Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

A friend recently asked me if I ever bake something twice.  I love to experiment and try new things, so I really thought about his question and realized I don't often bake something twice, unless it was truly amazing and deserving of being eaten again.  This Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake is one such dessert.  I made it once before and decided to make it again for my friend Jenny's birthday.  Jenny is a fellow baker, so I knew I needed to make something really impressive.  She loves peanut butter and chocolate, so I figured this cake was the perfect fit to celebrate her birthday.

When you first look at this cake you may think of peanut butter overload, but there is a really nice balance of peanut butter to chocolate.  The devil's food makes for a very moist cake which creates a nice contrast with the richness of the frosting and Reese's peanut butter cups.  I'll admit that chopping the Reese's was a bit tedious, but thinking about the final product will get you through making this cake.  This is such a beautiful and luscious cake that I guarantee whoever you serve will be thanking you for the rest of the evening!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

adapted from Picky Eatings

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 ounces) devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped chocolate-covered peanut butter cups (about 8 ounces) for the cake, plus more to garnish (I used about 2.5 bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups total)
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line with wax paper and coat the paper with more spray.

In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high; beat for 2 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl after 1 minute.  Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.  Divide the batter between the prepared pans.  Bake for about 34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the layers cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Then turn out the cakes onto the wire racks and cool completely.

While the cakes are cooking, place the chopped chocolate in a medium-size bowl.  Bring the cream just to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate melts and then add the peanut butter and whisk until smooth.

Trim the top of the cake layers flat with a serrated knife.  Pour about 1 cup of the frosting on top of the bottom cake layer; spread evenly with a spatula.  Top with the remaining cake layer.  Pour the remaining frosting over the top, allowing it to spill over the sides. Smooth the top and sides with a spatula and then place the chopped peanut butter cups on the top and sides of the cake.  Take special care when placing the Reese's on the sides of the cake as they may slide off at first.  Simply press and hold them on the cake for a few seconds.  For the sides, I started lining the Reese's on the bottom of the cake and worked my way up.  Refrigerate for 1 hour to set.