Make Chocolate Cakes-Day 1

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3-6″ round cake pans with parchment rounds, lightly spray pans and parchment with cooking spray. Set aside.  Wet & Wrap cake strips around pans if using-(optional).
2. In large glass mixing bowl that is micro wave safe add 4 tablespoons chocolate chips, cocoa powder and hot water or strong coffee. Whisk together until melted and somewhat thick.
3. Add sugar and vegetable oil, whisk to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk to blend. Set aside.
4. In another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring to blend. Do not over mix. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula.
5. Divide batter evenly between the 3-6″ round cake pans filling 3/4 full.  Bake cakes on cookie sheet.
6. Bake cakes 25-30 minutes until fully baked, cake top will spring back when lightly touched. Remove from oven, remove parchment paper, and cool before frosting.  At this point, you can wrap and freeze individual cakes until ready to assemble on another day. Cakes will last up to 3 months in freezer. 

Make Caramel Peanut Filling-Day 2

1.In a large saucepan over medium heat, add sweetened condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt and heavy cream. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture is combined and begins to bubble, about 5-6 minutes.  

2.Turn heat to low, continue to stir, mixture will begin to thicken about 5 -6 minutes or until mixture reaches 225 °F. Use a candy thermometer. The caramel will thicken as it cools. Just be careful not to burn the mixture. Remove from heat and stir in chopped peanuts and vanilla. Pour mixture into a separate container with a lid and allow too cool to room temperature before using on cake layers.  It will thicken as it cools.  Store at room temperature if assembling the cake. If not assembling cake, place the cooled mixture in refrigerator until ready to assemble cakes. (Bring caramel peanut filling to room temperature before spreading on cake layers the day you are assembling cakes.) 

Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Nougat Filling-Day 2

1.In a bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, whip butter on high speed about 3 minutes until creamy and smooth. Very important step be sure to do a full three minutes. Add the confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, marshmallow creme, peanut butter and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined, add a tiny bit of heavy cream if mixture it too thick. Beat about 2-3 minutes. you will be piping this filling, so make sure it is semi firm for easy piping. 

2.Use creamy peanut butter for easier piping. You will be filling the cake layers and piping a shell design or dots around the bottom edge of the cake. I used Tip # 6 B, it is a larger shell design.  You will need two disposable piping bags for this cake. One for chocolate peanut butter filling and one for chocolate buttercream frosting.

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting- Assemble Cake Day

1.In a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and whip on medium high speed for 4 -5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and add confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, milk, salt and vanilla. Start on low speed and gently blend ingredients. Keep mixing until well combined and smooth about 2-4 minutes.

2. Tip: The lower the speed you whip your frosting the less bubbles you will have in the frosting. Your frosting will become smooth and very creamy. Also the longer you whip the room temperature butter before adding the remaining ingredients the smoother and fluffier the frosting will be. You will want to have a medium firm consistency so you can spread and pipe to hold designs.

Cake Assembly

1.Once cakes are cool at room temperature,  level the cakes so they are evenly shaped. Use a serrated knife to remove a crown or rounded cake top if you didn’t use the cake strips.

2.Fill one disposable piping bag without a tip with chocolate buttercream frosting. Clip the end that is the size of 1/2″ opening. Place one cake layer on a turntable if you have one, makes it easier to frost. Pipe a circle of chocolate buttercream around the edge of the cake layer. Then pipe a second ring on top of first ring around the edge of the cake. You are creating a wall of frosting. (This keeps the fillings inside the cake when working with soft fillings.)

3.Fit tip # 6B ( no coupler needed) in second piping bag, fill with peanut butter filling. Pipe filling inside the dam of buttercream. Smooth with off set spatula. Be careful not to touch the dam during spreading.

4.Spoon peanut caramel nougat filling over the top of the peanut butter filling. Shape or pat the nougat into a thin flat disc and place over the filling, instead of spreading with off set spatula. Add tiny bit of chocolate buttercream over the nougat. Spread with off set spatula. ( If you don’t do this part your second layer will not adhere to the bottom layer.)

5.Add second layer, repeat process with buttercream frosting dam, peanut butter filling and nougat, buttercream. Add top or third layer with bottom of the cake upright and not the leveled cut side. Easier to frost.

6.Frost top and sides of cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting in a skim coat. Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and chill cake 20 minutes. Once chilled, unwrap and frost top and sides of cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. Place cake on cake stand or serving platter. Slide a large spatula under neath cake to place on stand or platter.

7.With the peanut butter filling with the 6 B piping tip, pipe shell design around base of cake. Fit third piping bag with tip # 1M, fill with chocolate buttercream frosting from other piping bag, pipe large swirls on top of cake edge. Slice 5 snack size snicker bars in half and place between swirls. Serve cake at room temperature.