Decadent Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Decadent Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

There are a few classic pairings that you can’t go wrong with it. In our house, my husband’s all time favorite is chocolate peanut butter. So what could be better for Father’s Day than a decadent chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting?! And since my husband is always challenging me to step out of the comfort zone, I made peanut butter cream cheese frosting, because I love a good tangy cream cheese frosting! I finished the cake with a silky chocolate ganache dripping down the sides of the cake.

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Decadent Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups flour (I used soft white)*
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder sifted
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda sifted
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup oil (I used peanut oil)
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 3/4 cups unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 6 oz cream cheese softened
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar sifted

Chocolate Ganache

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9" round pans, you can also use a baking spray such as Baker's Joy.
  2. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and add the sugar and salt. I always like to sift the dry ingredients so there are no lumps and it's easier to incorporate.
  3. In an another bowl briefly beat the eggs, then add the milk, oil and vanilla.
  4. Make a well in center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed using the paddle attachment, then stir in the boiling water. The batter will be very runny.

  5. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow them to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before flipping them out on a wire rack. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

  1. Beat the butter until creamy using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer.
  2. Add the cream cheese, peanut butter and vanilla. Mix until it's fully incorporated. Then slowly increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy. Make sure to stop as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  3. When everything is homogeneous, stop the mixer and add the sifted confectioner's sugar. Start the mixer at the slowest speed until combined.
  4. Beat on high speed for another 2 minutes, stopping as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

  5. If not using it right away, make sure to re-beat it for even consistency.

Chocolate Ganache:

  1. In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream until almost boiling.
  2. Turn off the heat, and add the chocolate chip.
  3. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then mix until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is silky.

  4. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before applying it.

How to assemble:

  1. After the cakes are cooled. Use about a 1/3 of the peanut butter cream cheese frosting as the filling. Frost the cake with remainder of the frosting.
  2. To make the drips on the side of the cake you can use a squeeze bottle. If you don't have one, you can slowly place small amounts of the ganache on the edge of the cake using a spoon. Once the "drips" are done, I use the rest of the ganache on top of the cake.
  3. Finish decorating with Reese's cups and/or crushed peanuts.
  4. Put the cake in the fridge for a couple of hours so everything can set. However, it's best if served at room temperature accompanied by a cold glass of milk, if you ask me. 😉

Recipe Notes

  • *If milling your own grain, I suggest using a soft white wheat on a fine grind setting.

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