Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake

This cake! Two layers of moist, dark chocolate cake are covered with creamy peanut butter frosting, ganache, and chopped dark chocolate peanut butter cups. 

Today is not like any other day. Today, March 25th, is Chocolate-Peanut Butter Day 2.0 hosted by Carla of Chocolate Moosey and Miriam of Overtime Cook!!

The 2.0 is because this is our second year of celebrating the best combination ever and we have 27 different bloggers participating this year and the list of all their chocolate-peanut butter recipes are at the end of this post. But first, I made cake!

After raving about the chocolate lover’s cupcakes I made despite normally not enjoying chocolate on chocolate, I decided to do it right with peanut butter for my peanut butter loving soul. This time however I turned it into an epic cake.

Two dark chocolate layer cakes are bound together with a creamy peanut butter frosting and then covered with a dark chocolate-peanut butter ganache. And in case you were unaware of the inspiration for this cake, it’s all topped off with chopped dark chocolate peanut butter cups.

Don’t have a crowd to which to serve this? Try my chocolate peanut butter mug cake.

One year ago: Mini Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Cheesecakes

Two years ago: Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Four years ago: Banana Pecan Waffles

DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUP CAKE

Serves 12-16

Ingredients:

CAKE

2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

1 cup hot milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

6 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup boiling water

FROSTING

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Pinch salt

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

8 mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups, chopped

GANACHE

6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

TOPPING

12 mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups, quartered

Directions:

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Light coat two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray or butter and lightly flour. Set aside.
2. Place the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour the hot milk over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed, add cooled chocolate mixture, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix together until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
4. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely on wire rack. If needed, slice off the tops of the cakes to make them level.
6. For the frosting: While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla together until smooth. On low speed, mix in the confectioners’ sugar until just incorporated, followed by the vanilla and cream. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until light and very fluffy, about 4 minutes.. Add more powdered sugar or heavy cream if necessary to reach desired consistency.
7. Remove 1/4 of the frosting into a small bowl and stir in the mini peanut butter cups.
8. One the cakes are cool, place one onto a cake plate. Spread the layer of peanut butter cup-frosting on top followed by the second cake. Frost the entire cake with remaining frosting.
9. For the ganache: Place the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a metal bowl. Microwave heavy cream for 1 minute or until it starts to boil and pour over chocolate chips. Cover bowl with saran wrap for 5-7 minutes. Whisk until smooth, allow to sit for a few minutes until it starts to thicken, then pour over the top of the cake. Decorate with remaining chopped peanut butter cups.

Source: Cake adapted from my Cookie Dough Oreo Cake. Frosting adapted from my Marble Malt Cake with Peanut Butter Malt Frosting.

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Feed the addiction and check out all these other great chocolate and peanut butter recipes:

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites by Carla from Chocolate Moosey
• Peanut Butter Cup Cookies by Miriam from Overtime Cook
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Twix Cake by Susan from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• {Healthy} Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars by Kayle from The Cooking Actress
• Chocolate Drizzled Peanut Butter Tiger Paws by Renee from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Dip by Becca from It’s Yummi
• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake by Erin from The Spiffy Cookie
• No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie by Lisa from Snappy Gourmet
• Espresso Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and a Rum Drizzle by Barb from Creative Culinary
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Tandy Cake by Cindy from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chocolate-Glazed Peanut Butter-Stuffed Doughnuts by Coleen from The Redhead Baker
• 4 Ingredient Chocolate & Peanut Butter Candy by Colleen from Souffle Bombay
• Ganache-Stuffed Peanut Butter Bars by Karen from The Food Charlatan
• Microwave Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes by Taylor from Food Faith Fitness
• Flourless Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing by Shashi from Runnin Srilankan
• Chocolate Filled Peanut Butter Cookie Cups by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Lava Cakes by Anita from Hungry Couple
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream by Renee from Magnolia Days
• Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites by Lauren from Healthy Delicious
• Tagalong Dip by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake Nancy from gotta get baked
• Small Batch Chocolate Peanut Butter Doughnuts by Sarah from What Smells So Good?
• Funky Monkey Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls by Brianne from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by Diane from Created by Diane
• Chocolate, Peanut Butter, & Roasted Banana Shake by Jennie from The Messy Baker
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Magic Bars by Jen from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
• Chocolate Doughnuts with Peanut Butter Glaze by Lauren from Lauren Kelly Nutrition