Chocolate Peanut Butter Layered Cake Perfection

I have an incredibly wonderful  and talented cousin who is all things party and all things Disney. Every year she hosts a Thanks Disney party. It is a celebration held between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The menu is comprised of any fare found at any Disney Park or Restaurant, everyone dresses up as a Disney character, and of course there's Disney trivia. So, me being the crazy person that I am, decided to take a recipe that I had never tried before. I needed an excuse to try this decadent cake. I scoured the internet and came up with mouthwatering monstrosity of a cake. This recipe is inspired by Dad's Favorite Peanut Butter Layered Chocolate Cake found on the menu at 50s Prime Time Cafe in Disney World.

Warning: this cake is so hard to transport. I should've removed it from my spring form when I arrived at my destination. Instead I had to place 3 knives into the cake to keep the layers from sliding all over the place. I also did not make it ahead of time, which will help a lot in keeping the layers together. Note: this picture was taken after transporting...that's why the layers have slid.

Cake

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups All-purpose Flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 salt

4 eggs

3/4 cups melted butter 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups water

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache Filling

5 ounces bitter sweet chocolate

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2  cup creamy peanut butter

3 Tablespoons heavy cream

Whipped Cream 

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease two 9 inch springform pans. (I actually don't own two so I just used the same pan twice)  

*I was worried about the batter spilling out the bottom but there were no problems. I did this to help keep the layers intact when adding the ganache and peanut butter frosting*

2. Whisk the dry ingredients, add the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla, beat until smooth. 

3. Add the water and mix until smooth. 

4. Pour into cake pans and bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

5. Allow the cake to cool on cooling racks. Once cooled cut each layer into half, creating four individual layers. I find a serrated knife works best for this. 

6. Cover the bottom of the spring form pan with parchment, have the parchment be larger than the bottom. This will make moving the cake off of the pan easier, later on.

7. Place one of the layers into the bottom of the spring form pan. Cover with ganache. Let sit in the fridge until slightly firm, add a layer of peanut butter frosting. Repeat until you get to the top layer.

8. For the top layer reverse the order: place peanut butter frosting on first, followed by the ganache. 

* this is where I wished that spring form pans were higher! but don't be discouraged keep stacking your cake, it'll turn out great since the base will be solid*

9. Let rest in the refrigerator until ganache is firm. 

10. Remove cake from refrigerator, and place on cake stand, or whatever you are using to serve the cake. Use the whipped cream to decorate the top.

Peanut Butter Frosting 

*note: make sure the butter and peanut butter are at room temperature before proceeding*

1. Beat the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl, making sure to fully incorporate the butter.

2. Add powdered sugar gradually.

3.  Add heavy cream until smooth. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:

1. Mix chocolate and peanut butter in a heat safe bowl and set aside

2. In a small saucepan bring cream and vanilla to a simmer. Pour over chocolate mixture. At this I like to place a plate over my bowl to help the melting process. Let sit for 2 minutes or so.

3. Remove plate and stir until smooth. 

Notes: This definitely needs to be made the day before serving to allow the flavors to deepen. Store in the refrigerator and in my opinion it is best served cold. 

*original recipe calls for espresso powder I opted to increase my cocoa, and it also uses vegetable oil. I prefer to use melted butter instead, I find it adds to the flavor*

This recipe is adapted from the following website: King Arthur Flour Peanut Butter-Fudge Buckeye Cake