Hello Friends!
How about a celebratory cake? Opossum cruising around to catch the crumbs optional.
This Triple Chocolate & Peanut Butter Layer Cake is a fabulous way to celebrate you or anyone that loves an over-the-top looking festive cake. The towering decorations are so much fun and easy to do.
Triple Chocolate & Peanut Butter Layer Cake
Ingredients:
Chocolate Cake (recipe follows)
Pretzel Bark (recipe follows)
Peanut Butter Icing and Chocolate Icing (recipes follow)
Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)
Cake Decorations: Toffee Popcorn and Pretzel Pieces
Directions:
1. Place a cake layer on a serving plate and spread with some of the peanut butter icing. Top with second cake layer and spread with remaining peanut butter icing.
2. Use half of the chocolate icing to coat the sides and top of the cake. Scrape off any excess and chill for 20 minutes. This is called a crumb coating which allows you to get a smooth finish when the remaining icing is applied.
3. Spread the remaining chocolate icing over the lightly chilled cake, smoothing over the sides and top. Chill for 20 minutes.
4. Pipe the ganache on top of the cake, nudging it over the edge and allowing it to drip down all the sides of the cake, then fill in the center with more ganache. Smooth the top. Chill for 1 hour for the ganache to set.
5. Press the pretzel bark shards into the cake, sticking up. Add popcorn and pretzel pieces around the shards.
6. Cut cake into slices to serve. The cake will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.
Serves 14
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
225ml vegetable oil, plus more for the tins
250g (2 1/4 cup) self-raising flour
4 Tbs cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
225g (1 cup) sugar
3 Tbs golden syrup, such as Lyle’s
3 large eggs, beaten
225ml milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 180℃/350℉. Grease three 19cm/8-inch cake pans.
2. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the center and beat in the syrup, eggs, oil and milk with an electric mixer until smooth.
3. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cakes are firm to the touch and a tester comes out clean.
4. Cool for 10 minutes before turning the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.
Note: The cooled cakes can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to eight weeks.
Pretzel Bark
Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate, chopped
2 Tbs chocolate chips
1/4 cup pretzel pieces
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
Directions:
1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until smooth.
2. Spoon melted chocolate onto a parchment-lined baking tray and smooth into a thin rectangle, about 13 x 9-inches.
3. Sprinkle the chocolate chips, pistachios and pieces of pretzel over the chocolate, then chill until firm.
4. Remove the bark from the fridge and leave for a minute before using a sharp knife to cut it into shards. Chill again until ready to decorate the cake.
Peanut Butter Icing
Ingredients:
65g dark chocolate
250g salted butter, softened
500g (4 cups) confectioners’sugar
45g smooth peanut butter
1 Tbs cocoa powder
Directions:
1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, beat the butter, sugar and 1 tablespoon hot water with an electric mixer. Increase the speed and beat until icing is pale and fluffy.
3. Spoon one third of the icing into a small bowl and stir in the peanut butter. Whisk the melted chocolate into the remainder of the icing, then beat in the cocoa to give it a darker, more chocolate colored icing.
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients:
200ml double cream (heavy cream)
100g dark chocolate, chopped
Directions:
1. Heat the cream in a small pan until steaming. Place the chocolate into a bowl then pour over the cream. Mix well until smooth and shiny.
2. Transfer ganache to a piping bag and let cool for a few minutes.
Recipes from BBC Good Food
“Celebrate” by Chet Vincent & The Big Bend could have been written for me. It has been a tumultuous year, but you know what?
I made it. And everything is going to be alright in the end. Thank you all for being there for me. The messages and calls kept me positive and focused. I love you. xx
“I have to celebrate
the changes
Sometimes it hurts so bad.
I have to contemplate
the passing time.
Don’t want to look back,
Don’t want to look ahead
too far.
I have to reacquaint
with those I love
Before it’s too late
I’ll celebrate”
Check out Chet Vincent & The Big Bend on Bandcamp where you can buy their music.
Cheers!
