Bridal Shower: Chocolate Peanut Butter Brittle Cake August 18, 2008

So, I decided to use my friend’s bridal shower as a test of my baking skills. I’m made the same peanut brittle chocolate peanut butter cake that I had made for my friend’s birthday earlier this year. Although I used a different chocolate cake recipe since this cake has to be for 20+ people.

It’s a chocolate cake (using a chiffon recipe) with peanut butter filling and a whipped chocolate ganache frosting. I also make peanut brittle and broke it into tiny pieces to put into the peanut butter layers. Then decorated the outside with bigger pieces.

I made two half sheet chiffon cakes, which I then cut in half to create a four layer cake.

Unfortunately, because it was hot when I was frosting the cake with the whipped ganache, things got a little melty and it wasn’t as light and fluffy as I had wanted. It ended up just being a really thick layer of dense chocolate ganache. And as good as that sounds, it was a bit much since the rest of the cake was already very rich.

Also, I wouldn’t use the chiffon cake again. While it was good cake, I think a more hearty cake would hold up better to the chocolate filling.

 

Dark Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Frosting: Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache

Peanut Butter Filling (times 3 for this cake)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

 

Peanut Brittle: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/OLD-FASHIONED-PEANUT-BRITTLE-2682?recipename=OLD-FASHIONED%20PEANUT%20BRITTLE&saved_to_box=y

Makes about 3 1/2 pounds

3 cups sugar
2 cups water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
3 cups salted roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Stir first 4 ingredients in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until candy thermometer registers 260°F., about 40 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Mix in peanuts and butter and cook until thermometer registers 295°F., stirring constantly, about 15 minutes. Add baking soda and vanilla and stir briskly (mixture will foam up).
Immediately pour out onto prepared baking sheets, dividing evenly. Spread out brittle as thinly as possible. Let stand until cold and hard.