Peanut Butter Poke Cake with Chocolate Crumbs

Instructions

1. Peanut butter cake 
   Grease and line a round 8 inch baking tin with baking or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place your butter, sugar and peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrap down the sides of the bowl. Add your vanilla and mix briefly. Add your eggs, one at a time, and beat again until combined. Sift in your flour and baking powder and start to gently fold using a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula. Add your milk and fold until the ingredients are just combined – you don’t want to over mix the batter.
3. Spoon out your batter into your prepared cake pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes.
4. Peanut butter ganache
   Next, make the peanut butter ganache. Add your peanut butter to a small bowl. Place your cream in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until it is hot to the touch but not boiling. Pour over your peanut butter. Cover with a plate or similar and leave to sit for 2 minutes. Then whisk together until the peanut butter and cream combine to create a smooth consistency.
5. Next, gently remove your cake from the cake tin and transfer very carefully to a wire rack. Poke the top with holes all over, using a skewer or chop stick – anything pointy will do. Then pour the peanut butter ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to soak into all the holes. Leave to cool completely.
6. Chocolate crumbs
   Next, make your chocolate crumbs. In a large mixing bowl, add your plain flour, sugar, cornflour and cocoa powder. Whisk together. Melt your butter and add it to the mixture, stirring until it forms wet crumbs. Pour this mixture out onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread out into one layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then leave to cool completely.
7. Chocolate frosting
   To make the frosting, place your softened butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for a couple of minutes until pale and creamy. Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a microwave, stirring in between 20 second bursts, until just melted and set aside to cool a little.
8. Once the butter is very pale and creamy, add in half of the powdered sugar and one tablespoon of milk and beat on low until the sugar is incorporated and then beat on medium speed until combined. Next, add the rest of the sugar and the milk, and again beat on slow until the sugar is incorporated before turning up to medium for another minute or so.
9. Next, add in your melted chocolate to the buttercream mixture, ensuring the chocolate is still smooth and melted but is not warm. Beat until the chocolate is completely mixed through. Frost the top of your cooled cake and then add your chocolate crumbs all over the top.