Two-layered Reese's Dark Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Filling and Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

For the cake:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup Vegetable Oil
2 eggs
1 cup water
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp Baking Powder
¾ cup special dark cocoa powder
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
1½ tsp Instant Espresso Powder

Your filling should look something like this.

For the filling:
10 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup Smooth Peanut Butter, at room temperature
½ cup Powdered Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla Extract

For the ganache:
½ cup heavy cream
5 oz milk chocolate chocolate chips

For the topping:
Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, cut in half
Powdered Sugar

Preparation

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Treat 2 -- 9”cake pans with non-stick cooking spray, line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.

2) Add the instant espresso powder in the water and stir. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, combine the sugar, buttermilk, oil, espresso water, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk to combine.

4) Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix together until JUST combined. DO NOT OVER MIX. If you do, the texture of the cake will be rough -- not fluffy.

5) Divide the cake batter evenly between the 2 greased cake pans. Tap them on the counter to make everything level. Bake in your preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

6) Allow the cakes to completely, approximately 50 minutes.

7) Make the ganache. Find the process here.

8) Let cool and thicken for 15 minutes. Meanwhile make your filling.

9) For the filling, in a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until well combined. Start working it with a spatula THEN switch to a whisk, or use an electric mixer. (Make sure EVERYTHING is room temperature, or it can be a big pain).

10) Place one cake layer on a serving plate covered in parchment paper -- cause you WILL make a mess. If the top is rounded, carve off the top, so it is level; spread the filling over the top. Add the second cake layer. Do not press it down too much. You want the filling to look thick and not flush over the sides. Remember not to spread it to far to the brim of the bottom layer, because it will flush out, regardless.

11) Time to decorate! Pour the ganache over the cake letting it drip over the sides-- this makes it look rustic, which I love. Top with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Done! Beautiful presentation. **Remember to take the parchment paper off when you are done.**

This is one of those cakes that tastes even better the next day. I love refrigerating it and letting it sit to room temperature before my friends/family and I dig in.

Always a hit and VERY rich.

Grub on,

-Chels