Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake by John Gregory-Smith
Recipe kindly shared by John on his [Instagram logo] @johngs page
For the cake
350g plain flour
100g cocoa powder
2tsp baking powder
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
500g golden caster sugar
3 eggs
370ml whole milk
180ml vegetable oil
200ml just boiled water
Salt
For the peanut butter buttercream
160g butter, super soft
80g smooth peanut butter
65g icing sugar
35g buttermilk
For the chocolate ganache
100g 70% dark chocolate, broken up
150ml double cream
100g toasted peanuts
- Preheat the oven to 160 (fan) and grease and line 3 x 20cm spring form cake tins.
- Chuck the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar, eggs, milk and vegetable oil into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Slowly mix in the water until incorporated.
- Divide the mixture between the three tins and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a sewer comes out clean from the centre.
- To make the peanut butter buttercream: beat the butter, peanut butter, icing sugar and buttermilk together until fabulously smooth.
- To make the ganache: chuck the chocolate, cream and a pinch of salt into a bowl and give it 30 second blasts in a microwave, mixing in between until melted. It will take 1 ½-2½ minutes. Mix until glossy and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Layer up the cake: cake, buttercream, cake, buttercream and last cake. Give the ganache a good mix and dollop it all over the top of the cake. Spread it out so that it runs down the sides. Arrange the peanuts around the edge and serve immediately
