Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Oh yes, folks. Get ready for some rich decadence! This cake is the ultimate chocolate-peanut butter indulgence. If you love peanut butter cups, you have to try this cake. I recommend a cold glass of milk or strong cup of coffee to go with it as it really is super intense! You start with a rich chocolate cake, add a delicious peanut butter cream cheese icing, and top it off with a chocolate peanut butter ganache. Oh, and I added some chopped Reese's PB cups on top. You know, because there just wasn't enough chocolate or peanut butter already.

Hello! Who wouldn't want a piece of that??

Oh yeah. I think we need a moment of silence....

Ok, so, this cake is for my boss's birthday. He will actually be out of the country on his birthday so we're celebrating a little early. He and a whole team of people are about to head over to Israel for a tour of the Holy Land and then a 10 day mission trip. Our ministry does this trip every year and I'm so excited to hear what God does!! Now, my boss is a true PB lover so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try this recipe that I found on...yep, you guessed it...Pinterest.

I found the recipe here and made just a few changes as follows....

Chocolate Cake:

2 cups AP flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder (recipe calls for dutch process)
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup plain greek yogurt (recipe calls for sour cream)
1 1/2 cups water
2 T distilled white vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and line pans with parchment paper. Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and yogurt (or 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. Divide among pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes. This cake is very soft and moist so, before crumb coating, stick it in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. This step IS needed. Trust me.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing:

10 oz cream cheese (recipe says "at room temperature" but I always keep it in the fridge until ready to use)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I only use Jif)
*I also added 1 teaspoon of vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix. Gradually add the sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add peanut butter and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:

8 oz semisweet chocolate (recipe says "coarsely chopped" but I used chips)
3 T creamy peanut butter
2 T light corn syrup
1/2 cup half & half

In the top of a double boiler, combine all ingredients except the cream and cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the half & half, whisking until smooth. Use while still warm but not hot. You want it to be spreadable but not so thin that it just runs everywhere when you pour it on the cake.

Well, my friends, I definitely can't wait until tomorrow when we get to enjoy this delightful cake. Of course, as soon as I'm over this respiratory infection, I'll be spending hours in the gym to make up for this and the last week. But, oh so worth it! Make it...you won't regret it! Until next time, happy reading and, more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

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