Ultimate Peanut Butter Cake

Description
Looking for the ultimate in peanut butter and chocolate? Look no further - this cake will satisfy the best of both worlds. Rich in peanut butter with a moist, flaky crumb, this cake tastes best when it's still slightly warm. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen custard for complete decadence.

For the cake base

 * ½ cup butter
 * ¼ cup natural peanut butter
 * 1 cup brown sugar
 * 2 large eggs
 * 1 tsp. vanilla extract
 * 1½ tsp. baking powder
 * ½ tsp. baking soda
 * ½ tsp. salt
 * 1 cup buttermilk
 * 2 cups sifted flour

Topping

 * ½ cup natural peanut butter
 * ⅔ cup sugar, brown or white only
 * 2 tbsp. flour
 * ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

 * 1) Cream the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla.
 * 2) Add the dry ingredients, just alternating with the buttermilk. Pour everything into a greased 13 x 9" pan. Sprinkle with the topping.
 * 3) To make the topping, cream the peanut butter, sugar, and flour. Mix with the chocolate chips. The mixture should be crumbly like a streusel topping.
 * 4) Sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 °F for 25 - 30 minutes.
 * 5) Let the cake cool completely, then dust the top with confectioner's sugar, if desired. You can normally serve the cake before it is completely cool, but keep in mind the confectioner's sugar will dissolve if the cake is warm.