Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake With Cream Cheese and Butterfinger Frosting

A decadent three-layer cake combining rich chocolate and peanut butter flavors, filled with cream cheese frosting and topped with crushed Butterfinger candy bars and glazed peanuts. This impressive dessert features a moist chocolate-peanut butter cake base complemented by a creamy frosting.

12 servings
14 hr 20 min

Ingredients

  • cups heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup golden brown sugar
  • 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • ½ cup chunky peanut butter
  • cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup chunky peanut butter
  • 1 pound golden brown sugar
  • 4 whole large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 12 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 whole Butterfinger candy bars
  • ½ cup glazed peanuts

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Bring cream and sugar to simmer in saucepan, whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in peanut butter. Chill uncovered overnight.

    720 min

  2. 2.

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until blended. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions.

    20 min

  3. 3.

    Divide batter among pans and spread evenly. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Turn out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

    25 min

  4. 4.

    Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk whipping cream and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in bowl until mixture holds medium-firm peaks. Fold into cream cheese mixture in 3 additions; chill until firm but spreadable, about 1 hour.

    60 min

  5. 5.

    Place 1 cake layer, bottom side up, on 9-inch tart pan bottom. Spread with half of filling. Place another layer, bottom side up, on work surface. Spread with remaining filling; place atop first layer. Top with remaining cake layer, bottom side up.

    15 min

  6. 6.

    Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before continuing.) Press candy and peanuts onto top of cake.

    20 min