Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Yield: 12 servings

However awesome you think this cake is, it's more amazing than that.  The smooth creaminess of chocolate ganache with the peanut butter filling is fantastic.

I used Hershey's chocolate because that's the flavor closest to PB cups, but if you wanted to make it more classy then you could use some high quality dark chocolate.

Ingredients

• Cake
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• Peanut Butter Filling
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (About 3 1/2 full size graham crackers)
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (adjust to taste)
• Chocolate Ganache
• 1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tbsp butter
• 7 XL Hershey's chocolate bars (4.4 oz each)

Directions

1. For the cake, mix together the dry ingredients.  Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine the water and butter.  Heat until the butter is fully melted.  Remove from the heat and mix into the dry ingredients.
3. Add the vanilla, buttermilk, and egg. Mix thoroughly.
4. Spray your cupcake bottom mold with cooking spray and sprinkle with cocoa powder.  Pour in the cake batter and bake at 340°F for 35-45 minutes.
5. Cool completely on a wire rack.  Once cool, level the top and cut horizontally into two cake layers.  Set aside.
6. For the peanut butter filling, process the graham crackers until they're a fine powder.  Add in the confectioners' sugar and process until well mixed.
7. Add the butter and peanut butter.  Process until it reaches a doughy texture.  Remove from the food processor.
8. Form the peanut butter filling into a patty the size of your cupcake mold.  Place on a sheet of wax paper and store in the refrigerator.
9. To make the ganache, heat the cream and butter until a candy thermometer reads 160°F.  Remove from the heat.
10. Put the Hershey's chocolate bars in a mixing bowl and pour the hot cream over it.  Let it sit for a minute, and then use a whisk to mix together until smooth.  Do not whip it -- you don't want air bubbles!
11. Pour about 3/4 inch of ganache into the bottom of the cupcake mold.  Store in the refrigerator until it begins to harden.
12. Stack up the cake layers with the peanut butter in the middle.  Trim the sides a little (about 1/4") so that it'll be smaller than the mold a leave a gap around the edges.
13. Place the cake & filling into the mold on top of the base.  Rewarm the remaining ganache and pour around the sides and top of the cake.
14. Refrigerate until totally cooled and set.  Freeze for 3-4 hours to aid in cutting.
15. Gently remove from the mold.  Cut.  Let stand for 30 minutes for the ganache to warm up.
16. Enjoy!

Adapted from One Fine Cookie.