Smith Island Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
• Beat the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until very pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth evenly with an offset spatula. Tap the pan on the counter lightly to release any large air bubbles, then bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Dollop the peanut butter on top and evenly smooth it over the cake as it melts. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool completely.
• Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter and spread it evenly with the offset spatula. Refrigerate until just set, about 20 minutes.
• Cut the cake into squares and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat three 6-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray.
• Sift the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Add the buttermilk, coffee, vegetable oil and eggs. Mix at medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape the side and bottom of the bowl and mix on medium speed for 1 minute more. Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake on the top rack until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pans for 20 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
• For the buttercream: Add the confectioners' sugar and butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until completely incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter, milk and salt. Mix on high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy and lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Scrape the side and bottom of the bowl and mix again on high speed for 1 minute.
• To assemble the cake: Level each cake round with a serrated knife or cake leveler. Use an offset spatula to spread a thin layer of the buttercream on top of one round. Top with a second round and spread it with a thin layer of buttercream. Repeat with the third round, spreading the buttercream on the top and sides of the cake. Smooth with a bench scraper.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
• Beat butter and peanut butter for cake together with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended; gradually add brown sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; add to peanut butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
• While cakes cool, place unsweetened and semisweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler; bring water to a simmer and cook until chocolate melts, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Beat 1 cup butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add melted chocolate, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract; beat until spreading consistency.
• Place peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter in a small bowl. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar gradually, alternately with milk, until frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat an additional 3 minutes.
• Remove 1 cooled cake layer from its pan and frost with chocolate buttercream frosting. Place second cake on top and complete frosting with chocolate buttercream.
• Frost a thick line on the top and bottom edges of the cake with peanut butter frosting using a frosting pouch fitted with a cake decorating tip. Place 16 dollops of peanut butter frosting around the perimeter of the cake. Place mini peanut butter cups on each dollop. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the cake: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottom of each with a round piece of parchment. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together onto a piece of parchment or into a large bowl.
• Beat the butter, brown sugar, peanut butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, and add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just combined.
• Evenly divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Invert each onto a cooling rack, and remove the parchment. (The cakes can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 1 day.)
• For the buttercream: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan large enough to hold the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer above the water.
• Whisk together the granulated sugar, egg whites and salt in the stand mixer bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water, and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has completely dissolved. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat at medium-high speed until cool and the whites hold stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Beat in 3/4 cup of the peanut butter until smooth. Beat in a couple of chunks of butter at a time, making sure the pieces are incorporated before adding more. Continue beating on medium-high speed until the buttercream thickens into stiff peaks. (The mixture at some point may appear to be very liquidy, but continue to beat.) Beat in the vanilla.
• To assemble: Slice each cake in half, for a total of 4 cake rounds. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter on 3 of the rounds, dividing evenly. Put 1 round, peanut butter-side up, on a cake stand or serving platter, and spread about 3/4 cup of the buttercream on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border all around. Repeat with 2 more layers of peanut-buttered cake and buttercream. Place the last cake round (without the peanut butter) on top. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Refrigerate the cake until it sets up (this makes it possible to cut neat slices), at least 4 hours up to overnight. Sprinkle the top with peanut brittle before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.