Peanut butter cups chocolate cake

Have you ever woken up with a recipe in your mind that is literally bursting to get out? It's like the baking fairies have left you a little inspiration to get you going in the morning.

Well I had one of these moments a few weeks ago. I also knew my mate Kate was getting pretty darn fed up of being VERY pregnant (at nearly 10 days overdue) so I decided that this cake might just cheer her up. As it happens, she blames it for curing her potential labour pains a few hours later but hey ho - Billy did eventually arrive later that week :)

I piped around the top of the cake to create a well for the poured ganache

This cake uses my go to chocolate cake recipe and is filled with peanut butter frosting, topped with milk chocolate ganache and finished with Reeses Peanut Butter cups so it's definitely one for the peanut butter lovers out there...

Most of the recipe is in cups but you can convert those to grams here.

Cake ingredients
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 tablespoon bicarbonate soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 160c. Line/greaseproof pans 2 x 8" round tins.
2. Into the bowl of an electric mixer sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, stir in eggs, 1 1/2 cups warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Divide batter among prepared tins. Bake, rotating once, until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes for 8-inch layers. Do not overbake - this cake tastes just as nice if it's undercooked a little as it retains it's moisture.
4. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely, right side up on rack.

Peanut butter frosting ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup smooth peanut butter
4 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup cream

1. In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. 
2. Slowly beat in 1/2 of the confectioner's sugar. Mix in 1/4 cup of the cream. Beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar. If necessary, add a little more cream or milk until the frosting reaches a good spreading consistency. Makes enough to cover and fill an 8" cake.

Milk Chocolate ganache
250g Milk chocoalte (I used Dairy Milk)
120ml double cream

1. Combine chocolate and cream in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes on 50%. Stir chocolate and cream until chocolate dissolves.
2. Mix thoroughly and allow to cool. I wanted the ganache at pouring consistency but you can also refrigerate until firm and use within 1 week.

Baby Billy was known as 'Baby R' until he arrived!