Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and a Reese’s chocolate ganache filled center. Today I’m back at it again with the best-known peanut butter cup in the world and showing you an inventive way to satisfy your peanut butter and chocolate cravings. The peanut butter frosting alone is worth making this recipe. I couldn’t keep my fingers out of the bowl. 

REESE’S Delight Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cake

prep time: 10 MINUTES cook time: 45 MINUTES additional time: 25 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1 ½ sticks butter at room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup warm water or fresh brewed coffee
• 1 1/3 cup warm water or fresh brewed coffee
• 1 stick butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 stick butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream at room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream at room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chocolate Cake

1. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy on a medium speed for about 2 minutes.
2. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. Beat butter mixture at a medium speed for about 1 minute.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture while alternating with water. Be sure to start and end with the dry ingredient mix.
6. On a low speed, mix until creamy. You should not need to mix longer than a minute at most. With that said, be sure not to over mix.
7. Pour cake batter into a prepared pan.
8. Bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
9. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan. After, invert onto cooling rack and let cook entirely.

Chocolate Buttercream

1. Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar & set bowl aside.
2. Cream butter & shortening.
3. Add cocoa powder & vanilla.
4. Scrape down the sides.
5. Place your mixer on the lowest speed & slowly add in your powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.
6. Do not worry if your buttercream looks crumbly & dry because we will fix that next.
7. Scrape down the sides one last time.
8. With your mixer on, slowly add in heavy cream.
9. Turn mixer up to a medium speed until you have light & fluffy consistency you are looking for (about a minute or so).

Peanut Butter Buttercream

1. Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar & set bowl aside.
2. Cream butter, peanut butter, & shortening.
3. Add vanilla.
4. Scrape down the sides.
5. Place your mixer on the lowest speed & slowly add in your powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.
6. Do not worry if your buttercream looks crumbly & dry because we will fix that next.
7. Scrape down the sides one last time.
8. With your mixer on, slowly add in heavy cream.
9. Turn mixer up to a medium speed until you have light & fluffy consistency you are looking for (about a minute or so).

Peanut Butter Ganache

1. Place peanut butter chips into a heatproof bowl.
2. In a glass measuring cup, pour 1/4 cup of heavy cream and heat for 60 seconds in microwave.
3. Pour hot heavy cream over peanut butter chips and allow to sit for 1 – 2 minutes.
4. Mix peanut butter chips & heavy cream until fully combined and you are left with a silky smooth peanut butter ganache mixture.

Decorating

1. After your cakes have cooled, level your cakes. If you’d like to make this a 4-layer cake, half each cake.
2. Place your first layer onto your cake turntable.
3. Spread a generous amount of peanut butter buttercream on top and spread evenly with your straight or offset spatula.
4. Place your next layer of cake, top with more peanut butter buttercream, and spread evenly. Continue these steps for all of your layers.
5. When ready to add chocolate buttercream frosting, start from the bottom, and while rotating your cake turntable, pipe on your chocolate buttercream in an upward motion.
6. Using a cake frosting scraper, straight spatula, or offset spatula you will want to smooth over your chocolate buttercream. The best way is to hold your smoothing tool upright and gently pressed against your cake while rotating your cake turntable.
7. You’ll want to continue this until you have a smooth coating. When you’re doing the final smoothing and you notice the texture of the buttercream become a bit ragged there’s an easy fix! Get a bowl of HOT water and dip your tools into the bowl to warm them up. pat dry and smooth. The warm metal will melt the buttercream and give you a nice SMOOTH finish.
8. Smooth the top of your cake with an offset spatula.
9. Set in the fridge and allow to chill for 5 minutes.
10. After your cake has set, begin your peanut butter drip. Begin to drip your peanut butter ganache off the sides of the cake before filling in the top.
11. Using the remainder of your chocolate buttercream, fill a piping bag with your preferred piping tip, and pipe dollops on top.
12. Fill the center with REESE’S pieces candy, give each dollop of buttercream a REESE’S cup garnish, and lastly sprinkle the top of your cake with crushed REESE’S pieces candy.

Notes

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Be sure to allow your dairy ingredients to reach room temperature. Room temperature ingredients not only combine more effortlessly (no over-mixing needed) but they also trap air so much better. This trap air will expand and produce a fluffy texture during your baking process.
• Prepared Pan: There will always be the “next best way to prepare your pan” article. Simply put however, the most effective way i find in my kitchen is a light rub of shortening around the sides, parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, & a very light dusting of flour (cocoa powder for chocolate baked goods) all throughout.
• You can use this buttercream right away or place it in an airtight container in your fridge until ready to use. Just be sure to whip before using.
• If you’d prefer to skip the shortening, simply swap it out with 1 additional stick of room temperature butter.
• If you’d prefer a more white, stiffer, buttercream then simply omit the butter & replace with 1 additional cup of shortening. Also be sure to swap out the vanilla extract for clear vanilla extract.
• Make sure you sift your powdered sugar. This will help the sugar mix into the butter & shortening smoothly.
• When all your powdered sugar has been added in, the buttercream will appear dry. Don’t raise the alarms. When adding in your milk or heavy cream, your buttercream will start to have the fluffy texture it‘s known for.
• Keep in mind that your heavy cream should be added in 1 tablespoon at a time. I do this way to make sure I am not drowning my buttercream to the point of a soupy mess.
• Also worth mentioning, if desired, you can easily swap out the heavy cream for equal parts of your preferred milk such as whole milk or buttermilk.