CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER PUG CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350° F (325° F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease 8-inch cake pan with shortening or cooking spray.
• Make chocolate batter as directed on cupcake mix box; set aside peanut butter filling pouch and piping bag for later use. Pour chocolate batter into pan.
• Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed in center. Turn cake out of pan onto cooling rack. Cool completely.
• In large bowl, place contents of peanut butter filling pouch. Add softened butter and powdered sugar. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until crumbly. Add milk, and beat again until smooth. Add 1/2 cup whipped cream frosting, and beat until light and fluffy. Frost cooled chocolate cake with thin layer of frosting, and refrigerate until set. Frost cake with second layer, making surface as smooth as possible.
• Break the graham cracker in half, and apply a smooth layer of chocolate frosting to both pieces. Press them (angled) into the top portion of the cake so that they overhang the edge of the cake slightly. Cover both of the creme-filled sandwich cookies with a layer of chocolate frosting. Press them into cake just underneath the graham cracker "ears." Transfer remaining chocolate frosting to piping bag included in cake mix box. Snip the end, and pipe a rounded triangular shape onto the bottom third of cake. Fill in outline with piped frosting. Gently smooth the entire shape with an offset spatula.
• Use white decorating icing fitted with the round tip to pipe 2 mounds of white icing onto the creme-filled cookie "eyes." Place chocolate candy drops pointed-ends-down into the white icing mounds. Pipe 2 circles of black icing onto each chocolate drop. Use black icing to draw nose and mouth. Using spoon, fill in drawn-on mouth with chocolate candy sprinkles. Use black decorator icing to pipe a dot on each side of mouth.
• Cut a teardrop tongue shape from the pink candy. Make indentation with side of spoon handle. Apply pink candy to mouth with a dot of frosting.
• For finishing touches, outline ears with remaining icing in piping bag, and sprinkle on chocolate candy sprinkles. Add a line of frosting around outer edge of both creme-filled cookie "eyes." Place 2 edible white round sugar pearls on black portion of each eye.
• Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.