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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!

Course Dessert

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

  2. 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.
  3. 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. 

  4. 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

  1. 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! 

  2. 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. 
  3. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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. 

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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!

  5. 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. 

  6. 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.

  7. Let the ganache set. When you're ready, slice and enjoy!