For the cake
1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp. (9 3/8 oz.) all-purpose flour
1½ cups (4½ oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the pans
1 tbsp. instant espresso or coffee powder
1½ cups boiling water
¾ cup sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (18 3/8 oz.) sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
For the filling and frosting
¾ cup heavy cream, chilled
3¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, divided
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of coarse salt
To garnish
Mini peanut butter cups, halved
Directions:
To
make the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter the edges of 3
8-inch round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder, shaking out the
excess. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. In a medium
bowl, combine the cocoa powder, espresso powder, and boiling water.
Whisk until smooth; set aside to cool slightly. When cooled down a
bit, whisk in the sour cream and vanilla. Set aside. In the bowl of an
electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth,
about 1 minute. Gradually blend in the sugar and whip on medium-high
speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes more. Blend in the eggs one
at a time. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt;
whisk to blend.
With the mixer on low
speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the
sour cream mixture, beating each addition just until incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cake
layers for about 30-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the
center comes out clean, rotating the pans during halfway through to
ensure even baking. Transfer the baked cake layers to a wire rack and
let cool in the pans at least 30 minutes before inverting onto the rack
to cool completely.
To make the filling
and frosting, combine the heavy cream and ¼ cup of the confectioners’
sugar in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk
attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and stiff
peaks form, being careful not to over mix. Transfer the whipped cream
to a separate bowl. In the now empty mixer bowl fitted with the paddle
attachment, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high
speed until smooth, about 45 seconds. Add the remaining confectioners’
sugar to the bowl and mix in, slowly at first until incorporated, then
increasing the mixer speed to high. Blend in the vanilla extract and
salt, and continue to whip on high speed until very fluffy, about 4-5
minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use a large
spatula to gently fold about a third of the whipped cream into the
peanut butter frosting. Once the first addition has been evenly
incorporated, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until no
streaks remain.
To assemble the cake,
place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving platter. Spread
an even layer of the frosting over the top of the cake. Top with a
second cake layer and another layer of the frosting. Place the final
cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake using a thin
crumb coat at first. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.
Reserve about 1 cup of the remaining frosting in a pastry bag fitted
with a decorative tip (Annie used a Wilton #21). Once the crumb
cake is set, frost the top and sides of the cake again using an offset
spatula for a smooth finish. Use the reserved frosting to pipe a border
around the base of the cake. Pipe swirls evenly around the top border
of the cake. Finish by garnishing with halved peanut butter cups. (I find that freezing the candy for an hour or so beforehand helps them unwrap and cut while still looking nice.) Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
Notes: I used a Wilton #1M
That cake looks so fabulous. I love peanut butter so this sounds absolutely delicious to me.
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