This tremendous moist darkish chocolate peanut butter cake marries the flavors of wealthy darkish chocolate and candy creamy peanut butter—a match made in heaven if ever there was one. Fill and coat the cake with peanut butter frosting, then cowl the entire dessert with semi-sweet chocolate ganache, pipe extra peanut butter frosting on prime… and prepare to swoon, as a result of that is love at first chunk.
Meet our latest most eligible bachelor: the darkish chocolate peanut butter cake. This cake is wealthy. Like, ultra-rich. I believe the time period “filthy wealthy” would possibly even apply right here.
Right here’s Why You’ll Swoon Over This Cake
- Cake crumb is fudge-like and moist, but just a little mild and spongey.
- Get pleasure from further texture from the chocolate chips. (I insist you don’t go away these out! Style testers mentioned the chocolate chips are a welcome distinction to the graceful frosting and cake… and I agree.)
- Peanut butter frosting packs BIG taste.
- It’s candy, however not overly so; the flippantly sweetened peanut butter frosting and darkish chocolate ganache is a pleasant break from cloyingly candy buttercream.
- Very wealthy! In the event you’re going to indulge, put this layer cake on the menu.
3 Components to Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Let’s break down every part of this unapologetically indulgent cake:
- Darkish Chocolate Cake: We’re beginning with the cake batter from this 5-star darkish chocolate mousse cake, a reader favourite. The cake batter is actually the identical as this chocolate cake, however we’re utilizing the bitter cream variation as a result of it produces a sturdier cake—actually helpful for tall and towering layers.
- Peanut Butter Frosting: Slather on a layer of creamy peanut butter frosting between every cake layer, and use it to use a crumb coat to the outside of the cake. It’s a scaled-up model of my authentic peanut butter frosting recipe.
- Chocolate Ganache: High the entire cake with 2-ingredient semi-sweet chocolate ganache. I initially frosted this cake with a chocolate buttercream, however all of my style testers mentioned it was just too wealthy and too candy. “Onerous to complete a slice,” most mentioned. With chocolate ganache, one taster distinctly mentioned, “I can’t cease consuming this.”
My staff and I made no less than 6 of those truffles in the course of the testing part and we had some VERY completely happy neighbors and buddies.
A Cake With Critical Chocolate Taste
You want a handful of primary baking elements for the cake batter. The acidity in each bitter cream and buttermilk is a should to supply correct leavening. (If desired, see baking powder vs baking soda for extra info.) A contact of espresso powder and scorching espresso additional enhances the chocolate taste. The cake will not style like espresso—moderately, the 2 add depth to the cake’s darkish chocolate taste. Be at liberty to skip the espresso powder and substitute scorching espresso with scorching water.
- Why scorching liquid? The new liquid encourages the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve.
Chocolate chips take the chocolate taste to the following stage, and, as I discussed above, additionally they provide phenomenal texture. Toss them in just a little flour earlier than folding into the batter.
Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
I performed round with the elements in my typical creamy peanut butter frosting recipe, and made some changes with a view to yield simply the correct quantity for this cake. You want 5 elements:
- Butter
- Peanut Butter: Use the standard sort, like Jif or Skippy, moderately than pure.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: I do know you’ll admire that there’s lower than 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, a far cry from the same old 6 or 7 cups required for buttercream on a tall layer cake.
- Heavy Cream: You additionally want this for the chocolate ganache.
- Vanilla Extract
You’ll find yourself with 3.5–4 cups (about 850g), which is sufficient frosting for filling, crumb-coating, and a few primary piping on the outside. This frosting has unimaginable peanut butter taste as a result of it’s full of practically 2 cups of it! There’s no different solution to make it. 😉
2 Ingredient Chocolate Ganache
I gained’t go into numerous element about the right way to make the ganache as a result of I’ve an entire chocolate ganache tutorial for you. You want simply 2 elements: chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate (about 56–60% cacao) and heat heavy cream.
#1 Success Tip: Wait 20–Half-hour for the ganache to thicken earlier than pouring or spooning onto the cake, which is handy since you even have to attend for the crumb-coated cake to sit back.
As you’ll be able to watch within the video tutorial beneath, a calming cake helps set or solidify the ganache as you’re making use of it, which helps stop main drips/large messes.
Tips on how to Assemble & Embellish This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
I’m NOT an expert cake decorator and with all of my layer truffles, I choose simplicity. Let me share how I stack and embellish this magnificence:
Assemble: Place the underside cooled cake layer in your cake stand or serving plate. Utilizing a giant icing spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cowl the highest with about 1 cup of peanut butter frosting. High with 2nd cake layer and one other 1 cup of frosting. High with the third cake after which unfold a skinny layer of the peanut butter frosting on prime and across the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper across the cake to clean it out. Refrigerate the cake for no less than Half-hour and as much as 3 hours to set the crumb coat.
Embellish: Pour barely cooled chocolate ganache on prime, then, as soon as once more, run a bench scraper across the sides to clean it out. Lastly, fill a piping bag with the remaining peanut butter frosting and pipe across the edges of the cake. I exploit Wilton 1M for the piped element. If desired, you’ll be able to end off this chocolate peanut butter bombshell with peanut butter cups.
In the event you’re simply studying the right way to use piping ideas, my piping ideas information is a useful useful resource, and don’t miss this whole checklist of cake baking success ideas.
Now it’s your flip! Swoooon.
Really useful Instruments
Description
This tremendous moist chocolate peanut butter cake combines wealthy chocolate cake with creamy peanut butter frosting and clean chocolate ganache. Crumb-coated cake and ganache should chill earlier than assembling and adorning the cake. See recipe Notes for additional details about some elements.
Peanut Butter Frosting
Chocolate Ganache
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the truffles seamlessly launch from the pans. (See #6 on my prime Cake Baking Ideas.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if utilizing) collectively in a big bowl. Put aside. Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you should use a whisk), combine the oil, eggs, and bitter cream collectively on medium-high velocity till mixed. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and beat till mixed. Pour the moist elements into the dry elements, add the recent water/espresso, and whisk or beat on low velocity till the batter is totally mixed. Fold within the flour-coated chocolate chips. Batter is skinny and you might even see some air bubbles on the floor—that’s regular. It’s best to have about 6–6.5 cups of batter.
- Divide batter evenly between 3 pans. Bake for roughly 24–26 minutes. Baking instances range, so control yours. The truffles are achieved when a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear.
- Take away the truffles from the oven and set on a wire rack. Permit to chill fully within the pan. The truffles could barely sink within the center as they cool—that’s anticipated.
- Because the truffles cool, make the peanut butter frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium excessive velocity till creamy and clean, about 2 minutes. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the edges and backside of the bowl as wanted. Add the peanut butter and beat till fully mixed, about 1–2 minutes. Scrape down the edges and backside of the bowl as wanted to assist mix. Combination will likely be skinny. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt after which pour within the heavy cream with the mixer working on low velocity. After all the cream has been added, flip the mixer as much as medium-high velocity and beat for 1–2 minutes, or till totally mixed and creamy. Add as much as 1/4 cup extra confectioners’ sugar if frosting appears fairly skinny. It’s best to find yourself with about 3.5–4 cups (850g) of peanut butter frosting. This quantity makes sufficient for the filling, crumb coat, and for just a little piping on prime.
- Assemble cake + apply crumb coat: Place 1 cake layer in your cake stand or serving plate. Utilizing a giant icing spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cowl the highest with about 1 cup peanut butter frosting. Repeat with 2nd and third cake layers, spreading about 1 cup of peanut butter frosting in between every layer. Unfold a skinny layer of frosting on the highest and across the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper across the cake to clean out crumb coat. Chill uncovered within the fridge for no less than Half-hour and as much as 3 hours to set the crumb coat.
- As your crumb coat units, make the chocolate ganache: Place finely chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Warmth the cream in a small saucepan over medium warmth till it begins to softly simmer. (Don’t let it come to a speedy boil—that’s too scorching!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for two–3 minutes to softly soften the chocolate. With a steel spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir till chocolate has melted and combination is clean. Ganache is skinny. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the faster it should soften with the cream. If it’s not melting, don’t microwave it. If wanted, see Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache. As soon as ganache combination is clean, let it chill for 20-Half-hour within the fridge to thicken earlier than spreading on chilled crumb-coated cake.
- Pour/spoon thickened ganache on chilled cake. Easy the highest with an icing spatula and the edges with a bench scraper. If desired, pipe remaining peanut butter frosting across the fringe of the cake. I used Wilton 1M piping tip on the pictured cake. Garnish with peanut butter cups, if desired. Serve cake instantly or chill, uncovered, for as much as 4–6 hours earlier than serving. Cake may be served at room temperature or chilled.
- Cowl leftover cake tightly and retailer within the fridge for five days. I like utilizing a cake provider for storing and transporting.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: Put together cake by step 4. Wrap the person baked and cooled cake layers tightly and refrigerate for as much as 2 days or freeze as much as 3 months. Deliver to room temperature, then proceed with step 5. You’ll be able to put together the peanut butter frosting upfront. Cowl and refrigerate for as much as 3 days. Deliver to room temperature earlier than utilizing and beat in just a little extra room-temperature heavy cream to skinny out if mandatory. You too can put together the chocolate ganache forward of time. Refrigerate ready ganache for as much as 3 days. Deliver to room temperature earlier than spreading onto cake. Frosted cake freezes effectively, as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, then deliver to room temperature or serve chilly.
- Cocoa Powder: This recipe requires pure cocoa powder for its acidity, so don’t use dutch-process.
- Espresso Powder/Espresso: Espresso powder and low is not going to make the cake style like espresso. Quite, they deepen the chocolate taste. I extremely advocate them each. If espresso isn’t your factor, you’ll be able to pass over the espresso powder and use further scorching water as a substitute of the recent espresso.
- Bitter Cream: As an alternative of bitter cream, you should use plain yogurt. The cake gained’t style as wealthy, but it surely’s a high-quality substitute.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can also make your individual DIY model of buttermilk if wanted. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add sufficient entire milk to the identical measuring cup till it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, however the cake gained’t style as moist or wealthy.) Stir it round and let sit for five minutes. The selfmade “buttermilk” will likely be considerably curdled and able to use within the recipe.
- Peanut Butter: To stop the frosting from separating or popping out too skinny or oily, use processed creamy peanut butter corresponding to Jif or Skippy.
- Why Room Temperature? All refrigerated gadgets ought to be at room temperature so the batter and frosting combine collectively simply and evenly. Learn right here for extra info.
- Chocolate Ganache: You need to use high-quality darkish or semi-sweet chocolate chips if wanted, however when melting chocolate, I like to recommend utilizing pure chocolate baking bars (chocolate chips have stabilizers). You could find them proper subsequent to the chocolate chips within the baking aisle. I like Bakers or Ghirardelli manufacturers, those labeled semi-sweet (56% cacao), which are available in 4-ounce (113g) bars.
- Cupcakes: Right here’s a really related recipe for darkish chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. Be at liberty to fill them with the peanut butter frosting (as a substitute of frosting them with it) and prime every with chocolate ganache.
Key phrases: darkish chocolate peanut butter cake
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