Dark Chocolate Cake
Everybody loves chocolate cake, it’s on every menu in every restaurant because it is so good. Peanut butter frosting is so easy and just the perfect complement to the chocolate cake. This recipe will also work in two or three 8 inch pans, though the layers will be slightly thinner. You can add chopped peanut butter cups, or chopped peanuts between the layers if desired. This easy to make peanut butter frosting tastes just like the center of Reese’s cup. It’s light, fluffy, and filled with sweet peanut butter flavor. For the best results, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the butter and peanut butter together until it is creamy and smooth.
One of the reasons why chocolate peanut butter cake is always soft and tender is that the fat is in liquid form. The added benefit of using oil, instead of butter, is that it keeps the cake soft even when refrigerated. As far as the type of oil to use, good choices are vegetable, canola, corn, safflower, or even a light olive oil. Buttermilk is also used in this cake. It has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste that makes baked goods tender. Start off by adding the sugar in a stand mixer, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix that up to blend then add in oil, milk, eggs, and some vanilla.
Give that a mix with a whisk then places it on the stand mixer and beat it on low speed. Get your oven preheated to 350 degrees then pour the batter in a baking pan and bake them for about half an hour. Once baked and cool, remove from the pan and place on a wire rack.
Ingredients;
- 4 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 cups of sugar
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cups cold water
Frosting;
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk
Instructions;
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9″ cake pans.
- To make the cake: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the vanilla extract, almond extract, vinegar, vegetable oil, and water.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, beating until well combined.
- Divide the batter among the pans.
- Bake the cakes for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven, and cool completely before frosting.
- If desired, the unfrosted cake layers can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed and decorated.
To make the frosting;
- Put the peanut butter and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and mix at low speed.
- With the mixer running Add 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar followed by 2 tablespoons of almond milk, stopping to scrape the bowl from time to time.
- Continue adding and alternating 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar with 2 tablespoons of almond milk until you have used up all of both ingredients.
- The frosting’s consistency should be on the stiff side, a little stiffer than the peanut butter by itself.
To assemble the cake;
- Trim off any domes on the layers. Place one layer on a serving plate trimmed side down.
- Peel off the parchment, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting, spreading to the edge but not covering the sides.
- Repeat with the remaining two layers.
- Store cake at room temperature, covered, for several days.