Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bliss

Peanut butter and chocolate ... a flavour that in one way or another everyone has encountered. Why do you think almost every chocolate company has invested in some form of peanut butter and chocolate product ? Because people love it of course!...

So naturally I wanted to share with everyone my favourite form of peanut butter and chocolate :)

This is my Chocolate cake with a very fudgy white chocolate and peanut butter frosting. 

I love making small 6 inch cakes. Especially for small groups of people. In this case I am making this cake for two :) This smaller cakes allows us to enjoy our cake without over indulging or having any wastage. 

What you need: (Chocolate cake : Adapted from Donna Hays Recipe)

- 6 inch (12cm) round pans 

- 1/2 cup of hot water

- 60 g unsalted butter

-4 table spoons of dark cocoa powder

- 1 cup of plain flour

- 1 cup of caster sugar

- 1/2 tsp bicarb soda

- 1 egg

- 1/4 cup of buttermilk (I never buy butter milk I make my own - mix milk and lemon juice, let sit for a few minutes )

- A pinch of salt 

Frosting: (fudgy white chocolate and peanut butter frosting)

- 60 grams of unsalted butter

- 200 g cream cheese

- 1 cup of sifted icing sugar

- 2/3 cup of smooth peanut butter

- 100 g melted white chocolate

- 1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste. 

What to do:

1.Preheat oven to 150 degrees

2. place water, butter and cocoa powder in a microwave proof dish and microwave for 60 seconds 

3. mix cocoa mixture until smooth and add in the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, bicarb, salt)

4. mix in the egg and buttermilk 

5. grease and line baking tins and divide mixture between them (If you only have one pan then bake each layer at a time (each layer should be around 3/4 - 1 cup of mixture)

6. bake for 20-25 minutes (check at 20 min mark with a skewer, the cake is very moist so you may see a little bit of chocolate on the skewer )

7. while the cakes are cooling make the frosting 

8. using an electric mixer whisk together the butter and cream cheese. 

9. once it is smooth mix in the sifted icing sugar

10. when icing sugar is combined mix in the peanut butter and then the melted chocolate with vanilla bean paste. (to melt the chocolate it takes around 1 min in the microwave)

11. when your cake has cooled frost it with your delicious peanut butter frosting (if you haven't already eaten the whole bowl!) 

12. Remember to share it and enjoy with a cup of tea ! 

*Note: there is no need to level your cakes as this recipe doesn't cause the cake to dome out too much (to keep the top layer level and flat just flip the cake over and use the bottom of the cake for the top)

Enjoy 

xx Mel.