Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout Cake
Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout Cake
Ingredients
Units
for the cake
- 3/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulate sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cups vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cups dark stout, such as Guinness*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the frosting
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk (this will depend on the consistency of your peanut butter. start with 2 and work up)
for the ganache/everything else
- 1/2 cup bitter- or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- a few large pretzels
- 1 Snickers bar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour, both sugars, baking soda, and salt, whisking to combine. In a separate bowl, combine vegetable oil, eggs, stout, and vanilla extract.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet, whisking until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans (about 2 cups of batter each).
- Bake cakes for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the peanut butter and unsalted butter together until fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add in the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk, then beat for 30 more seconds. If the frosting is too thick, add in 1-2 more tablespoons of milk.
- Frost cake by placing first cake layer onto a cake stand and topping with 1 cup frosting. Spread evenly, then repeat with two additional layers. On the top layer, only use 1/2 cup frosting. Then, use the remaining frosting to create a thin layer on the sides of the cake, using a blunt knife to spread evenly. Place into fridge or freezer while you make the ganache.
- To make the ganache, heat the cream over a double boiler on low heat. Once the cream is scalding (near boiling but not boiling), remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Remove cake from fridge/freezer and drizzle frosting over the cake’s edges, then over the entire top, again using a blunt knife to smooth things over evenly. Top with some crumbled pretzel pieces and cut up Snickers bar!