Chocolate Beer & Peanut Butter Cake
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Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 8" layer cake
 
A rich, moist, and delicious chocolate beer cake with a hint of beer flavor paired with salty peanut butter and it's heaven on a plate!
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE BEER CAKE
  • 1 c chocolate stout beer (I used Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock)
  • 1 c (2 sticks) butter
  • ¾ c unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 c flour
  • 2 c sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • ⅔ c sour cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla
PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM
  • 1 c (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 1 c heaping of creamy peanut butter
  • 3 - 4 c powdered sugar
  • ½ c heavy cream
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
GARNISH
  • ¼ c chopped peanuts
  • ¼ c mini chocolate chips
  • caramel sauce (homemade or store bought)
Instructions
CHOCOLATE BEER CAKE
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease and flour two 8” cake pans.
  2. In a heavy saucepan, bring the butter and beer to a simmer over medium heat.
  3. Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and add the vanilla, let cool slightly.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg together with the sour cream
  6. Very slowly add the warm chocolate mixture to the egg/sour cream mixture, whisking constantly.
  7. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until just combined and no lumps remain. Do not overmix.
  8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 26 – 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Cool cakes in the pan for 10 – 15 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack. Make sure cakes are completely cool prior to frosting.
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
  1. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter and the peanut butter together until it pales in color a bit.
  2. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add powdered sugar ½ c at a time.
  3. Add the salt and the vanilla.
  4. Add the heavy cream and beat on high until light and fluffy.
ASSEMBLY
  1. Using a cake leveler or serrated knife level both cake layers and cut them in half.
  2. Put a dollop of buttercream on a cake platter/stand/board and place the bottom of the first layer on it.
  3. Spread an even layer of caramel over it and pipe or spread ¼ of the buttercream over the first layer. Repeat for the remaining layers. *TIP: Place the last 2 layers upside down so that the bottom of the cake becomes the "top" and give you a nice flat surface
  4. Once you've piped buttercream over the top layer garnish with chopped peanuts and mini chocolate chips and drizzle with caramel sauce.
Recipe by The Red Eye Baker at https://www.theredeyebaker.com/2016/02/chocolate-beer-peanut-butter-cake/