Happy Halloweener!
We don’t have “real” Halloween today because of the storm, so I wanted to share a cake you can make if your plans were postponed. If trick-or-treating got moved or canceled, this recipe is an easy, comforting celebration you can bake at home.
I’m relieved no one has to brave wind, rain and snow, but I also find myself stuck at home with a suspiciously large bowl of king-sized candy bars. My husband insisted on the oversized bars to look “cool” handing them out to the few kids in our neighborhood. Whatever the reason, that bowl of candy has been both tempting and annoying.
I used to be the kid who stealthily stole siblings’ Halloween candy—always on the hunt for Snickers—while they raided my stash for peanut butter cups. A few houses handed out oranges and apples (please don’t do that), which my six-year-old self never wanted. Nuts often went untouched, and my pillowcase would end up with the dark chocolate nobody else wanted. Did kids even like dark chocolate back then? Maybe my tastes were just very 1988.
Also, any Mallo Cups out there? Delicious.
One of my worst memories is being handed a perfect popcorn ball drizzled with chocolate only to be told I couldn’t eat it because someone might have laced it with something. Such a tease. Those were simpler times, long before Halloween costumes became more about skimpy outfits than creativity. I loved dressing up properly—once I went as Jem for several years in a row and adored it. I might even hunt down my hot pink, sparkly wig today and wear it for fun.
But anyway—cake.
I love a bundt cake but don’t bake them often. I prefer lighter frostings, and a bundt is perfect because it takes just enough glaze to be satisfying without overwhelming the cake. The slices are easy to portion thin or thick, and they look great whether upright or lying flat.
This cake is studded with milk chocolate chips, coated in a silky milk chocolate ganache, then topped with a thick, pourable peanut butter glaze and finished with chocolate sprinkles. It’s rich, fudgy and intensely peanut-buttery—the kind of cake that makes you lose your mind in the best way. If you can’t eat all the Halloween candy before the little ones arrive, bake this cake to celebrate instead.
It’s the kind of recipe that feels required for a cozy, stormy Halloween at home.
Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cake
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup unsalted buttersoftened to room temp
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- chocolate sprinkles for topping
chocolate ganache
- 5 ounces chopped milk chocolate
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
peanut butter frosting
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
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Grease or spray a 14-cup bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray.
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In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together milk and sour cream.
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Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Add sugar and beat on medium-high until fluffy, about 3–4 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix in vanilla, then add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add half the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Add the milk and sour cream and mix, then finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Remove the paddle and fold in chocolate chips with a spatula. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the cake is set. Do not overbake. Let cool in the pan about 30 minutes, then invert and cool completely before adding ganache.
chocolate ganache
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Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over low heat until warm and bubbles appear at the edges. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth, about 2–3 minutes, then whisk in vanilla. Let the ganache sit 20–25 minutes to thicken slightly. Once the cake is cool, pour ganache over it and chill briefly while you prepare the peanut butter frosting.
peanut butter frosting
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Melt the peanut butter until smooth (I microwave 30 seconds, stir, then 15-second increments until creamy). Stir in coconut oil. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Let the frosting rest 15–20 minutes until it thickens enough to be pourable but not runny. Pour over the ganache and finish with chocolate sprinkles.
Notes
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P.S. I totally put chocolate sprinkles on my peanut butter toast yesterday. Yeah… that.