Best of the Blogs: Butterlust
Melt into baker’s bliss with this sinfully delicious peanut butter chocolate cake.
Meet Katie Wahlman, sweet-tooth queen and creative genius behind Butterlust, a dessert blog sure to get your heart pumping and taste buds singing. On her exquisitely designed site, Wahlman invites you to share in all of the delectable indulgences she whips up in the kitchen. While it may be her outlet for culinary creativity, it will be your secret stash of recipes that your friends beg you for time and time again.
Don’t believe us? Wahlman has given us access to her sinfully sumptuous recipe so you can see for yourself.
Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate cake:
Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups quality 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
Peanut butter cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons PB2 (powdered peanut butter) (optional)
6 tablespoons milk
1 large egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 scant teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut butter filling:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter
5 teaspoons butter, melted
1/4 cup heavy cream
Chocolate icing:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup cocoa powder
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar (based on your preferred sweetness)
1/2 cup whipping cream (or milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
Garnish:
3/4 of a bag of mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, roughly chopped into halves and quarters
Directions
For the Chocolate Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter 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 the 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 35 to 40 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.
Peanut butter cake:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and soda.
In a saucepan, heat the butter, peanut butter and milk until the butter has melted and mixture is hot. Stir the hot mixture into the flour mixture until blended.
Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly beat into the first mixture until smooth and well blended.
Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (Check it at about 25 minutes to avoid over-baking.), or until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Peanut butter filling layer:
Mix together the powdered sugar, peanut butter and melted butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. The mixture will be crumbly. Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture becomes a consistent, workable dough. It should not be crumbly or stick to your fingers. The mixture should hold together easily when a small amount is squeezed tight in the palm of your hand.
Divide the dough into two even portions. Spray two 8-inch spring-form pans with cooking spray or line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. (See notes above.) Press peanut butter dough into the bottom of the pans evenly, forming the peanut butter layers. Place in the freezer until frozen, about six hours.
Chocolate frosting:
Add cocoa to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.
Cream together butter and cocoa powder until well combined.
Add powdered sugar and milk to the cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of powdered sugar followed by about a tablespoon of cream. After each addition has been combined, turn the mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and cream have been added.
Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.
If frosting appears too dry, add more cream, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears too wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
To assemble:
If desired, level the cakes to remove domed tops and create a more even, professional-looking cake.
Place one layer of chocolate cake on a cardboard round and top with about 1/4 cup (a pretty thin layer) of chocolate frosting. Top with a layer of frozen peanut butter filling and add another layer of frosting. Follow with the peanut butter cake layer, a layer of frosting, the second peanut butter filling layer, a layer of frosting, then top off with the second chocolate cake layer.
Once all the layers are stacked, frost the cake with a very thin crumb coat layer of icing (This will help achieve a smooth finish.) and refrigerate until icing is set (about 30 minutes).
Use the remaining icing to frost the outside of the cake then top with a mountain of chopped Reese’s.
Photos courtesy of Katie Wahlman.
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