Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

I had a vision and I ran with it.

This recipe has been adapted from a Preppy Kitchen recipe (https://preppykitchen.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/), with minor alterations. I started off with the intention to blog it, then I forgot to take pictures, but then I had enough at the end. This cake takes a little bit of extra effort, but it is worth it. I went pretty overboard. As you can see from the pictures, the chocolate cake caved in (because I undercooked it by c.5 minutes), so I just filled it with chocolate ganache.

Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Cake:

1 3/4 cups/210g plain flour

3/4 cup/75g cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt 6g

1 cup/240g sour cream

1/2 cup/120ml/110g vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup coffee/240ml strong freshly brewed coffee

3/4 cup/170g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups/350g sugar, granulated or caster

2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the Peanut Butter Cake:

3/4 cup/90g plain flour

1/4 tsp baking soda, heaping

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup/60g sour cream, at room temperature

1/4 cup/60ml whole milk, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup/58g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup/85g peanut butter

1/2 cup/100g sugar, granulated or caster

2 eggs, at room temperature

For Peanut Butter Frosting:

1/2 cup/115g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup/125g peanut butter

4 cups/500g icing sugar

2-4 tbsp/30-60ml heavy cream

For the Chocolate Ganache:

c.300g chocolate, mix of light and dark

1 cup /240ml heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional:

Reese's Pieces for filling

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for decorating

Instructions:

For the Chocolate Ganache:

Make this before you make the cake.

Break/chop up the chocolate into small pieces

In a double boiler, over medium high heat, heat the double cream until small bubbles form.

Add in the chocolate, let sit for a couple of minutes to allow the chocolate to melt, then stir until smooth.

Stir in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool while you make the cake.

For the Chocolate Cake:

Preheat oven to 350F/180˚C, grease and flour 2 x 8 inch cake pans.

In a medium bowl, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and mix together.

In another bowl, add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and coffee, and whisk together.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and scrape the bowl down.

In 3 additions, add the dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry and mix until combined.

This does not have to be exact, spoon in c. 1/3 dry, ½ wet, 1/3 dry, ½ wet, 1/3 dry.

Bake for c. 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean and the centre springs back when pressed.

Let cool in pans for c.15 minutes, then invert on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Peanut Butter Cake

Keep the oven at 350˚F/180˚C, grease and flour 1 x 8 inch cake pan.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder, set aside.

Combine the milk, sour cream and vanilla, set aside.

Cream together the butter and peanut butter until entirely combined.

Add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy

Beat in the eggs one at a time, and scrape the bowl down.

In 3 additions, add the dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry and mix until combined.

This does not have to be exact, spoon in c. 1/3 dry, ½ wet, 1/3 dry, ½ wet, 1/3 dry.

Bake for c. 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean and the centre springs back when pressed.

Let cool in pans for c.15 minutes, then invert on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or with an electric handheld mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy.

Add the peanut butter and beat until light and fluffy.

Sift in the icing sugar, and mix until combined.

The mixture will resemble sand.

With the mixer running at a low speed, slowly add in the cream until a spreadable icing materialises.

To Assemble:

Place one chocolate cake layer on a cake plate, and cut out a small circle from the centre.

I used a shot glass to cut one out, a champagne flute would also work.

Fill a piping bag with the peanut butter frosting, no tip required, and pip a dam around the edge of the cake, and the edge of the centre hole.

Using a palate knife or the back of a spoon, spread the ganache over the cake

Cut a hole out of the centre of the peanut butter cake, place over the iced chocolate cake. The holes should roughly align.

Again, pipe a dam around the edge and the hole, and spread ganache over the cake.

Fill the hole with Reese’s Pieces, and put the last chocolate cake layer on top.

Spread a thin layer of icing over the cake to seal in crumbs, and refrigerate for c.30 minutes.

Spread a thicker layer of icing over the cake, and top with ganache.

Using your palate knife, put dollops of ganache over the side of the cake and smooth over to get a marble effect.

Decorate by piping dots of peanut butter frosting, and putting mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on top.