Chocolate Peanut Butter Fluff Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fluff Cake
By Harrisburg Farm Show First Place Winner of the Hershey's Cocoa Classic Cake Contest, 2011:
Bethany Hoffman
(courtesy of the "Lancaster Farming Paper" January 15, 2011 edition)


Chocolate Cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate bar
1 cup crushed peanuts
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper.  Spray pans and paper with nonstick cooking spray.
  With an electric mixer, mix flour, sugar, both Hershey’s cocoas, baking powder, baking soda, and salt at low speed. 
  In a separate bowl, whisk butter milk with vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs.  Beat the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture until just incorporated.  Next add the hot coffee and beat until fully incorporated.  Pour the batter evenely into prepared pans.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

Peanut butter fluff icing:
3 eggs whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter

In a glass bowl, combine cream of tartar, salt ,sugar, and egg whites.  Place glass bowl over a double boiler for five minutes.
  Remove from heat.  With an electric mixer, mix on high until mixture is cool and stiff peaks have formed.  Continue mixing.  Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time.  Add vanilla and peanut butter.  Mix until silky smooth.
  After cake is cool, invert cake on flat surface, peel off parchment paper and icing layers.  Garnish with Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate and peanuts.
  This recipe makes one 9-inch layer cake and can be double for more than two layers.  Refrigerate cake until serving.