Peanut Butter Layer Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
• Beat butter and peanut butter for cake together with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended; gradually add brown sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; add to peanut butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
• While cakes cool, place unsweetened and semisweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler; bring water to a simmer and cook until chocolate melts, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Beat 1 cup butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add melted chocolate, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract; beat until spreading consistency.
• Place peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter in a small bowl. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar gradually, alternately with milk, until frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat an additional 3 minutes.
• Remove 1 cooled cake layer from its pan and frost with chocolate buttercream frosting. Place second cake on top and complete frosting with chocolate buttercream.
• Frost a thick line on the top and bottom edges of the cake with peanut butter frosting using a frosting pouch fitted with a cake decorating tip. Place 16 dollops of peanut butter frosting around the perimeter of the cake. Place mini peanut butter cups on each dollop. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the cake: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottom of each with a round piece of parchment. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together onto a piece of parchment or into a large bowl.
• Beat the butter, brown sugar, peanut butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, and add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just combined.
• Evenly divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Invert each onto a cooling rack, and remove the parchment. (The cakes can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 1 day.)
• For the buttercream: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan large enough to hold the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer above the water.
• Whisk together the granulated sugar, egg whites and salt in the stand mixer bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water, and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has completely dissolved. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat at medium-high speed until cool and the whites hold stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Beat in 3/4 cup of the peanut butter until smooth. Beat in a couple of chunks of butter at a time, making sure the pieces are incorporated before adding more. Continue beating on medium-high speed until the buttercream thickens into stiff peaks. (The mixture at some point may appear to be very liquidy, but continue to beat.) Beat in the vanilla.
• To assemble: Slice each cake in half, for a total of 4 cake rounds. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter on 3 of the rounds, dividing evenly. Put 1 round, peanut butter-side up, on a cake stand or serving platter, and spread about 3/4 cup of the buttercream on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border all around. Repeat with 2 more layers of peanut-buttered cake and buttercream. Place the last cake round (without the peanut butter) on top. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Refrigerate the cake until it sets up (this makes it possible to cut neat slices), at least 4 hours up to overnight. Sprinkle the top with peanut brittle before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Steps:

• For the cake: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottom of each with a round piece of parchment. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda onto a piece of parchment or into a large bowl.
• Beat the butter, brown sugar, peanut butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, and add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Invert each onto a cooling rack, and remove the parchment. (The cakes can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 1 day.)
• For the filling: Spread the coconut out on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F until golden and toasted, about 8 minutes.
• Put the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl, microwave for 1 minute, stir until smooth and pour into a large bowl. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla and salt, and mix with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Continue to mix on low speed, adding the sugar a cup at a time and alternating with additions of the milk. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and mix until smooth. (If not being used immediately, the filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; let it come to room temperature and mix on medium-high until smooth.)
• To assemble: Slice each cake in half, for a total of 4 rounds. Spread the peanut butter on 3 of the rounds, dividing evenly. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of toasted coconut on each of the 3 rounds. Put 1 round, peanut butter-and-coconut-side up, on a cake stand or serving platter, and spread about 1/2 cup of the chocolate filling on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border all around. Repeat with 2 more layers of cake and filling. Place the last cake round (without the peanut butter and coconut) on top.
• For the frosting: Put the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the filling in a large bowl, add the cream and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until medium peaks form. Frost the cake and sprinkle the top with the remaining toasted coconut. Refrigerate the cake until it sets up (this makes it possible to cut neat slices), at least 4 hours up to overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base of three 19cm sandwich tins. Mix the flour, cocoa, bicarb and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and beat in the syrup, eggs, oil and milk with an electric whisk until smooth.
• Divide the mix between the tins, and bake for 25-30 mins until the cakes are risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the tins for 10 mins before turning out onto a cooling rack and cooling completely. At this stage, they can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to eight weeks.
• Make the bark while the cake is cooling. Melt the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, stirring every 20 secs, until smooth. Spoon onto a parchment-lined baking tray and smooth over with a spatula to make a thinnish layer, around 35 x 20cm. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips along with the pieces of pretzel and honeycomb, then chill until solid. Remove the bark from the fridge and leave for a minute to come to room temperature before using a sharp knife to cut it into shards (if it's fridge cold, the chocolate will snap rather than cut). Chill again until you're ready to decorate the cake.
• To make the icing, melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring between short blasts, then leave to cool a little. Meanwhile, beat the butter, icing sugar and 1 tbsp boiling water with an electric whisk or stand mixer, slowly at first, then turn up the speed and beat until you get a pale, fluffy icing. Spoon out a third of the mix into a separate bowl and stir in the peanut butter. Whisk the melted chocolate into the remainder of the icing, then beat in the cocoa if you want a darker, more chocolatey-coloured icing.
• Sandwich the three cakes together with the peanut butter icing. Use half the chocolate icing to coat the sides and top of the cake and fill in the edges between the layers, scraping off any excess. Chill for 20 mins. This is called a crumb coating, allowing you to get a really smooth finish when it comes to the final icing.
• Spread the remaining chocolate icing over the lightly chilled cake, smoothing over the sides and top so you get a neat finish. Chill again for 20 mins.
• To make the ganache, heat the cream in a small pan until steaming. Tip the dark chocolate into a bowl, then pour over the cream. Mix well until smooth and shiny. Transfer to a piping bag and leave to cool for a few mins at room temperature.
• Pipe the ganache on top of the cake, nudging it over the edge and allowing it to drip down neatly. Do this all the way round the cake, then fill in the centre with more ganache. Smooth the top with a knife. Chill for 1 hr for the ganache to set.
• Press the bark shards into the cake, sticking up. Add lots of chocolate eggs, popcorn and pretzels in and around the shards. Cut into slices to serve. Will keep for up to three days kept in a cool place in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans.
• Mix sugar, oil, sour cream, cocoa powder, eggs, vinegar, vanilla, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add flour and water in batches, mixing and alternating between each, until incorporated. Whisk to create a smooth batter. Pour evenly into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes.
• Combine cream cheese and butter for frosting in a very large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Slowly add confectioners' sugar a few cups at a time until smooth. Mix in peanut butter to incorporate thoroughly.
• Generously distribute the frosting between the layers of the cake and on the top and sides. This frosting is a bit firm and easy to work with. At this point, place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set; it will be extremely heavy.
• Microwave chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup for glaze together in short 30-second intervals, mixing between each, until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in half-and-half until smooth. While warm, drizzle over the frosted cake.
• Place the cake back into the refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add melted peanut butter chips and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.
• Pour into two greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat the melted peanut butter chips, cream cheese, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar alternately with enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.