Sweet and Salty Peanut and Chocolate Cake

What is it with the combination of sweet and salty flavours in the last few months? It's so on trend, in the foodie sense, to combine these opposing taste sensations. Sometimes these trends can be a bit faddy but I am ALL FOR sweet and salty combined and after this inventive cake trial, there ain't nobody gonna tell me you can't put salted peanuts on a cake!

Sweet and Salty Peanut and Chocolate Cake

This cake serves 6 to 8 generous slices and of course, is unsuitable for any nut allergy sufferers.

Ingredients:

Sponge mix

• 200 g softened butter/margarine
• 200 g caster sugar
• 160 g plain flour
• 40 g cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 4 eggs

Buttercream

• 3 heaped tbsp. peanut butter (I used smooth)
• 175 g icing sugar, sieved
• 1 tbsp. butter
• A few teaspoons milk

Chocolate Ganache

• 75 g milk chocolate
• 50 ml cream
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. icing sugar
• A handful of chopped salted peanuts

Method:

1. Grease and line two sponge tins and preheat oven to 180 degrees C/350 F/gas mark 4.
2. Beat the caster sugar and butter together and then add in one egg along with a quarter of the flour, sieved, and continue, until all the eggs and flour are beaten in.
3. Sieve in the cocoa and baking powder, add the pinch of salt and fold everything through the mixture well.
4. Pour the cake mix into the two tins equally, pop them in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and set aside to cool.
5. Meanwhile make the ganache by placing the chocolate and butter over a bain marie and stirring every so often until completely melted.
6. Take off the heat and add in the cream and icing sugar and set aside to cool and harden slightly.
7. To make the buttercream, beat the peanut butter, icing sugar and butter together very well. If the consistency is too stiff, little by little add a teaspoon or a few teaspoons of milk and continue to beat until you achieve the desired consistency to sandwich your sponges together.
8. Assembly time! Place one sponge down on a serving plate, smother with the buttercream and sandwich the second on top. Stir the ganache back to a liquid consistency, trickle it atop your second sponge and spread it to the edges. Some may trickle down over the sides but to me, this adds to the look. Finally, liberally (or not so liberally!) sprinkle the ganache topping with some chopped salted peanuts as quickly as possibly in order to make sure it sets with the peanuts.
9. Now, pop the kettle on, it's cake time!

   

   Digging in!