Peanut Butter Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Icing, Chocolate Ganache & Honey Roasted Peanuts

Serves 12-16

2 8 or 9-inch layers of peanut butter cake cooled (recipe below)

1 batch of salted caramel cream cheese frosting (recipe below)

1 batch of chocolate ganache cooled (recipe below)

1 cup honey roasted peanuts, roughly chopped plus additional for garnish

To put together cake, place 1 layer of peanut butter cake on a large flat plate (if you are traveling with the cake, it helps topout a little frosting underneath so that I does not slide)

Level bottom cake layer with a cake leveler or serrated knife

Top with about a cup of frosting and spread evenly; sprinkle chopped peanuts over frosting

Level second cake layer and then place it over frosting and peanuts

Frost top and sides of cake evenly with remainder of frosting

Drizzle chocolate ganache over cake as desired and sprinkle with a few extra peanuts as a garnish

Allow ganache to set about an hour before slicing and serving cake

Store leftover cake in refrigerator up to three days

Peanut Butter Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk


Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Grease two 8 or 9-inch round pans; line bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and then grease and lightly flour entire pans; set aside

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside

Cream peanut butter, butter and sugars in the large bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed for several minutes until light and fluffy; scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula and continue to beat for another minute

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium speed until combined between each addition; scrape sides of the bowl again

Put mixer on low speed and slowly add half of the flour mixture; stop mixer and add buttermilk then mix on low just until combined; add remaining flour and mix on low speed just until mixture is almost combined; remove bowl from stand and fold batter with a spatula just until smooth

Divide batter evenly between pans and lightly tap on counter to remove air pockets

Bake cake for 15 minutes and then turn each pan 180 degrees; continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out of the center clean

Allow cake layers to cool in pans 10 minutes until carefully removing from pan and allow to completely cool on a wire rack


Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese

3 3/4 cup powdered sugar*

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup salted caramel sauce

DIrections:

Beat cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed for several minutes or until light and creamy

Add sugar, a cup at a time, mixing on low speed between each addition; increase speed to high and mix until fluffy

Add vanilla and caramel sauce mixing until well-combined and frostilists light and creamy

*If  consistency is too wet for cake add additional sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat well until frosting reaches desired consistency

Chocolate Ganache

Source: Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey

Ingredients:

4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Directions:

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside

Put remaining ingredients in a heavy saucepan and place over medium-high heat; stir constantly until butter is melted

When cream mixture comes to a boil and bubbles begin to rise on entire surface, remove from heat and pour over chocolate

Allow chocolate to sit for one minute then stir to combine until smooth and creamy

Allow to cool before pouring over cake; if not using immediately, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week (keepitsweetdesserts.com)