Life is Great

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Cake and peanut butter frosting recipes adapted barely from Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne's Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes, first seen at Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen. Ganache recipe from this cake. Last photo in post modified from the original by Bake, Anything.

Yield: One 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16 according to the book. Peanut butter frosting yields about 5 cups, ganache makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Note: The sugar for the cake can be reduced to 2 (or dare I even say 1 3/4) cups. The next time I would try adding some salt to the peanut butter frosting. If you're a peanut butter fan, make the glaze from the original recipe (essentially a ganache, the fat content balanced between the peanut butter and half-and-half). The PB-less ganache recipe is halved for this cake, it is sufficient to cover it whole with a thin layer or simply pourover for the drip effect. I'm a firm believer of using coffee to highlighy the chocolate in baking, the next attempt may include instant coffee in the cake batter or the ganache.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process (I used Valrhona)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup neutral vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 stick/4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 5 cups confectioners’/icing sugar, sifted
• 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

Ganache Frosting/Glaze:

• 8 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate (I used Valrhona Araguani 72% feves)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/4 stick/1/8 cup/28 grams unsalted butter

Bake the cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, peel off the parchment, and let cool completely. Cling wrap each layer and chill overnight or triple wrap and freeze for 1 to 2 hours.

Make the peanut butter frosting: When the cake is ready to be assembled, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended. (Do this bit swiftly, since the peanut butter is oily, it's possible to overbeat and split the mixture.)

Assemble the cake: To assemble the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand, cake board or large serving plate. Spread about 2/3 cups of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer frosting. This is the crumb coat. Chill cake for 15 to 30 minutes until firm. Meanwhile, prepare the ganache.

Make the ganache: Finely chop the chocolate (if not using feves). In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add in the chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Add in the butter, whisk until smooth. Let cool on the counter while resuming with the cake frosting.

Assemble the cake: To assemble the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand, cake board or large serving plate. Spread about 2/3 cups of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer frosting. This is the crumb coat. Chill cake for 15 to 30 minutes until firm. Meanwhile, prepare the ganache.

Complete the cake assembly: Once the crumb coat is set, remove the cake from the fridge and use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Chill the cake again to let it firm up, about 15 to 20 minutes. To glaze the cake with the drip effect, pour the ganache over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, immediately spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Alternatively, you can cover the whole cake with the ganache - to do this, work quickly with a heated offset spatula as the ganache may set against the cool peanut butter frosting. Decorate the top with garnishes of your choice (I used chocolate covered espresso beans).

Refrigerate the cake, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about at least 1 hour before serving.