Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake with Reese’s

posted by Lindsay on January 7, 2013
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An easy chocolate cake with creamy peanut butter frosting that’s to die for, topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!

It is SO good to be back after the holidays! Between my family and my husband’s, we had family visiting for 2 1/2 weeks straight. Fortunately, my sister-in-law likes to bake with me, so there will be some our baking adventures on here later this week.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake with Reese's

But today is all about the peanut butter. I never thought I’d see the day where I would love peanut buttery treats, but I dare say it has happened. The peanut butter icing in this cake is to die for. So creamy and peanut buttery. I could not stop eating it. I’ve decided that when sugar and peanut butter mate, amazing things happen. Like this cake. And I have my co-worker who requested chocolate and peanut butter for his birthday to thank.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake with Reese's

You are going to want to make sure you have a glass of milk handy – it’s a rich one! You should also get a pillow, because nap time will soon follow.

Super chocolatey and dense with just enough peanut butter, it’s like eating a giant Reese’s cup. Seriously. And for extra richness and chocolate, I added a thin layer of ganache in with the peanut butter cream cheese icing, but you could easily forgo that and not miss out.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake with Reese's

There’s no doubt in my mind that you will love this cake – peanut butter lover or not. And if not a peanut butter lover, you might become one. It certainly made me one. Now I’m going to have to stock a jar of peanut butter for my dog and a jar for me. 🙂

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake with Reese's

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake with Reese’s

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake slice
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An easy chocolate cake recipe with a creamy peanut butter frosting that’s to die for, topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!

  • Author: Life, Love and Sugar
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 30 min
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 Slices 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE CAKE

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup boiling water

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE ICING

  • 10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE ICING

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 8-oz block cream cheese
  • 8 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey’s Special Dark)
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 3–5 tablespoons water, depending on consistency

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

NOTE: You’ll need 2 recipes worth. One for the layers inside the cake and one to pour over the top of the cake. You could easily forgo the ganache altogether though if you wanted a slightly less rich cake.
  • 8 oz dark chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s special dark)
  • 8 oz heavy cream

ADDITIONAL

  • half a bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped

Instructions

CHOCOLATE CAKE:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
1. Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl and combine.
2. Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients.
3. Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture.
4. Mix at medium speed.
5. Pour into 2 8-inch pans and bake 1 hour.
6. Once cooled, slice each cake in half to get 4 total layers of cake.

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE ICING:

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Add the peanut butter and beat until well blended.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE ICING:

1. Beat the butter, shortening and cream cheese and mix well.
2. Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Add the cocoa and peanut butter and beat until well blended.
4. Add final 4 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Add a tablespoon of water at a time, mixing well after each, until you have a nice consistency for icing the outside of the cake.

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

1. Place dark chocolate chips in a bowl.
2. Microwave heavy cream until it simmers.
3. Pour heavy cream into bowl with chocolate. Immediately cover with saran wrap and allow to sit for about 7 minutes.
4. Whisk until smooth.
For the inside of the cake, you’ll want a thick, spreadable ganache. For that, refrigerate the ganache for a few hours, or overnight.
For pouring over the cake, you’ll want it to be only slightly thickened. If too thin, it will just pour down the sides. If too thick, it won’t pour. I refrigerated mine for about 5-10 minutes before pouring over the cake.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

1. Spread about a third of the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing onto the first layer of chocolate cake.
2. Top with a thin layer of Dark Chocolate Ganache.
3. Add next layer of chocolate cake.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you have all three filling layers complete.
5. Ice the outside of the cake with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing.
6. Pour the dark chocolate ganache over the top the of the cake.
7. Pile on the Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Get a big glass of milk and enjoy!

Keywords: chocolate peanut butter cake, reese's candy cake, reese's peanut butter cup cake, peanut butter chocolate dessert idea, chocolate peanut butter dessert

Get a big glass of milk and enjoy!

Recipes, Sweets and Treats, Cakes and Cupcakes
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