Rich, fudgy chocolate cake layers paired with fluffy peanut butter frosting, finished with a silky chocolate ganache drip, piped buttercream dollops, and chopped peanut butter cups. This 3-layer cake wows a crowd, or can be made as a sheet cake for a bigger gathering.
cocoa powdernatural or Dutch-processed, about 1 cup100 g
all-purpose flourabout 2 3/4 cups330 g
granulated sugarabout 2 3/4 cups550 g
baking soda2 tsp
baking powder1½ tsp
salt¾ tsp
hot coffee or hot water1 cup
unsalted butterroom temperature, about 1 1/2 cups, for the peanut butter frosting340 g
creamy peanut butterprocessed creamy peanut butter recommended, about 1 1/4 cups325 g
saltfor the frosting¼ tsp
vanilla extractfor the frosting1 tbsp
powdered sugaradded in batches, about 5 cups total600 g
milk or creamadded in two additions, about 2 tbsp each4 tbsp
dark chocolatebittersweet or semisweet, about 4 oz113 g
heavy creamfor the ganache1/3 cups
mini peanut butter cupshalved, for garnish~12-15est.
Steps
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1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment rounds.
2
In a large bowl, whisk the room-temperature eggs, then add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined and set aside.
3
In another large bowl, sift the cocoa powder, then whisk in the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
4
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until a few streaks of flour remain — be careful not to overmix.
5
Add the hot coffee or hot water and stir until the batter is smooth and well combined.
6
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans, using a scale or checking the depth to keep the layers even.
7
Bake, swapping the pan positions after 20 minutes, then continue baking another 10–15 minutes until the centers are set (a 9x13-inch sheet cake takes 40–45 minutes). Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, remove the parchment, and let cool completely.
8
For the frosting, beat the room-temperature butter and peanut butter together on medium-high with a paddle attachment for 2–3 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through.
9
Mix in the salt and vanilla, then add the powdered sugar in batches, alternating with the milk or cream, mixing on low after each addition. Finish by beating on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
10
To assemble, reserve about 1 cup of frosting for the dollops. Place the first cake layer on a stand, spread about 3/4 to 1 cup of frosting on top, then repeat with the second and third layers.
11
Frost the outside and top of the cake with the remaining frosting, smoothing with an offset spatula or bench scraper. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to let the frosting set.
12
For the ganache, heat the heavy cream until just about to boil (stovetop or microwave), pour it over the chopped dark chocolate, let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth and silky.
13
Once the ganache has cooled slightly, pour it onto the cake top and spread it toward the edges to create drips. Chill for 10 minutes to set.
14
Give the reserved frosting a quick stir until smooth, pipe large dollops on top of the cake, and place halved mini peanut butter cups between the dollops to finish.
PrimedTableBETA
