Crunchy Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layer Cake
"From Food & Wine, November 2007. Allow extra time to chill."
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 26
- Serves:
-
16
ingredients
-
CAKE
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 3⁄4 cups flour
- 3⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3⁄4 cup boiling water, plus
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
-
FILLING
- 1⁄3 cup sliced almonds
- 1⁄2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1⁄2 cup dry roasted salted peanut, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup Rice Krispies
-
GANACHE
- 1 1⁄4 lbs milk chocolate, chopped
- 1 3⁄4 cups heavy cream, plus
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream, warmed
directions
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.
- Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Whisk in the boiling water.
- Pour the batter (it will be thin) into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.
- Invert the cake onto a work surface.
- Working carefully, slice the cake horizontally.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°.
- Make the filling: Trace a 9-by-13-inch rectangle onto a sheet of parchment paper and lay it on a large baking sheet.
- In a food processor, pulse the almonds with the confectioners’ sugar until they’re finely ground.
- In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Add the granulated sugar and beat until the whites are stiff and glossy, about 2 minutes.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the almond mixture.
- Spread the meringue on the parchment to fill the rectangle.
- Sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. Let cool.
- In a medium bowl set in a saucepan of simmering water, heat the peanut butter with the butter and milk chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth and melted.
- Remove from the heat and fold in the Rice Krispies.
- Spread the mixture all over the meringue rectangle.
- Transfer to the freezer and let cool completely.
- Make the ganache: In a medium bowl set in a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate.
- Whisk in the cream until smooth.
- Remove from the heat and refrigerate for 1 hour, whisking occasionally, until thick enough to spread.
- Assemble the cake: Place the bottom cake layer cut side up on a large board.
- Spread one-third of the ganache over the cake.
- Invert the filling onto the cake and peel off the paper.
- Spread half of the remaining ganache over the filling, then top with the second cake layer.
- Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Using a serrated knife, trim the edges.
- Spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake and refrigerate to set.
- Cut and serve.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Vino Girl
United States
My husband and I married straight out of college in July of 1992. I work as the Assistant Manager at a wine shop which allows me to drink on the job! (OK, not that much, but it's still a fun job...) Besides helping customers choose wine they will like (and also help with food and wine pairings for their menus), I also get to help with the catering end of the business, so I get to spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen making fun appetizers and beautiful food displays. I also work part-time at the fromagerie next door. So yeah - that means I eat on the job, too. :^D
We live on several peaceful wooded acres on a cute little river in rural NE Wisconsin, with a cranky old-lady Burmese and whatever stray outdoor cats that have decided to adopt us on any given day. The cute puppy in the picture is Jake, our Elhew-bred English Pointer that we brought home on Easter weekend 2007. I've also got 2 painted turtles named Dennis and Fuzz, and a bunch of fish (koi and goldfish, along with the guppies & swordtails in the turtle tank).
I USUALLY eat and cook healthy, but I rarely pass up dessert, either. I do not eat red meat, and try to limit other animal products, too. I love to bake, although I seem to collect a lot of scone and biscotti recipes which I NEVER get around to making. I bake and eat A LOT of cookies and muffins... I almost always reduce the sugar by 1/4 and use whole wheat pastry flour for at least part of the flour. Those two changes do so much to make recipes healthier without compromising taste. I try to reduce fat whenever I can, too, but while I want to eat healthy, I still want to ENJOY what I eat!!!
I seem to give a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews here - I seem to have a pretty good sense of what I like by looking at a recipe before I try it. Thank you to anyone that tries my recipes in return, or photographs them.
Amber:
<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/amber2.jpg">
........And a grown up Jake (one year old in January 2008) :) -
<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/JAKE111307.JPG">
Charlotte (May 27, 1992-June 1, 2009):
<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/Charlott.jpg">
Ashley: Adopted October 8, 1996 - Passed Away January 6, 2009
<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/ashley2.jpg">
Mike: September 26, 1994 - March 19, 2004<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/mike1997-lr.JPG">....
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