This extra-special chocolate peanut butter cake could be the fabulous centrepiece to your party – and even if you haven’t attempted anything like this before, you will get great results when you follow our easy instructions…

Preparation time: 3hr
Makes: 12-14 portions

How to make the chocolate peanut butter cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C, Fan Oven 160°C, Gas Mark 4. Grease and line four 10cm deep x 18cm cake tins.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter and oil until blended. Add the water then whisk again until well blended.
3. In a jug beat together the eggs, vanilla extract and soured cream. Add to the butter mix and whisk again.
4. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, caster sugar, light brown sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.
5. Add to the wet ingredients and whisk until well mixed.
6. Divide the cake batter between the four cake tins and bake in the oven for 30-35min until cooked. To test if the cake is cooked insert a skewer and if it comes out clean then the cakes are ready.
7. Take the cakes out of the oven and cool in their tins for 30min then remove from the tins and cool completely.
8. Whilst the cakes are cooking make your peanut butter frosting.
9. Place all the ingredients for the frosting into a large bowl and beat together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy in texture.
10. Cover the bowl of frosting with clingfilm and put to one side until ready to use.
11. Whilst the cakes are cooling make your salted caramel sauce.
12. Place the cream, salt and butter into a small pan and heat gently until the butter has melted.
13. Take a heavy based pan and put in your sugar, golden syrup, liquid glucose and water. Mix together to dissolve the sugar, then put on a high heat. Heat the sugar mix until is begins to boil. Allow to boil until the bubbles become smaller and the colour becomes darker – like the colour of dark maple syrup. This should take 3-5min. Be careful not to burn the mixture.
14. When the sugar is ready add your warmed cream mix to the hot sugar – be careful when adding as it will spit and splutter slightly. Give the mix a quick stir then allow to boil again for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a jug to cool.
15. To make the peanut brittle – line a flat baking tray with non stick baking paper then grease the baking paper with a little butter.
16. Pour the sugar into a dry non-stick frying pan and heat on high.
17. Melt the sugar shaking the pan every now and then so that it heats evenly.
18. Heat the sugar until it is all melted and becomes a dark maple syrup colour – again be careful not to burn. Then add your butter and crushed peanuts and give it a stir.
19. Pour the peanut brittle mix onto your prepared tray spreading it out into a flat rectangle.
20. Allow to cool fully and harden.
21. Now you are ready to assemble your cake.
22. Reserve 5 tablespoons of the frosting.
23. Take your first layer of cake and place on a cake board or plate.
24. Spread the top of the cake with a layer of the frosting about 1cm thick. Add the second layer and repeat. Then repeat for the third layer.
25. Add your fourth layer of cake and then cover the whole cake with the frosting smoothing with a palette knife.
26. Once your cake is covered take your cooled salted caramel sauce (or shop bought sauce) and spoon over the top of the cake allowing the caramel to drip down the sides of the cake.
27. Take your reserved frosting and spoon in a mound in the centre of the top of the cake.
28. Break up your peanut brittle and place chunks of it into the frosting on top of the cake so that they stand up.
29. Scatter the top of the cake with the toffee popcorn then finish by sprinkling over the jumbo choc chips.

Looking for more ideas for celebration cakes?  Try our Cranberry and White Chocolate Cake, Vegan Chocolate Tiffin Mousse Cake, Gin & Tonic Cake, Easy Peasy Chocolate Cake, plus we show you how to ice a large unicorn cake – and make unicorn cupcakes!