You know how some foods are just vehicles for others, like chips and their cheesy passenger, queso? This cake is one of those (yes, there is a cake under all those mini Reese's!). The cake is a buttermilk chocolate cake, which I actually found pretty bland, despite everyone's assurances that it was delicious (I'm pretty sure they were just being nice). It's the icing atop the cake that really stands out: Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. I didn't know you could combine peanut butter and cream cheese, but I did and MAN ALIVE am I glad!
For the cake I used this recipe from Jonesing For and changed it up a bit. The original recipe called for a ganache poured over the cake, and I'm sure that my omission of that is the reason for the lack of chocolately flavor.
Chocolate Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I suggest using 4 oz if you're not topping with ganache)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I suggest adding another 1/4 cup each of cocoa powder and sugar for more flavor)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup strongly brewed fresh coffee, cooled
1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 365° F. Grease and flour 3 8-inch cake pans and set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl in the microwave or over a double boiler and let cool until there’s no longer steam rising from it. Whisk in the oil, yogurt and sugar until smooth, then whisk in the eggs.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture along with 1/2 cup of the coffee and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk; whisk until smooth. Add the remaining dry ingredients, coffee and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Be careful not to overbake. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn them out and let cool completely.
And now for the frosting! I honestly cannot remember where I got the recipe for this frosting, but I thank you, whoever you are.
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and beat until thoroughly blended.
Assemble your cake, top with chopped mini Reese's, and enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment