Peanut Butter Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting

• Refrigerated

  • 2 Eggs (about 110g, large

• Condiments

  • 220 g Peanut butter, creamy

• Baking & Spices

  • 180 g All-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 100 g Dutch processed cocoa, powder
  • 325 g Powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Table salt
  • 2 1/2 tsp Vanilla

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 80 ml Sunflower or canola oil

• Dairy

  • 200 g Butter, unsalted
  • 240 ml Buttermilk
  • 120 ml Heavy whipping cream

• Other

  • 220g (or 1 cup, packed dark brown sugar

Found on thetoughcookie.com

Description

Ingredients

• 80ml (or ⅓ cup) sunflower or canola oil
• 170g (or ⅔ cup) creamy peanut butter, I used Skippy
• 220g (or 1 cup, packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (about 110g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 180g (or 1⅓ cup + 5 teaspoons) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon table salt
• 240ml (or 1 cup) buttermilk
• 200g (or ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 325g (or 2½ cups + 5 teaspoons) powdered sugar
• 100g (or ¾ cup + 5 teaspoons) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 120ml (or ½ cup) heavy whipping cream
• pinch of salt
• 50g (about 3 tablespoons) creamy peanut butter, to decorate

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°C (standard oven setting) and line the bottom of two 7-inch baking pans with baking parchment. Lightly butter the sides of the pans and dust with a spoonful of flour, discarding the excess flour that doesn’t stick to the buttered sides.
• In a medium-sized bowl, combine oil, peanut butter and sugar. Whisk until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk to incorporate. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk and whisk until the batter looks smooth, about 1 minute.
• Divide the batter over the prepared cake pans and place on a rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in the pans on a wire rack. Once cool, remove from the pans.
• In a medium-sized bowl, beat softened butter with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl, then beat for another 30 seconds.
• Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Combine vanilla, cream and salt and add it to the bowl with the butter. Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, stir ingredients until somewhat incorporated and the mixture looks dry and crumbly, but not powdery. This is just so that you dont end up with a big cloud of powdered sugar and cocoa in your kitchen when you turn the mixer on.
• Mix for 3-5 minutes, or until the buttercream looks creamy, fluffy and smooth.
• First make sure the cakes are completely cool and reserve ¾ cup of frosting (180ml) to make the decorative border after you’ve finished frosting the cake.
• Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Cover the top with frosting, using an ordinary knife, the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Top with the second layer and frost the top and sides of the cake.
• Melt the peanut butter in the bowl of a double boiler (or a bowl set over a pan of simmering water) and, using a spoon, drizzle it over the edges of the cake.
• Using a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip and filled with the reserved frosting, pipe a border on top of the peanut butter drizzle along the edge of the cake.
• Cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.