This cake has layers of moist chocolate buttermilk cake filled and frosted with a layer of peanut butter frosting and a chocolate ganache. You can finish off by decorating tensides with some chocolate curls. Make sure you bring your cake to room temperature before serving it. The peanut butter and the cake itself may harden slightly when it’s cold, and be mistaken for stale, while it’ll taste fine at room temperature.

Use a toothpick to see if your dessert is baked all the way through. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If you’re making the peanut butter buttercream frosting from scratch, make sure you use creamy peanut butter and unsalted butter. You can top this cake with fresh chopped peanuts for extra crunch at the end. This chocolate cake should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

The peanut butter frosting contains milk and butter, basically like buttercream, and as a general rule, I like to keep dairy-based frostings in the refrigerator. This cake will keep for about a week.

You can also follow the cake recipe and omit the peanut butter buttercream until you’re ready to serve it, and store the cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap on the counter for 3-4 days.

Ingredients;

Chocolate Cake;

  • 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups (225 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed), sifted
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups (420 ml/grams) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml/grams) corn, vegetable, safflower or canola oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache;

  • 8 ounces (240 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (240 ml/grams) heavy whipping cream

Peanut Butter Frosting;

  • 3 ounces (85 grams) full fat (regular) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (185 grams) smooth peanut butter

Garnish;

  • Chocolate Shavings or Grated Chocolate

Instructions;

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the centre of the oven.
  2. Butter, or spray with a non-stick vegetable spray, two – 8 x 2 inch (20 x 5 cm) round cake pans.
  3. In the bowl of your electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined.
  4. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract.
  5. On low speed, add 1/3 of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until the mixture is a thick smooth paste.
  6. Add another 1/3 of the wet ingredients and mix, on low speed, until the batter is nice and smooth.
  7. At this point, scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl.
  8. Finally, add the rest of the wet ingredients and beat until incorporated and you have a smooth batter.
  9. Evenly divide the batter between the two pans (about 670 grams in each pan) and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake just comes out clean and the cakes are just starting to pull away from the sides of the pans.
  10. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes.
  11. Remove the cakes from their pans and cool completely on a greased wire rack before frosting.

Chocolate Ganache;

  1. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat then bring just to a boil.
  2. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand, without stirring, for a few minutes.
  3. Then, using a heatproof spatula, and starting in the centre, stir the chocolate mixture in circles until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is nice and smooth.
  4. Immediately cover with plastic wrap, and let sit, at room temperature, until the ganache is of spreading consistency. This can take several hours or overnight.

Peanut Butter Frosting;

  1. In the bowl of your electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter, on medium speed, until smooth.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and beat, on medium speed, until light and fluffy.

Assemble;

  1. Cut the two cake layers in half horizontally (so you will have four layers of cake).
  2. Place one cake layer (top of the cake facing up) onto a 9 inch (23 cm) cake circle.
  3. Spread with about 1/3 (1/2 cup (160 grams)) of the peanut butter frosting.
  4. Place the next cake layer, cut side down, onto the peanut butter frosting and spread with about 1/2 cup (150 grams) of ganache.
  5. Top with another layer of cake and spread with another 1/3 (1/2 cup (160 grams)) of the peanut butter frosting.
  6. Finally, top with the fourth layer of cake, the bottom of the cake facing up, and cover the entire cake with a very thin layer of Ganache..
  7. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes or until the Ganache has set.
  8. Once the Ganache has set, spread the remaining Peanut Butter
  9. Frosting on the top of the cake, using a spatula to create a swirl pattern.
  10. Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill until the peanut butter frosting is set (about 15 – 30 minutes).
  11. Then spread a very thin layer of Ganache on the sides of the cake and, if desired, press chocolate shavings or curls into the Ganache.