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Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Cake

Yield Serves 12 1x
Prep: 120 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 2 hours 30 minutes

Two layers of chocolate cake covered in peanut butter frosting.

Ingredients

Chocolate cake

  • 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
  • 80 grams (1 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 300 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
  • 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
  • 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 240 ml (1 cup) hot water

Peanut butter frosting

  • 230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 250 grams (1 cup) smooth peanut butter
  • 435 grams (3 and 1/2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons full fat or whole milk
  • 150 grams (1 cup) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped in half

Instructions

  1. Chocolate cake
    Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with baking or parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Then add the sugars. Whisk together.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs. Whisk together. Boil the kettle and pour out 1 cup of hot water and set aside.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Start to fold together, slowly pour in the hot water, and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.
  5. Divide the mixture into two cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes before gently removing the cakes from their tins and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. Peanut butter frosting
    In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and peanut butter on a medium speed until creamy and smooth. Sift in half the icing sugar. Add a tablespoon or two of milk to help loosen up the mixture.
  7. Add the rest of the icing sugar and continue to beat until creamy. Add a tablespoon of milk as needed. You want a thick and creamy frosting. If it’s too thick, add a touch more milk.
  8. Trim the tops of your cakes using a serrated knife, so they are nice and flat. Cover the first cake layer with a generous amount of frosting on top and spread it out, going right to the edges.
  9. Place the remaining chocolate cake layer upside down on top. Then gently frost the sides and top of the cake using a spatula. Use a cake scraper to gently remove extra frosting from the sides. Top with Peanut Butter Cups.
Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: DessertCuisine: American
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