This rich super moist dark chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Ingredients for the cake:
- 1 Dark Chocolate or Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
- 1 3.5 oz box Chocolate Fudge instant pudding mix
- 1 cup oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
Ingredients for the peanut butter whipped cream frosting:
- 2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 4 cups of heavy whipping cream
Ingredients for the filling and decorations:
- 1/4 of the peanut butter whipped cream frosting
- 1 cup peanut butter cups, chopped
- 8-10 miniature peanut butter cups or 3/4 cup of Reese’s pieces mixed with 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on the cake mix. Grease two 8″ or 9″ round cake pans with butter.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the cake mix, oil, sour cream, milk, pudding mix, and eggs. Mix on low until all the ingredients are incorporated and a thick batter forms. This will be thicker than most cake batters.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Spread the batter to the edges of the pans. Be careful not to overfill the pan. Strive for between 1/2 and 3/4 full.
- Bake per the package directions. Stick a knife or toothpick into the center of the cake to check for doneness. If they come out clean with no batter, the cakes are done and ready to be pulled from the oven. If not done, cook for 2-5 minutes longer before checking.
- Once done, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them and placing them on a cooling rack to fully cool. Cakes can be made up to 3 days in advance. If making them ahead of time, once cool, wrap snuggly in plastic wrap and place inside the freezer until ready to decorate. To thaw, pull the cake from the freezer an hour before decorating.
- For the frosting, blend the cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar together in the chilled bowl of your mixer until creamy. While continuing to blend, add vanilla. With the mixer on medium, slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream. Once all of the whipping cream has been added, turn up the mixer to high. The frosting will be ready when stiff peaks form in the bowl.
- Set aside 3/4 of the frosting in the refrigerator. With the remaining 1/4, mix in the chopped peanut butter cups.
- To assemble, cut each cake into two layers, making a total of 4 cake layers. Place a small amount of frosting on the cake board or tray, then top with the first layer of cake. Using the filling frosting, spread a layer of the frosting on top of the cake layer. Add the next layer on top and repeat until you place the top layer on the cake. On the top layer, do not add filling on top of it.
- Next, crumb coat the outside of the cake with a light coating of the peanut butter frosting. Place the cake in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to set the crumb coat. Crumb coats help to keep your final frosting neat and free of crumbs.
- After the crumb coat is set, frost the cake with the remaining frosting. If decorating the cake, use frosting to create rosettes around the top edge of the cake, and place a miniature peanut butter cup on each rosette. Alternatively, mix the Reese Pieces and Dark Chocolate chips together, and press the mixture into the sides of the cake all the way around.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
