Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake With Cream Cheese And Butterfinger Frosting
Why I Love This Recipe
Begin preparing the cake one day ahead.
NOTES : Emily Luchetti is the pastry chef at Farallon restaurant in San Francisco and the author of A Passion for Desserts.
Contributor: Bon Appetit March 2005 page 128
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients You'll Need
FILLING:
2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup golden brown sugar -- (packed)
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate -- finely chopped
1/2 cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter
CAKE:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter -- (1 1/4 sticks) room temperature
1/2 cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter
1 pound golden brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
FROSTING:
1 1/2 packages cream cheese -- (8 ounce) room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar -- divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter -- (3/4 stick) room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
butterfinger candy bars, coarsely chopped
glazed peanuts
Directions
FOR FILLING: Bring cream and sugar to simmer in saucepan, whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in peanut butter. Chill uncovered overnight.
FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until blended. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions.
Divide batter among pans and spread evenly. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Turn out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.
FOR FROSTING: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk whipping cream and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in bowl until mixture holds medium-firm peaks. Fold into cream cheese mixture in 3 additions; chill until firm but spreadable, about 1 hour.
Place 1 cake layer, bottom side up, on 9-inch tart pan bottom. Spread with half of filling. Place another layer, bottom side up, on work surface. Spread with remaining filling; place atop first layer. Top with remaining cake layer, bottom side up.
Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before continuing.) Press candy and peanuts onto top of cake.
