People: we must talk about this cake. I need to confess that I’ve eaten it for breakfast the past two days. I’ve also eaten it for dessert. And I can’t deny that I’ve “evened out the edges” more than a couple of times after opening the fridge and seeing it sitting there with its edges all uneven-like. Maybe I have a problem. Or maybe the cake has a problem. Yes, that’s it. The cake is the problem. It’s too f*cking good. In fact, I took a break from writing this post to go eat lunch, and I’m sitting here at my computer again eating more cake. There are cake crumbs on my face and my keyboard. I think I feel slightly better after this public, chocolaty confession, but this cake infatuation is definitely becoming a little worrisome.
If you aren’t already persuaded, I will tell you forthright: you absolutely must try this recipe. If you are a peanut butter and chocolate lover, you will never need to find another cake recipe again. If you’re not, I don’t trust you anyway so I don’t really care if you make this or not. Just kidding (except I’m kind of not). Although it’s slightly time consuming to prepare and assemble, you will not be disappointed when you are finished constructing this three-tiered chocolate beauty, which is covered with whipped peanut butter frosting and smothered with a layer of chocolate ganache. Did I mention there are Oreos on it? Because there are.
This recipe came to be this past weekend, in honor of my sister’s birthday. I thought I was going to have to send her something that was compatible for shipping all the way to New York City. However, a couple of weeks ago, she and my cousin decided to come visit me in Denver for her birthday weekend, after I convinced them that it would be in the 70s that weekend and there would be cake waiting for them upon their arrival. It’s amazing what power birthday cake can have over people. My sister asked me if I thought a cake that combined peanut butter, chocolate and Oreos would taste weird. I laughed out loud at her. What do you think the answer to that question is, Emalie?
Birthday or no birthday, special occasion or not, I urge you to make this Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreo Cake. I promise it will bring you happiness for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert, or in my case, all of the above and in between.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreo Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp espresso powder optional
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp milk or as needed
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
For the Ganache:
- 8 ounces chocolate chopped (I used semi-sweet)
- 1 cup heavy cream
Toppings: Oreos or Mini Oreos
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
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To make the cake, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk) mix the oil, eggs, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Batter is thin.
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Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Note: Even if they’re completely done, the cooled cakes may *slightly* sink in the center. Cocoa powder is simply not as structurally strong as all-purpose flour and can’t hold up to all the moisture necessary to make a moist tasting chocolate cake. It’s normal!)
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Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan. To help with frosting, I like to wrap each layer in plastic wrap (once cooled) and put them in the freezer for several hours. This is not a mandatory step, but it might help if your cakes tend to crumble once you start frosting them.
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To make the frosting, place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy. Assemble the cake, putting a frosting layer in the middle and spreading it all around the outside of the cake. I like to save some frosting so I can do additional cake designs on the top.
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To make the ganache, heat up the heavy cream in a saucepan on the stove or for one minute in the microwave, until hot. Add in the chocolate and whisk with a fork until the ganache comes together and is smooth and silky. Pour the ganache over the frosted cake and let it drip down the sides.
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Decorate the cake with additional peanut butter frosting and Oreos.
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This cake is ok to be kept room temperature, but I love keeping it in the fridge!
This cake is better than cake. That’s how delicious it is.
Amazing cake for an amazing sister!
Just finished making two lots of this cake and the off cuts I’ve tasted so far are delicious. I ran out of frosting though so probably needed to make more. Also, I seemed to find it impossible halve Oreos so that ended up looking a bit untidy.
I’m glad the cake came out well! It’s so hard to halve Oreos…sometimes I just use the whole thing!
I haven抰 checked in here for some time as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
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