"Honey, I'M Peanuts About You!" Cake
Serves: 4
Jolie Turcotte
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
52
Spice
48
Sweetness
50
Sourness
39
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.2
Difficulty
Ingredients:
1.5 cups
Espresso (hot)3 cup
Buttermilk3 cups
Unbleached All-Purpose Flour1 tsp
Baking Soda1 tsp
Salt2.25 cups
Sugar1 tbsp
Pure Vanilla Extract2.25 cups
Powdered Sugar1.5 cups
Heavy Cream3 tbsps
Light Corn SyrupDirections:
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2
Grease two 9-inch round cake pans
3
(If silicon: place on a metal baking sheet
4
If metal: line with waxed paper
5
) As the oven preheats, begin to make the cake batter
6
Dissolve the cocoa into the espresso
7
Stir the buttermilk into the cocoa mixture and set aside to cool
8
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt
9
In another bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 6 minutes, while gradually adding the sugar
10
(Use the paddle attachment for a stand mixer
11
) The butter mixture should be light and fluffy
12
Slowly add the eggs and vanilla to the butter, while continuing to beat
13
Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go, so all the ingredients get incorporated
14
Fold the flour and cocoa mixtures into the butter mixture with a rubber spatula, alternating from flour to cocoa in the following order: 1/3 flour mixture; 1/2 cocoa mixture; 1/3 flour mixture; 1/2 cocoa mixture; 1/3 flour mixture
15
Do not overmix! Pour half of the finished batter into each of the cake pans and level the tops with the spatula
16
Bake for 40 minutes in the center of the oven, rotating halfway through
17
Check with a wooden toothpick for doneness
18
Cool for at least 15 minutes before inverting onto a baking rack to cool completely
19
Make the buttercream: With an electric mixer beat the peanut butter and butter in a large bowl until creamy
20
Add the powdered sugar and beat until spreadable
21
With a serrated knife halve the two layers making 4
22
Place 1 cake layer top down on the rack and spread 1/3 of the buttercream to the edges of the layer
23
Top the first cake layer with another and repeat with the buttercream
24
Continue layering with the remaining layers and buttercream, ending with cake
25
Refrigerate covered in plastic wrap for at least 3 hours and up to overnight
26
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and carefully transfer to a wire rack over a sheet pan
27
(Line the space under the rack with some old newspaper, for easy cleanup
28
) To make the ganache, chop the butter and scatter it into the chocolate pieces in a large bowl
29
Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan over moderate heat
30
As soon as the cream mixture begins to boil, pour it over the chocolate mixture and begin stirring vigorously
31
When the chocolate has melted and is combined thoroughly with the cream, stir in the vanilla
32
Quickly begin pouring the ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to flow down and cover the sides
33
(You may use a metal frosting spatula to smooth the top and sides
34
) Pack the chopped peanuts onto the ganache to cover the sides of the cake, leaving the chocolate on top exposed
35
Store in the refrigerator
36
Serving suggestions: I like to reserve a little of the buttercream and a handful of whole honey roasted peanuts to decorate the top of the cake
37
Try using a star tip to pipe points of buttercream in a circle, bordering the top of the cake
38
Then, set peanuts into the buttercream border to form an interesting design