10 Sep Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake

This cake. Can ya even handle?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake. A simple name for a very un-simple kind of dessert. (I debated using a plethora of adjectives in the name — Death By Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Celebration Cake — but in the end, I went with classic and straightforward, because this cake has enough flare all on its own…and I couldn’t decide between the fluffy alternatives.)

I’ve also described it as disgusting on more than one occasion, which has gotten me more than one occasion’s worth of strange looks.  But, disgusting in a good way. Ya follow?

You guys get me, I know this.

But in case you don’t, let me spell this out. I mean disgusting in a way that makes your molars shudder and your thighs immediately break into lunges to proactively burn a few calories before taking your first bite. But that’s because it’s so-fah-king good that you will take a first bite. And a second. And a third. Then maybe a sip of milk. And then repeat.

It’s Bill-Gates-kinda rich, plus shamelessly indulgent, times over-the-freaking top good.  The kind of cake fit for a celebration. The kind of celebration that one has for, oh say, a 30th birthday party. And since I happened to have a friend having one of those a few weeks ago, combined with the fact that I haven’t made a layer cake in like, a bazillion years, I pounced. (It may have had something to do with oven withdrawals as well.)

Also, one of my besties (girlfriend of the b-day boy) squeezed like 17 pounds of limes BY HAND to make homemade margaritas while suffering from a tequila hang over, so the least I could do was bring-a-dang cake. If that’s not love, then I don’t know what is. I’m pretty sure her joints are still sore.

The inspiration for this cake is, you guessed it, the chocolate peanut butter cup. Chocolate on the outside, peanut buttery goodness on the inside. Only in the case of this monster, we’re talkin’ two layers of the best everrr chocolate cake sandwiching two layers of Reese’s-style peanut buttery filling  (am I even allowed to say that?) sandwiching a layer of peanut butter cake. (I like to think of it as the cake version of a spoon train.) But then let’s not forget fluffy chocolate icing topped with a mountain of my cake-muse, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. (<–again with the potential copyright infringement, please Hershey, don’t come after me.)

So ya see, disgusting. But in all the right ways.

Since this was a birthday cake I couldn’t cut into it during the last-minute photo sesh (30 minutes before the party start, me still with wet hair and in my towel), but I did manage to snap a poorly lit, slightly blurry “insides” photo after we had butchered it at the party. So while it pains me slightly to share this photo, you can check out the guts below.

A Few Notes About This  Recipe:

I made this cake in 8-inch round cake pans because they’re what I have in my kitchen. You can also use 9-inch rounds, but you’ll need to test your cakes for doneness about 5-10 minutes earlier than instructed to avoid over-baking.

This is a labor intensive cake and best (least stressfully) made over two days. I recommend baking the cake layers the day before serving, and refrigerating overnight (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap). Chilled cakes are easier to work with, so this will also help with assembly and leveling, should you choose to do so. You’ll also need to let the peanut butter layers freeze for about 6 hours, so unless you plan to serve the cake at night, also make those the day before and freeze overnight. Day of, make the frosting and assemble. 

The peanut butter filling layers are best made in a greased 8-inch springform  pan. If you only have one, press the filling into the pan to mold into shape then turn out onto a cookie sheet to freeze. Otherwise, use two 8-inch cake rounds but line all surfaces (even the edges) with parchment paper, then freeze. 

I added 2 tablespoons of PB2 powdered peanut butter to my peanut butter cake only because I’ve had a jar in my pantry for ages. It’s definitely optional — don’t go out and buy a whole container just for this cake! 

Cake decorating can be intimidating, and I am by no means an expert. I’ve included a few tips below, but you can keep it simple and just stack this cake on a plate and frost with a butter knife if you prefer — it will still taste great!

Most professional cake decorators will tell you to use an offset spatula to frost a layer cake. I prefer to use a straight 9-inch spatula, but if you prefer to avoid extra kitchen tools you can just use a butter knife for  more “rustic” look. 

Instead of a rotating cake stand, I use the bottom piece of my rotating utensil holder to spin the cake and make it easier to frost all sides evenly. If you have neither, don’t worry. Just turn your cake as needed. 

The recipe instructions tell you to create your cake on a cardboard round. They make it easier to move your cake and add support. They can be purchased at your local cake or craft store (like Michael’s) and should be the same diameter as the cake pan you use. To keep it simple, you can create your cake on a plate instead.

Chocolate Cake Layer from Ina Garden
Peanut Butter Cake Layer adapted from Diana Rattray via southerfood.about.com
Peanut Butter Filling Layer adapted from Sprinkle Bakes
Chocolate Frosting adapted from Just a Pinch

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