Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Cake (or cupcakes)

By courtneyepowell

Lia Weber's recipe from Next Great Baker

Ingredients

• Chocolate Cake:
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 3/4 cup warm coffee
• 1/4 cup finely chopped semi sweet chocolate
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Peanut Butter Fluff:
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Chocolate Buttercream frosting:
• 1 # unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 # powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 6-8 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• Peanut butter cups for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl, add everything but the coffee, mix on low & slowly pour in warm coffee. Scrape down bowl, let mix until smooth.

Pour into 2 8" pans, sprayed and lined with parchment, or 24 cupcake tins,sprayed or lined. Bake at 350 until cake springs back, approx 20 mins. Let cool on wire wrack.

To make peanut butter fluff, beat cream cheese & peanut butter till smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, beat till smooth. Stir in vanilla.
In a separate or same bowl with a whisk attachment whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until firm stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream mixture into peanut butter mixture until fluffy.

To make Chocolate Buttercream, use a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix butter until light & fluffy. Add powdered sugar & cocoa, mix until
combined. Add heavy cream & vanilla. Beat until light & fluffy.

Garnish with chopped peanut butter cups.