Inside-Out Reese's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cake

I love baking and cake decorating. So every year when I ask Digital Man what kind of cake he would like for his birthday, he asks for something different. This year he asked for a chocolate-peanut butter cake with cream cheese frosting which he found here. 

The original recipe uses Butterfingers and chunky peanut butter, but we tweaked ours so that it is more like an inside-out Reese's.  A chocolate and peanut butter lover's idea of heaven...

Reese's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cake

Filling

• 2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter

Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
• 1 pound golden brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk

Frosting

• 1 1/2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, coarsely chopped

Directions~

 

For filling:
The fast and easy way- In a microwave safe bowl, mix together cream and sugar. Place in microwave on high for one minute. Stir mixture. Microwave on high for an additional minute. Stir mixture, whisking to dissolve sugar. Stir in chocolate, microwave one additional minute; let stand one minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in peanut butter. Chill uncovered overnight.

If you don't have a microwave or prefer doing it the traditional way- 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 and flour (I use Wilton Cake Release) three, 9 inch round, cake pans.  Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugar in large bowl until well-blended.  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 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool cakes completely (for at least one hour). 

For frosting:
Put cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl and cream. Whisk whipping cream and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in separate 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 cake plate (or serving plate). Use a small dab of frosting underneath cake to "glue" cake to plate. Spread with half of filling. Place another layer of cake bottom side up on top of first layer. Spread with remaining filling. 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 chopped Reese's peanut butter cups onto top of cake.

Yummilicious! 

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