Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

I want to start by saying THANK YOU.  I have been overwhelmed by the support I've received since announcing the American Cancer Society & Hood to Coast Relay Bake Sale on Friday.  You all are just the best!!!  I'll be taking orders until July 31st so keep 'em coming!  

Now about this cake...

I've been meaning to share this for over a week now BUT every single ounce of free time I've had has been spent baking, wrapping & shipping (and I have LOVED every minute of it!).  Anyways, today is your lucky day.  

You are looking at three layers of chocolate cake, coated with a rich peanut butter frosting and finished off with a layer of mini peanut butter cups.

Super rich... super decadent... and worth every bite!  

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chocolate Cake

Source: Cake Barefoot Contessa at Home; Frosting Smells Like Home

Yields 16 servings

Ingredients

For the Cake: 

Butter, for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Frosting:

1 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cupunsalted butter, at room temperature

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

For Garnish:

1/2 cup mini peanut butter cups (more or less as desired)

Directions

For the cake: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper and flour the pans. 

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 19-21 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

For the frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the peanut butter and butter. Beat at medium speed until creamy.  Sift the sugar into the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Starting on low and gradually increasing the speed to medium-high, beat the ingredients until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the heavy whipping cream.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand, cardboard cake round, or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup 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 scant amount of frosting to make a crumb coat to keep the crumbs from popping through the final frosting. You'll need just enough to lightly cover the cake - there's no need to be neat here. Let the cake chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Once the cake is fully frosted, top with mini peanut butter cups. Chill the cake again and let it firm up before serving.