Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake ~Think reese’s peanut butter cups. Layers of stacked chocolate and peanut butter make this sinfully delicious cake everyone will love. You will look like you slaved all day making this to die for dessert. Four layers of dark chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting nestled in between. Reese’s Cups placed lovingly around the top to guide you to the right size for each piece. Wicked! Nothing could be better, except a Second piece!
Click the link for my signature Hot Fudge Sauce
I am sure I don’t have any Strained Unsweetened Chocolate recipes here but I so have MANY decadent chocolate recipes. See my Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding recipe or my Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake ~reese's peanut butter cup layers of stacked chocolate and peanut butter make this sinfully delicious cake everyone will love.
- 2½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1½ cups buttermilk at room temperature
- 1½ cups strong black coffee hot
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 4½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate finely chopped
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 10 miniature peanut butter cups coarsely chopped, divided
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer (or large mixing bowl if you're using a hand mixer), sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla.
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Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).
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Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
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Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the heavy cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth (do not overbeat).
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If your cakes baked up uneven or have domed on top, level off the tops. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Cover with 1 cup of the peanut butter. Top with a second cake layer and cover with peanut butter. Place the final cake layer on top face-down. Frost the cake with the remaining peanut butter frosting, finishing it as smoothly as possible. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour, until the frosting is set.
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While the cake chills, make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a 4-cup measuring cup; set aside. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Begin whisking the mixture in the center, gradually working your way outward until the ganache is completely smooth. Set aside to cool, whisking occasionally, until it has thickened slightly, yet still a pourable consistency.
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If the ganache was mixed in a bowl, transfer it to a 2-cup measuring cup. Slowly pour the chocolate ganache into the center of the cake, letting it push itself outward and flow over the sides of the cake. Top with the 10 chopped peanut butter cups. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes, giving the ganache a chance to set up. Keep the cake refrigerated, removing it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes prior to serving.
Click the link for my signature Hot Fudge Sauce
I am sure I don’t have any Strained Unsweetened Chocolate recipes here but I so have MANY decadent chocolate recipes. See my Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding recipe or my Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake!
©MARILYN'S TREATS. All images are copyright protected.
YOur recipes always looks so delicious, I wish I could make them all, especially the desserts!!! My downfall!!
Your recipes has been pinned and is currently being featured on #omhgff this week!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Thank you Karren for the compliments AND the feature! You made me smile today. Have a lovely evening.
Congratulations!
Your post is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week plus I have it on my Whats For Dinner Next Week on Saturday night. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us and have a wonderful week!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much Miz Helen! I am thrilled and you made me smile. Have a lovely week and see you soon.
Marilyn,
I’m visiting from Inspire Me Monday. Your featured recipe on Ramona’s blog was such a tease that I had to investigate. It looks quite yummy. I decided to save it for a future dessert at our home. Thanks for sharing and have a blessed week!
Thank you for coming and leaving a comment. I love Inspire Me Monday. She has the best postrs to read. I am glad you enjoyed finding the cake. Have a great week!
This looks amazing, I could just eat a slice for breakfast 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Creative Mondays.
You are welcome Claire!! Maybe a small slice for a girls luncheon?? ! Always want to be proper, LOL. Enjoy!
I love peanut butter and I love chocolate cake!
You are so easy to please Julie!!thanks for the vote of confidence. It means a lot coming from a great cook like you!! Have a good day.
This looks amazing & delicious! Wish I had a piece with my coffee. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty
Oh yum. All baked goods are great for being witg the girls and having a beverage. Glad yopu like it Jenny. Enjoy your day!
This looks amazing! #trafficjam
Thank you Tracy! Enjoy your week.
Visiting from Living Life Well link up. Your cake looks very delicious! Definitely one to try for the next special occasion! Thanks so much for sharing!
You are welcome. I am glad you like it! Enjoy ytour week.
Your Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake looks and sounds wonderful, Marilyn! I made something similar for my husband for his birthday several years ago, but mine only had two layers, so it wasn’t as amazing as yours!! Thank you so much for sharing this gorgeous cake with the Hearth and Soul Link party!
I get creative sometimes. This was when I was at a store and saw those piano string things to level and cut a cake? I can never resist womething new. LOL. My cakes are always topsy. This one was nce but I never pushed my luck again! Thanks you an enjoy!
That cake looks delicious and moist. Although I do not eat chocolate, I am sure my kids (and hubby) would love it! I am always looking for new recipes to try and I am sure that I will be making this cake sometime in the near future. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thank you so much Shelly! I bet you can find a great companion for the peanut butter beside chocolate. Enjoy!
Something tells me having this around would definitely help me put on a few pounds. But it looks like a really special treat to make when I have guests to help me eat it. I will pin it for future reference.
Barbara, I would never make this unless I had a crowd to share it with. Fortunately that is ALWAYS the case when I bake. I get plenty of pounds from carbs and iit shows., if I had to eat everything I bake I would never be able to get out of the kitchen! EnjoyQ
Very decadent! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
This is one of the very few layer cakes I make. They usually don;t come out looking this pretty. And this combination is to die for! Enjoy.
What good be better than chocolate and peanut butter?!!!! Yum!
The answer to your question is only MORE peanut butter and chocolate! I am glad to know you like the combo also. Enjoy!
This looks amazing!! Chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favorite combinations. Pinning! 🙂
#SYClinky
Thank you Jennifer. I love this combo too. Enjoy!
Looks and sounds Amazing Marilyn! Yum! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
Thank you so much Kim. And I love Merry Monday. Enjoy your week!
Peanut butter and chocolate is always a winning combination in my book. This looks so delicious. Thank you for sharing at Snickerdoodle Create Bake Make.
I am glad you like the combination. Chocolate and peanut butter are my favorites!
One can never go wrong with Peanut Butter and chocolate, although I don’t know that I have ever made a peanut butter and chocolate cake. There’s no time like the present! Thank you for the recipe.
I think this is the only time I made this as a layer cake. I always make a rectangular or bundt cake. When I add the frosting almost always I get crumbs all throughout the cake. I guess I don’t wait long enough to finish it up. Thanks for the comment and enjoy your day!
Hello Marilyn,
My daughter’s wish for a birthday cake is of course with peanut butter and chocolate. ha ha ha.. Thank you. I will make this.
Your daughter has great taste!! Enjoy this recipe Mareliz.
oh my my my, can I live at your house?
If you set the table and do dishes you are IN! LOL. Thanks Jenna. Enjoy your week.
I made a cake just like this one year for my son’s birthday and it was a HUGE hit! You just can not beat the combo of peanut butter and chocolate and the gnache makes it. Pinned.
Thank you so much Joanne. You have renewed my faith in lovers of peanut butter and chocolate. This is one of my favorite layer cakes. Thanks for the pin! Enjoy your week.
Pinned! Thanks for sharing on your linkup….Anything Goes
Thanks so much Mary! Good to see you. Come back soon.
Yum – yes please!
Thank you so much! It is indeed yum!