Need a new cake to make you the queen (or king) of the next potluck? See what all the buzz is about with this Butterflies & Bumblebees Cake! This moist, decadent, chocolate cake is swarming with a fabulous frosting with undertones of rich, sweet honey and smooth, creamy peanut butter. You don’t need five eyes to see that the Butterflies & Bumblebees Cake is the perfect potluck-going dessert that everyone will be screaming for. Come on over to our cake and see what all the buzz is about!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more, to taste, for dusting the baking sheet
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup water
- 4 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
For the frosting:
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons half-and-half, plus more, to taste
For the decorations:
- tiny pretzel twists, to taste
- vanilla-flavored candy coating, to taste, melted
- decorator sugars and sprinkles, to taste
- raspberry-shaped gummy candies, to taste, halved
- large purple jelly beans, to taste, halved
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease the bottom and the sides of a 15x10x1-inch rimmed baking sheet and then, using the extra flour, lightly dust the pan, tapping out the excess.
Step 3 –In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, add 1 cup of the butter, the water, and the baking chocolate, stirring constantly, until it just comes to a boil, about 6-7 minutes.
Step 4 –Transfer the chocolate mixture from the heat and let it cool.
Step 5 –In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 2 cups of the flour, the granulated sugar, the baking soda, and the salt and mix well.
Step 6 –With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs and the melted chocolate mixture to the flour mixture and beat until well mixed.
Step 7 –Evenly pour the cake batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.
Step 8 –Transfer the baked cake to a wire rack and let it cool completely.
Step 9 –In a large bowl of a stand mixer, add the confectioners’ sugar, the remaining butter, the peanut butter, and the honey, and beat on medium-high speed to combine.
Step 10 –Slowly add the half-and-half to the frosting mixture until the frosting reaches the desired consistency, adding more of the half-and-half if needed.
Step 11 –Spread the frosting all over the cake.
Step 12 –Dip the double rounded ends of the pretzels halfway into the melted candy coating and then immediately sprinkle them with the decorator sugars and sprinkles.
Step 13 –Place the pretzels onto waxed paper and let them set.
Step 14 –Place 2 of the decorated pretzels together to resemble butterflies, with non-coated edges touching, and then place them on the cake, securing them with the melted candy coating. Repeat until the cake is decorated.
Step 15 –Attach the cut-side of 1 raspberry gummy to the cut-side of 1 purple jelly bean and seal them together with the melted candy coating. Repeat this process with the remaining gummies and jelly beans, or until you have enough to decorate the cake.
Step 16 –Place the gummy-jelly bean decorations onto the cake, securing them with the melted candy coating; you can stack a few together to resemble bumblebees. Repeat until the cake is decorated.
Step 17 –Slice and serve.
