Happy Halloween! Or Happy Halloween season! Or happy candy-loving season (which might just be all the seasons)! Whatever the occasion, a slice of Trick-Or-Treat Cake is sure to have you screaming in delight! Rich, tender, chocolatey cake serves as the perfect platform for a creamy, indulgent peanut butter frosting and a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth ganache: it’s like candy in cake form! A few candies on top really help bring out the kid in all of us! Trick-Or-Treat Cake is so magically, festively delicious, you might find reasons to let the Halloween season continue straight into Christmas!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box devil’s food cake mix
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup water
For the peanut butter frosting:
- 2 cups unsalted butter
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
- 7 tablespoons whole milk
- kosher salt, to taste
For the ganache:
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
For the topping:
- 10 peanut butter cup chocolate candies, halved
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chocolate candies
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Spray two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the devil’s food cake mix, the chocolate pudding, the sour cream, the eggs, and the water together.
Step 4 –Divide the cake batter among the prepared pans.
Step 5 –Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 33-35 minutes.
Step 6 –Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7 –In another large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
Step 8 –Add about 1/2 of the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
Step 9 –Add the peanut butter and 1/2 of the milk and beat until smooth.
Step 10 –Add the remaining powdered sugar and the salt and beat until smooth.
Step 11 –In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the heavy cream just until it bubbles.
Step 12 –Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.
Step 13 –Pour the warmed heavy cream over the chocolate chips.
Step 14 –Let the heavy cream and chocolate chips sit for 2 minutes.
Step 15 –Whisk the chocolate chips and heavy cream together until smooth with no clumps remaining.
Step 16 –Using a large serrated knife, level the cake layers.
Step 17 –On a cake circle, using a dab of frosting to keep the cake in place, top 1 of the cake layers with 1 cup of the frosting and smooth it into an even layer.
Step 18 –Top the first cake layer with the second cake layer.
Step 19 –Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting, reserving enough for piping.
Step 20 –Drizzle the ganache down the sides of the cake.
Step 21 –Spiral the ganache on top of the cake, smoothing out the top.
Step 22 –Pipe the top edge of the cake with the frosting, creating a ring.
Step 23 –Place the peanut butter cup candies and the peanut butter candies on the frosting ring.
Step 24 –Slice and serve.