This recipe is a bit of a faff to make compared to some sponge cake recipes, but the results of a light and airy chocolatey sponge are well worth the effort.
INGREDIENTS
200g of a good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
170g unsalted butter
300g light brown soft sugar
3 large eggs, separated
370g plain flour
11/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp peanut butter (your choice of smooth or unsmooth)
500ml semi skimmed milk
2 tsp good quality vanilla extract
BUTTERCREAM
125g unsalted butter
4 tbsp good quality cocoa powder (I used Green & Blacks)
150g icing sugar
2 tbsp peanut butter (I used unsmooth here to add texture)
METHOD
Grease and line 2 20cm/8inch cake tins
Pre heat oven to 170C fan/190C/375F/gas mark 5
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt either in microwave at 30sec intervals stirring every tine until melted, or over a pan of barely simmering water. Leave to cool once melted
In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and cream until pale and smooth
Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl and beat and then add to the creamed butter and sugar and beat well. The add the cooled chocolate and the peanut butter and beat well.
Combine the remaining sifted dry ingredients into another bowl and combine the milk and vanilla in jug. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well and then do the same with the milk and vanilla. Repeat this until all has been mixed in.
In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form and then carefully fold into the creamed mixture using a metal spoon.
Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and bake in centre of oven until skewer comes out clean (about 30 minutes). You may find you have a bit of cake mixture left if so make into cupcakes and cook for 25 minutes. Let the cake cool down completely once removed from the oven.
To make the buttercream, whisk the butter and icing sugar together until they form a paste and then add all the other ingredients and whisk until combined. Put half the buttercream on one side of the sponge cake and sandwich together with the other one and then add remaining buttercream as a topping. I added peanut m&ms to decorate mine because the person I have made it for likes them! But you could add crushed peanuts instead.
This is how it turned out:
Nom nom nom!!
Recipe is loosely based on one from the book ‘Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery’ by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas I am linking this up to 
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Thank you xx
Thank you xx
Omg that looks soooo nice! I might try it this weekend, and if I do I’ll give you a shout! 😀 x
WOW WOW WOW WOW please could I have a bit. I’m useless at cooking but I am tempted to give this a go I bet it won’t look as lovely as yours though!
Utterly obscene. Love it. If my four year-old son saw that he would just launch his face at it. Glorious stuff.
Next week’s theme is going to be more general; MOREISH MAINS FOR DINNERTIME INSPIRATION
My 2 yr old would launch his face at it also- he would exclaim ‘Choclit’ (as he calls it), and dive in- but not before I got in there first. I have baking envy here as my cakes really never rise but I promise we will give this a try and if it looks half as good as yours does here, we shall deem it a success 🙂
this looks so good!