Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake

All the flavors of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in a deep, dark fudgy chocolate cake!

So today is my 50th birthday. I’m honestly not sure how I feel about that! I don’t feel 50, that’s for sure. I mean 50…50?!?! I’m literally half a century old for crying out loud!

I was never one of those people who cared about turing 30 or 40, but somehow 50 feels different. I think it’s because I’m staring down the barrel of my oldest leaving home this summer. I seriously woke up at 4:52 this morning and my very first thought was “how am I going to plan meals for three people when I’m so used to planning meals for four?!” I think my brain is forcing me to think about dumb crap like that because if I stop to think about him actually leaving I’ll break down in tears.

But this cake just about takes away the pain. OK, maybe not really, but it comes close. You see, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the world’s most perfect candy. They are the first, last and nearly only things I look for at Halloween. They are sweet and salty and creamy and chocolatey…need I say more? This cake is all of those things, PLUS CAKE!!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

For Cake:

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups scant all-purpose flour (3 cups minus 2 Tablespoons)
• 1 heaping cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons
• 2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¾ cup neutral oil
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cup hot coffee

For Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• pinch of salt

For Ganache:

• ⅔ cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
• ¾ cup heavy cream

Instructions

 

To Make the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8” cake pans by greasing them and lining them with parchment, or by greasing and flouring.
• Sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, soda, powder and salt into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl and using a hand mixer), blend together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla until well mixed (about a minute or so on medium). Add in the dry ingredients and beat for three minutes on medium. Slowly whisk in the hot coffee by hand.
• Divide evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans before turning out onto wire racks. Cool completely.

To Make the Frosting:

• In a large bowl, cream butter until soft an fluffy. Add peanut butter and beat until well blended. Sift the powdered sugar over the top and mix well. Add in heavy cream and mix until just combined.

To Make the Ganache:

• Place chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Add cream to saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Pour cream over chopped chocolate and let sit for two to three minutes. Stir until smooth. (If you have a couple of chunks that won’t fully melt, you can put the mixture in the microwave for a few seconds.)

To Assemble:

• Remove from the fridge and frost with remaining frosting. Place back in the fridge for about an additional 30 minutes to allow the final coat of frosting to set. Drizzle ganache over the top of the cake and spread with an offset spatula so it drips down the sides. Garnish with peanut butter cups and chopped peanuts.
• While the cake is cooling, make the ganache. (If you’ve made it in advance you may need to warm it a little in the microwave until it reaches a pourable consistency.)
• To assemble the cake, place a completely cooled cake round on your plate or cake stand. Top with about ¾ to 1 cup of frosting and smooth to the edges. Repeat with the second layer. Top with the third layer. Spread a very thin layer of frosting over the top and sides (a crumb coat) and set the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until the frosting is set.

Notes

** To make an edible cake topper, draw your design onto some white paper. Place a sheet of wax paper over the top and trace and fill the design using melted chocolate candy melts. Make sure to add a tail at the base of your design to stick down into the cake. Sprinkle with jimmies or edible glitter.

** Frosting recipe adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker.