Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake (Reese’s Cake)
A few words of warning: This cake is not for the weak, the dieters, or the chocolate-peanut butter-“liker.” This cake is for the ultimate chocolate-peanut butter lovers.
I made this cake for my dad for his birthday while I was in Florida, and let me just say, it is easily the best cake I have ever made. It is literally like eating a giant, more delicious version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. The chocolate cake layers are actually dense brownie, and the peanut butter layers are exactly like the inside of a Reese’s. Standing 5 layers tall and weighing in at something like 10-15 pounds when finished, this is a BIG cake. And yet, it was completely devoured in less than 10 minutes by 15-20 excited diners.
We had my dad’s birthday dinner outside at our neighborhood country club with a bunch of family friends. I brought the cake over and the staff was kind enough to slice and serve it. I gave them the last couple pieces to repay them for their efforts :]
One thing I will say, this cake scared me half to death. I was sure it would fail miserably; however, after seeing how mine turned out, I am fully assured that this is an absolute fool-proof cake. You see, when I greased and floured my cake pans, I seem to have forgotten the whole flouring bit. Was this a problem? Well, if you would consider each of the cake layers breaking into approximately 8 pieces a “problem,” then yes, yes it was. I was freaking out as I attempted to fit and squish the layers back together. I was certain that cutting into the cake would be a crumbly nightmare, but you know what? It was perfect. I have no idea how. The layers looked beautiful when sliced (I wish I had better photos of it sliced, but I barely remembered to take any before it was shoveled into my mouth)!
I also had a slight issue with the frosting, as in the amount the recipe produced was not nearly enough, so I had to make an additional batch. I’ve 1.5x the original recipe for you below to ensure you have enough frosting!
Problems aside (or I should say seeming problems), this cake was phenomenal and a huge hit. My dad loved it. His only complaint? The fact that I gave away his last few slices so that he wasn’t able to enjoy it all over again! (By the way, sparklers are the only acceptable candle choice for a cake like this…duh)
PrintChocolate-Peanut Butter Cake (Reese's Cake)
Yield: serves 20, easily
Ingredients:
cake layers:
- 1 and 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
peanut butter layers:
- 6 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
chocolate frosting:
- 1 and 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp espresso granules
assembly:
- 12-14 mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- dark or semisweet chocolate bar
- gold crystal sugar
Directions:
cake layers:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt together the butter and chocolate. Stir until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add in the sugar and combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Add in the vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt, and combine.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the three prepared pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
peanut butter layers:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fit with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, peanut butter, and butter (mixture will be crumbly). Add in the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it becomes a consistent workable dough (It shouldn't stick to your fingers or be crumbly).
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Grease a 9-inch cake pan. Press 1 portion of the dough into the greased pan and press evenly. Turn out onto a cookie sheet and repeat with other portion of dough. Freeze the peanut butter layers until solid.
chocolate frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the cocoa, vanilla, and espresso and beat for 2-3 minutes until combined and creamy.
to assemble:
- Working on your cake stand, thinly frost a brownie layer and top with a peanut butter layer. Repeat with another brownie layer, another peanut butter layer, and the final brownie layer. Thinly frost the entire cake. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Frost a final layer over the entire cake.
- Pipe 9-11 rosettes along the edge of the cake and one in the center. Top each of the outer rosettes with a Reese's cup turned on its side. Place 4 in the center rosette.
- Holding the cake over the sink, throw the sprinkles at the sides of the cake. Sprinkle some over the top.
- With a microplane, grate a bit of the chocolate bar over the top of the cake. Cake can be stored in fridge with a cake dome; allow to sit out for an hour or two before slicing.
recipe from here
[…] is always so perfectly cute, down to the very last detail (not to mention, delicious). This Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake that I posted last month was one of her recipes, and it was one of the tastiest things I have ever […]