Sometimes you get busy. There is week-old laundry to put away, streaked kitchen counters that need to be scrubbed and recipes to test.
There are websites to be designed, photos to be edited, and post-dessert workouts to get done.
But there is also a blog to attend to and readers getting impatient. Those readers who hate you for ruining their New Year’s resolutions in January but love you for making delicious desserts come so easy. That has been the theme recently, hasn’t it? Easy cookies, easy truffles and now easy cake.
I know I’m not the only one around here that has a to-do list from one end of the apartment to the other. Email drafts, post-it notes, calendar reminders and the worst ones, those where you take a mental note and say, “yes, I will remember this” but three days later you are in the middle of your shower and you think, “oh crap.”
I am so thankful for easy desserts.
Reese’s Pieces Cake Bars
Makes 20 cake bars
Ingredients:
Reese’s Pieces Cake
1 chocolate cake mix plus ingredients called for on box, replacing oil with creamy peanut butter (my cake mix called for 1/3 cup of oil so I ignored that and used 1/3 cup of peanut butter)
3/4 cups Reese’s Mini Pieces or regular Reese’s Pieces lightly chopped
Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
To make the cake
Pre-heat oven as directed on box
Spray a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
Follow directions on cake box, substituting peanut butter for oil; stir in Reese’s Pieces
Pour cake batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean
Allow cake to cool
To make Frosting
Beat butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy
Beat in peanut butter until well combined
Add sugar and stir until combined; then increase speed to high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy
Ice cooled cake with prepared frosting and serve
Where do you keep your to-do lists?
Anything that gets me from “dessertless” to “cake-happy” in a hurry is very much appreciated. That darn to-do list won’t do itself! :)
I’m so thankful for easy desert too – – they make to do lists and endless responsibilities seem manageable. This is such a fantastic recipe — peanut butter and anything for that matter of fact is mere perfection ;)
yum! i appreciate anything reeses and peanut butter and chocolate so this is right up my alley and i would LOVE a slice of this!!
Wish I could share some with you… consider this a virtual birthday cake:-)
Oh my goodness I cannot stay on top of everything I need to get done. I add more things to the list faster than I accomplish things it seems. But yummy cake for sure! And a pretty plate too.
These look tasty! I love peanut butter and chocolate! I keep my to do list on my phone so I can access it from anywhere!
Fabulous idea to replace the oil with PB. Can’t wait to try it!
What an easy, yummy dessert. LOVE IT! (You are definitely the Peanut Butter Girl!)
That is the best compliment I could get:-)
looks great and I LOVE easy :) and peanut butter!
Amen to easy desserts! :-D It looks delicious!
This is delicious! I adore the fact that it is bursting with peanut butter at every turn :D
Fantastic recipe!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Latest: Fresh Fruit Tart
I love the idea of replacing oil with peanut butter! YUM!
Those cake bars look and sound so good. They would not last long at our house! Also, I have to keep my to-do list in my purse, so it is easily accessible and doesn’t get lost.
No New Year’s resolution for me that would limit dessert consumption. I mean you should always eat in moderation, but something like this has to be shared with others. Thank you Lauren for sharing :)
Delicious and easy – the perfect combination!
wow… these look amazing. And my to-do lists are all over the place. Post it notes, notepads, dry erase boards in the kitchen, random wrappers in my purse, my phone…I think you get it.
Hahaha so we are totally on the same page.
I just died and went to heaven. This looks incredible!!
this looks amazing! Reese’s pieces cake?? Yes please. yum!
Holy cow! I didn’t think I missed dairy products until I saw this!
~Emily~
LOVEEEE easy cake! Love it! Like a lot! Gotta try this :)
Oh my goodness yes!! I need one of these now! Pb and chocolate are my favorite combo! :)
This looks wonderful! I love anything with chocolate and peanut butter – but you add reese’s pieces, and I am sold!
I have a giveaway going on you might be interested in!
Oh, checking that out immediately!
these are perfect! chocolate, peanut butter, Reese’s, that fluffy!!! frosting….yum!
oh wow! i definitely need to add making this recipe to my to-do list!
That frosting is to die for. I am craving chocolate and pb right now!! How far away do you live?? :)
Not that far… come on over:-)
These are amazing! I want to make it right now. :)
Yum! This is my kind of dessert.
Easy desserts are always a win in my book! As is peanut butter and chocolate! This looks wonderful!
soooo delicious! It cant help my self watching this cake without salivating. :p
Way to easy Lauren, looks like I may be blaming you in February also.
Haha I’ll take it:-)
My family thanks you in advance for this recipe… They go nuts, absolute bananas, for Reese’s pieces. I’ll be the awesome mom when I make these! :)
Yay! Let me know how they turn out.
I’m glad I’m not the only one whose priority is a post-workout dessert ;) These look awesome!
I’m pretty sure that 99% of the reason I am ever at the gym (which is a lot) is dessert!
oooh, these look pretty. yum!
Yum, this looks super delicious – I am totally obsessed with peanut butter and chocolate together, yum!! :)
Wow! this does look easy, not to mention super delicious! I didn’t know you could substitute oil for peanut butter? I guess you can substitute peanut butter for anything! :)
This is why we are friends!
Nothing is better than peanut butter and chocolate. It’s practically a food group around here. And nothing’s wrong with easy! Loving that frosting, too.
I think you made this too easy. I may have to make it.
Oh my gosh, double yum! I bet it is delicious even without that yummy frosting!
I have to do lists all over the place. I have to hand write them. They are on scraps of paper recycled from unused print outs. ha ha.
Yum this cake sounds amazing!! This might be on the menu for this weekend!
This looks delicious!!!! Love anything with Reese’s Pieces!
My very favorite candy made into a cake-like bar. Doesn’t get any better than that!! :)
I can so relate to your life. I’m always feeling guilty that I should be doing something else when I’m working on one thing.
We had NO Reese’s in Australia. No pieces, no cups, no nothing. These cake bars look so good. I might have to import just to try it out. My brain still thinks like an American even though I’ve been here for a long time. :)
Oh my, that is so upsetting. I’d definitely be placing bulk orders!
Haha, I’m definitely on the hate-you-but-love-you list! ;) Looks amaaazingly tasty and amaaaazingly bad for my waist! Yum.
And now I have another reason to bring reese’s back into this house. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!?!?
But really this looks so good. I’m kind of regretting giving you my foodbuzz cake mix.
Chocolate and Peanut Butter are one my favorite combinations. This dessert is so yummy and easy to make:-) Congratulations on the Foodbuzz Top 9.
Thank you!
That icing looks so good!
I’m dying over here. I love reese’s pieces and this cake is making me want some so bad :)
Oh man, oh man…. This is such a great idea! Does the sub of peanut butter for oil make the cake a little more dense? That would be so great.
It does make it a little more dense but it is still super moist which is good.
Whoa those look so unbelievably tempting. Simply delish!
Wow, these look totally tempting. Congrats on the Top 9 too.
Thank you, Suzi!
I’m gonna surprise my husband with this! He loves PB and Reese’s. Thanks!
That is such a nice idea, Betsy. I hope he likes it!
These sound great, perfect for a get together. Congrats on the top 9 :)
Thank you, Suzanne!