It was my birthday this week. I had peanut butter cake with chocolate ganache and turned 31. It’s honestly a relief to have the last year behind me. The year of 30 was a trip–full of joy, loads of possibility, anxiety and at times very lonely.
I wasn’t freaked out about entering my 30s. I welcomed it. I know a lot of people don’t feel that way, but I was ready to put the 20s behind me and turn a corner, more confident in who I am as a person and what I want than ever before.
But it was hard.
For myriad of reasons, it was a more trying year than I could have imagined. But the hard stuff has also taught me more than I could have imagined. I learned more about self-compassion, slowing down, and doing things that make me happy in a deep, meaningful way. 30 was both great and difficult as many of the most important things are. I’m hopeful that 31 will be as meaningful.
Slowing down has meant taking the time to reflect, reminisce, and remember. Naturally, my mind drifted towards my past birthdays this week. For many years, I celebrated as I sat in a birthday throne and ate lemon cake & strawberry sauce that my Mom lovingly made. One year, spent with my grandparents on a road trip, I swam in the hotel pool and was allowed to drink my weight in Shirley Temples.
One time in particular kept springing up in my memories: the birthday my friend drove from Louisiana to Mississippi and made me the absolute loveliest birthday cake. It was a peanut butter cake with fluffy peanut butter frosting. Oh, I remember it well. Rich, but not too sweet. The salty-ness of the peanut butter perfectly matched with sweet, tender cake. The birthday celebration was a particularly wonderful in my memory, full of fun and good food. And as I thought back on it, I really craved that cake.
So I decided to re-create it. This time with a little chocolate because I can’t resist the peanut butter/chocolate combo.
If you’ve followed my some of my previous posts, you’ll know that most baked goods I make are less-than-traditionally sweet. I always love that hit of salt to balance the sweetness. I think that’s why I loved that birthday cake my friend made–the perfect mix of fluffy, sweet cake tempered with creamy, salty, rich peanut butter. Peanut butter just really works with sweet things–peanut butter and jelly; peanut butter chocolate cups; peanut butter cookies. This recipe is a simple peanut butter cake filled with a layer of fluffy chocolate ganache, topped with shiny, drippy chocolate ganache. The perfect marriage of the ingredients: peanut butter cake with chocolate ganache.
If you make a peanut butter cake for someone’s birthday, I can guarantee they will never forget it. I know I haven’t.
If you like this Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Ganache, you might also like:
Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Mulled Wine Poached Pears with Chocolate and Cream
Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Ganache
This tender peanut butter cake is covered in a creamy peanut butter frosting, filled with a fluffy chocolate ganache, and topped with a drippy rich ganache!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
For the Fluffy Ganache Filling
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
For the Chocolate Ganache Topping
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons toasted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
Peanut Butter Cake
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar, beginning on low and increasing to medium speed. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between additions. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
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With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry mixture and mix until incorporated. Then add 1/2 of the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Repeat this process and then mix in the final 1/3 of the dry mixture.
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Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes (if you're using 8 inch pans, start checking the cakes for done-ness at 20 minutes). A toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes should come out with just a few moist crumbs when the cakes are fully baked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pans on a cooling rack then turn them out onto the cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Fluffy Ganache Filling
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While the cakes are baking begin making the chocolate ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Warm the cream in a small saucepan on medium low heat until the cream is just warmed through and starting to steam. Don't let it get to a full simmer!
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Once it's warmed through, pour it over the chocolate and sprinkle the salt on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until it's smooth. Let the ganache sit out until it's completely cool to room temperature, then cover and place in the fridge for an hour.
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When the cakes are almost cool finish the fluffy ganache by removing it from the fridge and beating it with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Peanut Butter Frosting
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When the cakes are almost completely cool, make the peanut butter frosting. In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and salt together with an electric mixer, starting on low speed and increasing to medium as things come together. Once fully combined, beat in the cream on medium speed until fully combined and mixture is light.
Putting the Cake Together
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If your cakes domed a little bit while baking, level them with a serrated knife or cake slicer. Smear a little bit of frosting in the center of your cake board or cake plate and place the first layer on top. This helps keep the cake still while icing.
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Cover this first layer with frosting. On top of the peanut butter frosting, add a layer of fluffy ganache, leaving about an inch of space between the ganache and the edge of the cake. Stack the second layer on top, bottom of the cake facing up.
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Frost the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting and then put the cake in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to let this layer set. Once set, finish frosting with the remaining peanut butter frosting.
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Once finish frosting the cake, make the chocolate ganache drizzle. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Warm the cream in a small saucepan on medium low heat until the cream is just warmed through and starting to steam. Don't let it get to a full simmer!
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Once it's warmed through, pour it over the chocolate and sprinkle the salt on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until it's smooth. Let the ganache cool slightly (so it doesn't melt the frosting!)--you want it to still be drippy, not set, but much closer to room temperature.
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Once it's cooled a bit, transfer the ganache to a liquid measuring cup. I find that the best way to get good drips is to use the spout of a measuring cup. Slowly pour the ganache around the circumference of the cake, gently pouring a little more closely to the edge wherever you want it to drip down the side of the cake. Once you've made it all around the edge of the cake, pour the rest of the ganache into the middle of the cake. Using an offset spatula, gently smooth and spread the ganache from the middle outwards until it meets the rim of ganache on the edge of the cake. Sprinkle the toasted peanuts around the edge of the cake.
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Let the ganache set. When you're ready, slice and enjoy!
Have you made this cake as a sheet cake?
Thinking it would travel easier.
Plan to make the frosting and top with the second ganache leaving out the fluffy ganache.
Have you tried freezing to make cake ahead of time?
Hi Sandy! I haven’t made this as a sheet cake. If you’re making the amount of batter written, I’d bake it in an 8×8 square and it’s gonna take a little longer to bake. If you want to make a 13×9 sheet cake, I’d probably try 1.5x the batter and again the bake time will be longer. You could certainly freeze this cake. Let the cake cool completely then wrap it in a couple layers of plastic wrap and pop in the freezer until you want to use it. Just take the plastic wrap off and let it thaw at room temp before you frost it.
Can you refrigerate this cake?! I’m dying to make it for my boyfriend’s birthday dinner but would need to make a day or 2 ahead of time. Thanks!!
I’d only make it and refrigerate it up to one day ahead and then bring it back to room temperature before serving.
Dear Katie
Like you, I experienced a culinary ecstasy that I longed to replicate.. it was at a church concert, where at intermission we had options for indulging in a slice of cake. I chose peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting and chocolate ganache layering. I sought out the baker who was willing to share the recipe with me. Unfortunately I lost it but was pleased to find your recipe! It comes close, but doesn’t quite make the mark. I think it’s because that recipe, like yours, included peanut butter cake that wasn’t too sweet, however, it was more dense, and as a result more moist. I’m going to allow myself to experiment the next time I make this cake by looking for a peanut butter cake recipe that has a different combination of ingredients that may produce a more compact and dense moist cake. Wondering if you have experimented with different peanut butter cake layers. I thank you for bringing this recipe into my. Box of keepers.
Sue