Gourmet Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake

This is a Gourmet Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake, it is a peanut butter cake made with buttermilk. I it has a chocolate-peanut butter ganache filling and a peanut butter icing. It finally topped off with more peanut butter and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

It also happens to be Logan’s favorite! However I did not make it for him this time. Today it is going to be auctioned off at our church’s cake auction.

This is the smaller version of this cake I made today for the auction, happy bidding!

Made by Me, Kelly’s Crafty Concoctions…It’s a Mouthful!

I also wanted to let people be able to try it so I have made samples.

The following two photos are just a couple of steps I took in decorating it.

This last photo is the one I actually did for Logan’s birthday.

Keep reading for directions on how to make this cake.

Keep in mind doubling the recipe when making larger cakes.

Ingredients

Filling
* 2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
* 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
* 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup old-fashion (natural) chunky peanut butter

Cake
* 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1/2 cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter
* 1 pound golden brown sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup buttermilk

My cake and filling recipe come from Bon appetit.

For the icing:

* 2 cups confectioners sugar
* 2 cups creamy peanut butter
* 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 2/3 cup heavy cream
* miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped

This icing recipe came from Just2Good.
Preparation:

Filling
* Bring cream and sugar to simmer in saucepan, whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in peanut butter. Chill uncovered overnight.

Cake
* Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until blended. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions.
* Divide batter among pans and spread evenly. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Turn out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.
Icing

* While cake is cooling, make icing by combining confectioner’s sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

-Beat on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
-Add the cream, and beat on high speed until smooth.
-Freeze the Reese’s Cups while filling and frosting the cake, then chop/halve them as desired.