Candied peanut butter chocolate cake

Serves 6-8 Cakes, Bread and Pastries

Advertisement

Method

Line two 23cm springform tins with baking paper and generously grease or oil the sides.

To prepare the peanut and date crumb base, pour the milk into a small pan and warm gently. Remove from the heat and add the dates, then leave to soak and soften for up to 10 minutes. Squeeze out all the liquid, using your hands or by pressing the dates into a fine mesh strainer. Put the dates, peanuts and sugar in a food processor and blitz until they come together to form a very sticky and crumbly mixture.

Prepare a small bowl of hot water and put a tablespoon in
it. Have some kitchen paper alongside for drying it. Tip the peanut and date crumb into one of the prepared tins, using your hands to press and spread the crumb mixture to fill the entire base of the tin. Dry the warmed spoon and use the curved back to press and smooth the surface. Dip the spoon back in the warm water, dry and repeat until the crumb base is evenly spread and smooth. Transfer to the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C F/Gas 4. Set a rack
in the middle of the oven.

For the cake, put the dates in a bowl with 3tbsp of the hot milk to soak and soften for 5 minutes, then pour into a food processor and blend to a purée. Add the peanut butter, vanilla seeds or paste and oil and blend again until well combined. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of fine sea salt. Gently pour in the remaining hot milk, add the sugar and mix thoroughly.

Pour the batter into the second tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 23–25 minutes until the cake comes away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Place the tin on a wire rack to cool for 1 hour, then cover and put in the fridge for 1 hour before assembling.

Around 15 minutes before removing the cake from the fridge, prepare the ganache. Warm the cream in a small
pan over a gentle heat, then pour into a blender. Add the peanut butter and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture back into the pan, add the sugar and heat gently until dissolved.

Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and leave to sit for 2 minutes as the chocolate melts. Finally, add the butter or coconut oil and stir until well combined. Leave to cool and thicken slightly.

Release the cake from its tin. Place a plate on top of the cake and carefully flip it over, then remove the base of the tin and peel off the baking paper.

To assemble, release the peanut and date crumb base from its tin and transfer to a cake stand. Spoon 4–5tbsp of the ganache on to the base (or just enough to spread the top without dripping down the sides). Place the cake on top of the base and pour just enough ganache to cover the top. Use a spatula to spread the ganache right to the edge.

Dot the top of the cake with candied peanuts and leave for 1 hour to set and for the cake to return to room temperature before slicing to serve.

Candied peanuts

With a timer to hand, pour 75ml water into a wide, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the sugar and leave to dissolve. Once the liquid starts to bubble and crystallise, stir, then add the peanuts. Leave for 50 seconds, then begin stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low and take the pan off the heat. Return it to the heat to continue cooking as the syrup darkens. Keep stirring often and, after 5 minutes, clumps will form. At 7 minutes, the peanuts will harden and the syrup will be very grainy. At this point, watch out for smoke and be careful not to let it burn. Take the pan off the heat and keep stirring. After 30 seconds, return the pan to the heat for 1 final minute to caramelise and, after 8 1⁄2 minutes, swiftly take it off the heat. Use to decorate your cake.