Chocolate peanut butter cake

Chocolate cake with peanut butter is a fantastic cake for all peanut butter lovers. Prepare yourself for a flavour you will find yourself coming back to again and again :). Simply heaven in every bite! Soft, moist and intensely chocolatey cake layers are sandwiched with a rich peanut butter cream with a hint of Amaretto. The whole cake is utterly addictive, not overly sweet and, surprisingly, light despite being filling. The chocolate does not dominate the flavour – the peanut butter and chocolate complement each other perfectly. This is a great choice for New Year’s celebrations, and you will have no trouble making it. The flavour of the cake is sure to be appreciated :).

Ingredients for the chocolate cake layers:

• 220 g plain flour
• 200 g soft brown sugar
• 100 g caster sugar
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 230 ml buttermilk or kefir
• 110 g butter, melted
• 150 ml sunflower or rapeseed oil
• 125 ml boiling water

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, oil, melted butter and both sugars in a large bowl. Whisk with a balloon whisk until combined. Sift the plain flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda directly into the wet ingredients. Mix with a balloon whisk just until combined, adding the boiling water towards the end of mixing.

Line three 23 cm cake tins with baking paper. Divide the batter between them. Bake at 170°C for approximately 17 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Note: If you do not have three cake tins, you can bake the individual layers one after another in the oven.

Ingredients for the peanut butter cream:

• 180 g butter
• 210 g icing sugar
• 300 g smooth peanut butter
• 45 ml Amaretto (almond liqueur)

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the butter and icing sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the peanut butter in two batches, beating until the ingredients are combined and you have a smooth, fluffy cream. Add the almond liqueur and beat until combined.

Ingredients for the chocolate peanut butter ganache:

• 80 ml double cream
• 75 g dark or plain chocolate
• 50 g milk chocolate
• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter

Finely chop both chocolates, or use chocolate chips.

Pour the double cream into a small saucepan. Heat until almost boiling, then remove from the heat. Add both chopped chocolates and the peanut butter and leave to stand for 2 minutes. After this time, stir until you have a smooth chocolate glaze.

Method:

Place the first chocolate cake layer on a cake stand. Spread with one third of the peanut butter cream. Cover with the second cake layer, then spread with half of the remaining peanut butter cream. Cover with the final chocolate cake layer. Spread the remaining peanut butter cream over the top and sides of the cake. Pour the chocolate glaze over the top. Chill the cake for 2 hours before slicing.

Store the chocolate peanut butter cake in the fridge. Once removed from the fridge, allow the cake to soften at room temperature for at least 1 hour (the butter in the cream needs to soften for the cake to taste its best).

Enjoy!