There are some flavor combinations that can do no wrong in my book - coffee & hazelnut, strawberry & pistachio, pandan & coconut. Chocolate and peanuts is another one of them; my favorite Halloween candy is and has always been Snickers for that very reason.

I made this cake in celebration of a friend passing his doctoral qualifying exams - rich and moist chocolate sponge with crunchy PB and chocolate frostings, topped with Baby Ruth's (I think I couldn't find mini Snickers that day) - a cake definitely worthy of any occasion.

Cake and chocolate frosting recipe was from Hershey's, and peanut butter frosting recipe from Allrecipes.

INGREDIENTS (makes a two-layer 6" cake)

Chocolate cake:

  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 c. minus 2 T. (110 g.) all-purpose flour
  • 6 T. cocoa powder
  • 3/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c. milk + 1/2 T. lemon juice
  • 1/4 c. oil
  • 1/2 c. very hot coffee (I used hot water and instant coffee, but you can do it however you like)

Chocolate frosting:

  • 1/4 c. butter, melted
  • 1/3 c. cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 3 T. heavy cream
  • Pinch of salt
  • Splash of vanilla

Peanut butter frosting:

  • 1/4 c. butter, softened
  • 1/2 c. peanut butter (I used crunchy bc I like it, even though it makes decorating more difficult)
  • 3 T. milk, adjust to desired consistency
  • 1 c. powdered sugar

PROCEDURE

For chocolate cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F, butter and flour two 6" cake pans.
  2. Sift together sugar and all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Whisk in egg, milk + lemon juice, and oil.
  4. Stir in hot coffee.
  5. Divide batter between the two pans and bake 25-30 min. - start testing the cake around 25 min and adjust baking time as needed.
  6. When cool enough to handle, remove from pans and cool on wire rack. If you'll be leaving them out for a while like I did, wrap them in plastic wrap.

For chocolate frosting:

  1. Melt butter (option to brown the butter!), then stir in cocoa.
  2. Add in powdered sugar gradually, then heavy cream, salt and vanilla.
  3. Whip until smooth and slightly fluffed (it won't get too much volume).
  4. Refrigerate for ~15 min.
  5. Whip again, and this time until it's the proper consistency of a frosting. Adjust as you'd like, adding more powdered sugar for a thicker, stiffer frosting and more heavy cream or milk for a lighter one.

For peanut butter frosting:

  1. Beat butter and peanut butter until fluffy.
  2. Add powdered sugar gradually, then milk and continue beating until light. Adjust as you'd like, adding more powdered sugar to thicken and milk to thin it out.

Assembly:

  1. Trim/level the cake layers.
  2. Place frostings in separate piping bags.
  3. On the first layer of cake, pipe alternating concentric rings of frosting. I started with peanut butter on the edge then moved in, finishing with chocolate in the center.
  4. Place second layer of cake on top, bottom side up for a smooth top.
  5. Pipe alternating rings of frosting around the sides of the cake, but only chocolate on top.
  6. Smooth everything out with a spatula - you should end up with a blurry two-toned effect on the side!
  7. With remaining frosting, pipe florets or whatever you'd like for decoration.
  8. Top with candies, sprinkles, etc. Along the theme of chocolate & peanuts, I used mini Baby Ruth bars 🙂
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