Crunchy Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake
I always like to start my blog posts with what’s been happening in my life, but I just want to get to this cake, so let’s do this quick. Okay, blah blah blah, being a mom to young boys is crazy… blah blah blah… My five year old is not into clothes at the moment… blah blah blah… I noticed one of my eyebrow hairs has turned grey, is that normal?… blah blah blah… my youngest is a bit bow-legged, and when he walks it looks like he’s just gotten off of a tiny horse. Done. Okay, Crunchy Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake is a basic chocolate cake, cut horizontally, filled with an almond/peanut merinuge, chocolate/peanut butter cream and Rice Krispies. It is then frosted with a milk chocolate ganache. It is a crazy candy bar cake, and you have got to try it.
What I really loved about making this cake was the different baking lessons it provided. You need to know the following:
- How to make a basic chocolate cake.
- How to make meringue.
- How to make a chocolate ganache.
All three of those techniques are easy, so go forth and bake! Follow along with the photos below.
First, you bake the chocolate cake in a 9-inch by 13-inch pan. Set it aside to cool.
Next, make a almond meringue. On parchment paper, flatten the meringue into a 9-inch by 13-inch rectangle, sprinkle it with chopped peanuts, and bake for 20 minutes. Set it aside to cool.
Are you still with me? Okay, in a double boiler, stir together peanut butter, milk chocolate chips, and butter until smooth. Take this lovely concoction off of the heat and stir in Rice Krispies. Now, spread that deliciousness over the cooled, rectangular meringue, and cool it in the freezer.
Okay, let’s bring it home. Invert the cake onto a cutting board. Carefully slice the cake horizontally. Good, now take the top layer of the cake off and set it aside, so that you’re left with only the bottom.
Smear 1/3 of the milk chocolate ganache over top.
Then, carefully place the rectangular meringue over the ganache.
Smear on some more ganache.
Now, carefully place the second layer over top, and frost with more ganache. Chill in the refrigerator until set.
Once set, cut into 2-inch pieces, arrange on a nice platter, and then find a secret space in your house and eat them all.
- 2 cups plus 2 TBS (227 g) Sugar
- 1 3/4 cups (224 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cups plus 2 TBS (80 g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 cup (250 ml) Milk
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) Vegetable Oil
- 1 TBS Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup plus 2 TBS Boiling Water
- 1/3 cup (37 g) Sliced Almonds
- 1/2 cup (66 g) Confectioners' Sugar
- 2 Large Egg Whites
- 1 TBS Sugar
- 1/2 cup (72 g) Salted Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (230 g) Creamy Peanut Butter
- 2 TBS (28 g) Unsalted Butter, softened
- 3 ounces (85 g) Milk Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup (28 g) Rice Krispies
- 1 1/4 pound (567 g) Milk Chocolate Chips
- 1 3/4 cups (400 ml) Heavy Cream, warmed
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk in the boiling water. Pour the batter (it will be thin) into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let cool in the pan.
- Slide a knife or offset spatula around the sides of the cake; invert the cake onto a work surface. Working carefully, use a long, serrated knife to slice the cake in half horizontally to form 2 layers. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
- 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 sliced almonds with the confectioners' sugar until they're finely ground. In a large bowl of an electric standing mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually pour in the granulated sugar and continue to beat at medium speed until the egg whites form a stiff, glossy meringue, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the chopped almond mixture into the whites until combined. Spread the meringue on the parchment paper to fill the rectangle. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top of the meringue. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the meringue cool completely.
- In a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine the peanut butter with the butter and milk chocolate and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is completely smooth and melted. Take the bowl off the heat and fold in the Rice Krispies. Spread the mixture evenly all over the top of the meringue rectangle. Transfer to the freezer and let cool completely.
- In a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Whisk in the warmed cream until smooth, about 3 minutes. If the chocolate starts to seize up when stirring in the cream then put the ganache over the double boiler again and stir until the chocolate has melted into the cream. Take the bowl off the heat and refrigerate the ganache for 1 hour, whisking occasionally, until it is thick enough to spread.
- Place the bottom cake layer, cut side up, on a large board for serving. Spread one-third of the ganache evenly over the cake. Invert the meringue 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 the cake into squares, transfer to plates and serve immediately.
- The cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- 9-by-13-inch cake pan
- Electric mixer with whisk attachment
- Food processor
- Parchment paper
