Sticky peanut butter cake recipe

A traditional chocolate sponge cake but filled with an incredibly sticky combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Look out for top-quality peanut butter made without added sugar and decorate with ready made peanut brittle or peanut crunch.

Ingredients

For the sponge:

• 175g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 25g light muscovado sugar
• 3 large free range eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 150g self-raising flour
• 30g Divine cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk

For the filling:

• 1 x 45g bar dark chocolate
• 1 x 45g bar milk chocolate
• 125g smooth peanut butter
• 25g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons icing sugar, optional
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, optional
• peanut brittle to decorate
• 2 x 20.5cm sandwich tins, greased and base-lined

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. To make the sponge: put the soft butter into the bowl of a food mixer and beat until creamy. Add both the sugars and beat until very light and fluffy. 
3. Gradually beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl, add the milk and mix gently until thoroughly combined.  
4. Spoon the mixture equally into the prepared tins and spread evenly. Bake in the heated oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the sponge springs back when gently pressed and is starting to colour on top and has shrunk away from the sides of the tins. Turn out onto a wire rack. Remove the lining paper and leave to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, make the filling and topping: break up both bars of chocolate and put into a heatproof bowl. Melt very gently then remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool for a couple of minutes. Using a wooden spoon beat in the peanut butter and the soft butter. When very smooth taste the mixture – peanut butters vary in flavour from brand to brand so add a little icing sugar or cocoa powder as needed to give the taste you like.
6. Set one sponge layer on a serving plate. Spread with half the peanut filling. Cover with the second sponge then spread the rest of the peanut mixture on top. Decorate with shards of peanut brittle.
7. Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.