Desserts Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake

Serves : 16

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes plus cooling

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake

Ingredients

Ingredients for cake

  • 100g crunchy peanut butter
  • 200g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 200g butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200g light soft brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 350ml natural low fat yoghurt
  • 250g plain flour
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Ingredients for shards

  • 100g dark 70% chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 25g white chocolate drops

Ingredients for filling

  • 60g milk chocolate
  • 150g smooth peanut butter
  • 180g icing sugar
  • 100ml semi skimmed milk
  • 150g raspberry jam

Nutrition

Calories columnFat columnSaturates columnSugars columnSalt column
Calories
574 per serving
28% %GDA
Fat
30g per serving
43% %GDA
Saturates
15g per serving
75% %GDA
Sugars
47g per serving
52% %GDA
Salt
0.90g per serving
15% %GDA

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4 and grease and line 2 x 20cm deep-sided, loose-bottomed cake tins.

  2. Place the crunchy peanut butter, chocolate, butter and vanilla into a saucepan and heat gently until melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside.

  3. Put the sugar and eggs into a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk, until doubled in volume and thickened.

  4. Pour the natural yoghurt into the melted chocolate mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture into the eggs then fold in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda until you have a smooth batter.

  5. Divide evenly between the cake tins and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes until risen and just cooked – insert a skewer into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is ready, if not, return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool in the tins then turn out on to a wire rack and leave until cold.

  6. While the cake cools, make the shards. Place the dark chocolate into a bowl and set over a pan of simmering water until just melted. Stir then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

  7. Repeat with the white chocolate and set aside.

  8. Line a flat baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the dark chocolate onto the tray in a large rectangle, about 5mm thick.

  9. Drizzle the white chocolate over the top in a random pattern then set the tray aside to set hard.

  10. Make the filling next. Roughly chop 140g of the chocolate, place into a bowl and set over a pan of simmering water until just melted. Stir then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

  11. Place the peanut butter, icing sugar and milk into a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

  12. Whisk in half of the melted chocolate, and beat until totally combined, then set aside.

  13. When the cakes are cold, cut each one in half horizontally.

  14. Place one piece onto a serving plate then spread with ¼ of the chocolate peanut icing and 1/3 of the raspberry jam. Top with the next piece of cake, icing and jam and then another layer of cake, icing and jam. Finish with a final layer of cake and icing.

  15. Smooth the excess icing around the outside of the cake to give a “naked” look – there will be a skim of icing over the sides of the cake but plenty in between.

  16. Decorate with the shards – break the dark chocolate into large shards and place into the top of the cake.

  17. The remainder of the melted chocolate should be just runny still (if not, warm until just liquid) – drizzle diagonally over the top of the cake. Draw a speedy peeler over the side of the remaining 30g chocolate, directly over the cake, to create curls, then serve.

  18. Keep at room temperature if not eating straightaway.