Peanut Butter Chocolate Monkey Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
•1 cup boiling water
•2 cups granulated sugar
•1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
•3/4 cup cocoa powder
•2 teaspoons baking soda
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1 teaspoon salt
•2 eggs
•1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 c. milk mixed with 1 T. vinegar)
•1/2 cup oil
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Frosting
•1/2 cup salted butter (softened)
•1 cup creamy peanut butter
•2 cups confectioners' sugar
•approx. 1/8 cup milk
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
•1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
•1/3 cup whipping cream
•2 Tablespoons butter (softened)
For Decorating
•1 cup cocoa rice cereal
•2 large peanut butter, oatmeal or molasses cookies
•2 white candy melts
•2 brown M&M's
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 9 inch round cake pans with wax paper; grease the sides of the pans. Bring a small pan of water to a boil and keep it simmering while you mix the other ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat with mixer until combined.
Add 1 cup of the boiling water and carefully stir until it is mixed in. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes with mixer. Batter will be thin. Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).
Peanut Butter Frosting
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer until well combined. Gradually add the sugar. When it starts to get thick, add the milk a little at a time until frosting is spreadable. (The amount of milk you use depends on the thickness of your peanut butter.) Beat for 3 minutes or until fluffy.
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
Microwave chocolate chips and whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl on medium power, 2 1/2 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate completely melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter; let stand 20 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 4-5 minutes or until ganache thickens and forms soft peaks.
Assembling Your Cake
Level your cooled cake layers. Place one layer on a cake stand. Spread peanut butter frosting on it, then top with the second cake layer. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake, in the shape of a monkey face. Carefully spread whipped ganache around the edges of the face and down the sides of the cake. Slide the cookies into the frosting between the cake layers, opposite from each other. Press cocoa rice cereal into the whipped ganache. Spoon some whipped ganache into a decorating bag or ziploc with the corner snipped off. Pipe dots on the back of the M&M's and attach them to the flat side of the candy melts. Pipe a dab of ganache on the backs of the candy melts and arrange on the cake. Pipe a nose and mouth.
Helpful Hints:
•Decorate and serve this cake on the same day. Otherwise, the cocoa rice cereal will get a bit soggy (at least it does in Florida humidity!).
•You can insert toothpicks into the cake under the cookies to help support them.
SJOKOLADE PIESANGS OP 'N STOKKIE
Sny piesangs in die helfte en maak 'n lekker sjokolade sous!
Doop die piesangs wat op 'n roomys stokkie of sosatie stokkie is daarin, strooi versierings op rol in klapper as jy lus het of neuter en laat afkoel! Bedek net die hele piesang dat dit nie verbruin nie!
Die gaan 'n wenner wees!
Jy kan selfs jou chocolate fountain skool toe vat en vars piesangs en dan soos die kinders kom koop doop jy die piesangs in die fontein en hulle smul aan vars sjokolade piesangs!
