Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup hot coffee
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 7 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• For the peanut butter mousse:
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup cream peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• For the peanut butter ganache:
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Directions

1. For the cake, set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350 degrees F. Coat 2 9-inch round cake pans with grease, then cover the bottoms with parchment paper. Add the chopped chocolate to the hot coffee in a medium bowl, stir, and put it aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, buttermilk, egg, yolk, oil, salt, and vanilla until the mixture is uniform. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture and whisk just until it comes together. Whisk in the chocolate-coffee mixture until the batter is smooth.
2. Divide the batter unevenly, pouring 1/3 into one pan and the remaining 2/3 into the other. Bake until the cakes feel barely set, about 20 to 25 minutes, respectively. Cool the cakes in their pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and let them cool all the way before assembling.
3. For the peanut butter mousse, fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until the mixture looks fluffy and creamy, about 5 minutes. Scrape it into a large bowl. Change to the whisk attachment and whip the cream on high speed until it holds stiff peaks that are not dry. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
4. Cut the larger of the 2 cakes into 2 layers. Set a layer on a serving plate, then build the cake with the peanut butter mousse between the layers. Refrigerate the cake while you prepare the ganache.
5. For the peanut butter ganache, melt the chocolate with the cream in the microwave or in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, heating until smooth. Whisk in the peanut butter gently. Refrigerate until it is thick enough to spread, about 30 minutes. Frost the cake and serve.