If you don’t like chocolate or peanut butter, then you’re absolutely not going to like this cake, and I feel bad for you because this cake is delicious!

As you will see shortly, I really enjoy the decorating aspect of making a cake. Obviously, taste is important, but I feel like presentation is just as important! With this cake, I was able to make my first attempt at a “drip” layer and to test out some of my Russian Piping Tips!

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 3/4 c all purpose flour
• 3/4 c cocoa powder (I use Hershey brand)
• 1 3/4 c granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 c sour cream
• 1/2 c buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c strong coffee*

Chocolate Ganache**

• 1/2 – 1 c chocolate chips
• 1/2 – 1 c heavy cream

Frosting

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 c peanut butter
• 2 c powder sugar
• 2/3 c heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Decorating

• 4 pack of Reeses
• Reeses pieces
• Resses minatures

*Note: Even though you are adding coffee, you will not taste it! It brings out the chocolate flavor in the cake.

**Note: The ganache is essentially a 1:1 ratio of chocolate:heavy cream. Adjusted how much heavy cream you use based on how much chocolate. For this cake, I used 1 cup of both but ended up not using it all. I would start with 1/2 a cup and make more if needed; it only takes a few minutes to prepare!

Directions

Cake

1. Allow all ingredients to get to room temperature before starting
2. Preheat the oven to 350°
3. Prep two 9″ cake pans:
   • Rub an even coating of butter around the edges and bottom
   • Sprinkle some flour in the pan and spread it around the pan so it’s completely covered
   • As an extra precaution, you can put some parchment paper on the bottom of the pan as well
4. In a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer, whisk together: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt
5. In a medium bowl, mix together: vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla.
6. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined
7. Slowly add in the coffee with the mixer running
8. Separate the batter into the two prepared pans
9. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean
10. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes
11. Transfer the cake from the pan to the wire rack and allow it to cool completely
    • If you are going to let it sit in the fridge overnight, cover the cake on the wire rack loosely with plastic wrap before putting it in the fridge

Frosting

1. Allow the butter to soften (1-2 hours on the counter) before starting
2. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy
3. Add the remaining ingredients
4. Mix on low until everything is combined
   • I kept turning my stand mixer on in short bursts (about 10 seconds on) until the powder sugar was decently combined. This prevented a giant cloud of powdered sugar from puffing out of the stand mixer
5. Beat on high for 3 minutes straight
6. Scrape down the sides and bottom to ensure everything got mixed in. If not, allow it to run on medium for another minute

Ganache

1. Using a double boiler:
   • Heat the water till it’s boiling
   • Place an equal ratio of chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl and place it on top of the pot
   • Cook the chocolate mixture until it is completely melted
   • Allow the chocolate to cool for 5-10 minutes, until it’s slightly thickened before putting on the cake
2. Using the microwave:
   • Heat the chocolate/heavy cream mixture in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each time until it is completely melted
   • Allow the chocolate to cool for 5-10 minutes, until it’s slightly thickened before putting on the cake

Cake Tips!

• PREP YOUR PANS!!!! Proper prep will save you trouble later on
• Make the cake the day before so it can cool completely on the counter and then sit in the fridge overnight before frosting
• Extra frosting is always better than not enough! Make a little more to begin with rather than having to make multiple batches
• When doing ganache, wait until the chocolate has thickened slightly before you try to drizzle it. This will allow for a better drip (I did not do this, that’s why mine went all the way to the cake board)
• Let the ganache set in the fridge before decorating the top of the cake
• Have fun with the decorating!

Test Kitchen: Opinion and Changes

The recipe for the cake and frosting came from Sallie’s Baking Addiction. I originally tried a different chocolate cake recipe that also used coffee, but it used 1 c and gave the cake a strange scent.

Although I did not make any changes to the recipes, I noticed that the cake batter only made enough for two layers, when it was supposed to make three. Also, I had to double the amount of frosting in order to cover the cake.

Happy Baking!