INGREDIENTS:
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 ounce bittersweet chocolate baking bar, melted & cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup hot tap water
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 package cream cheese, 8 oz, room temperature
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ table spoon salt
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped butterfingers, divided
Chocolate Ganache:
- 2 ounce heavy whipping cream
- 6 ounce chocolate chips, I used semi-sweet
INSTRUCTIONS:
Let’s get started the recipe by Chocolate cake:
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease two 8 inch spring form pans with butter (butter the sides and bottom) and line each pan with a parchment paper circle for easy cake removal. Set aside.
Rough chop the bittersweet chocolate baking bar into smaller pieces, place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes on 50% power. Stir and repeat until melted. Set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl combine the all purpose flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the eggs and cooled chocolate, beat again, 30 seconds.
Add in half of the buttermilk, beat for about 20 seconds. Add in half of the dry ingredients, beat. Add the remaining buttermilk plus the hot water, beat just until the liquid is mixed in then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
Evenly divide the batter between the 2 pans, with 2 & 1/2 cups of batter in each pan. If using bake even cake strips, secure them around the outside of the pans.
Bake both pans on the same rack in the center of the oven for 33-39 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking times will vary depending on your oven and size of pan you’re using.
Allow the cakes to cool for 20-30 minutes in the pans before removing them and allowing them to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter on high for 2-3 minutes.
Add in 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat the frosting on low speed until combined and thick.
Add in the remaining powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt, mix on low.
Mix in 1 cup of the finely chopped butterfingers (reserve 1/2 cup for decorating the cake). Mix on low until combined. If the frosting is too thick, beat in an additional tablespoon of heavy cream or milk.
Chocolate Ganache:
Place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until the heavy cream begins to bubble. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute. Use a spatula to stir the mixture until smooth. Allow the ganache to come to room temperature before adding it to the cake. If the chocolate ganache is too warm when added to the cake, it will run off the cake and become very thin.
Assemble:
If needed, level the cooled cakes using a cake levered or serrated knife.
Spread a small amount of frosting on the bottom of your cake plate / stand, this acts as “glue” to prevent the cake from moving. Place one cake layer over the frosting. Measure 3/4 to 1 cup of frosting and evenly spread that on top of the first layer. Top with the second cake layer and spread the remaining frosting around the sides and top of the cake. Reserve about 1/2 cup of frosting for piping frosting on top of the cake if desired.
Once the ganache is room temperature, use a spoon or squeeze bottle to drizzle the ganache around the sides of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Fill in the middle of the cake with ganache and spread evenly with the back of the spoon. Place the cake in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow the ganache to set before piping with frosting.
Using a piping bag fit with a large round piping tip, pipe the remaining frosting around the edge of the cake. Top the frosting swirls with butterfinger pieces.
Slice and serve. Cover leftover cake tightly with plastic wrap and store on the counter for up to 3 days.
