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Chocolate Cream Cheese & Peanut Butter Cake

RecipesCAKESFeb 12

For the past few days, I have been looking at various cake recipes to create an exciting birthday cake for myself. I finally found one and adapted this ultimate birthday cake from Beth of Wilton.

This is the first time I tried a combination of cream cheese and peanut butter as frosting and it is really heavenly good. My husband and my kids loved it.

Chocolate Cream Cheese & Peanut Butter Cake

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1¾ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • ⅔ cup vegetable oil
  • 1¼ cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup coarsely chopped peanuts
  • 2 egg whites
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 packages cream cheese
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 cups sifted icing sugar
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate
  • 1 cup whipping cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8 in. round pans with vegetable pan spray.
  2. In large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 cup cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  3. In a standing mixer, with paddle attachment, beat milk, vegetable oil, 1 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar, eggs, instant coffee and 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with electric mixer until well combined.
  4. Add flour and mix on low speed until evenly moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.
  5. While the cake cools, make the meringues. Preheat oven to 250°F. Using the bottom of 8 in. round cake pan, trace an 8 in. circle onto parchment paper. Flip parchment over and place on cookie pan.
  6. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, whip egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer running, gradually add (1 tablespoon at a time) 2/3 cup sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form and mixture triples in volume. Then add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder, scraping down bottom and sides of bowl as necessary and beating until well combined.
  7. Using a decorating bag fitted with Wilton tip 1A, pipe a large meringue disc about 1/2 in. thick to fill the 8 in. circle. Use remaining meringue batter to pipe meringue kisses in varying sizes on parchment paper.
  8. Bake 40-45 minutes or until center of large meringue disc feel firm and crisp. Cool completely on pan. Trim slightly if meringue disc is wider than cake layers .
  9. In a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth and creamy.
  10. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often.
  11. To assemble cake, level each layer of the cake by cutting the crown. Position first cake layer, bottom side down, on cake board or serving plate.
  12. Spread with peanut butter icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Repeat with second cake layer, icing, and peanuts.
  13. Top with meringue disc. Spread with peanut butter icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
  14. Continue with remaining cake layers, icing the top layer smooth and reserving chopped peanuts. Crumb coat sides of cake. Refrigerate until firm.
  15. In a saucepan, pour the whipping cream in medium heat. Bring just to a boil.
  16. Pour over the chocolate and wait for at least 2 minutes before whisking. Stir thoroughly until mixture is smooth.
  17. Cool slightly (5-10 minutes) before covering top of chilled cake with ganache
  18. Allow excess to drip down sides of cake.
  19. While ganache is still wet, sprinkle top with remaining chopped peanuts. Add meringue kisses and chopped peanut butter cup candies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.