanut butter (my addition)
2 T crushed dry roasted peanuts (also my addition)

Spritz a baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. In large bowl combine instant pudding and milk. Whip a minute or two (I used a hand mixer) and add your peanut butter. Whip a few minutes more until all seems combined. Now fold in your whipped topping. 

 

 

I discovered a half a bag of chocolate mini chips in my freezer and decided to toss those in too.

 

 

Set this creamy bowl of loveliness aside and let's get ready to assemble the cake. In sprayed baking pan lay 7-1/2 graham grackers on the bottom.

 

 



Top with half the pudding mixture.

 



 

Add another layer of graham crackers and top that with the rest of the pudding mixture. Just one more layer of graham crackers and we're ready to make the frosting.

 

 

In large bowl cream the butter, cocoa, salt and evaporated milk. Now add the peanut butter and whip until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and combine until smooth. Spread over top layer of graham crackers and sprinkle with crushed peanuts.

 

 

 

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours. Then get ready to dig in. Well, not really dig in, try and cut this as civilized as possible. I cut mine into 16 portions, and I must say, cutting the cake was the hardest part of this experiment. But I did it and it tastes great! And it's so much lower in calories and fat than other cakes of it's kind. Doesn't this look decadent and inviting?

 

 

Give this cake a try, I know you will like it. And when you do, get back to me and let me know if this is indeed an ice box cake and maybe some instructions on how to easily cut it.

 

The re-mix: I might try this combo as a trifle. And I may at sometime replace the peanut butter with a creamy raspberry/vanilla type pudding with the addition of fresh raspberries. I might even make the chocolate frosting with a hint of raspberry jam. Ooh this was delicous fun!