chocolate, peanut and peanut butter candy fudge cake.

This chocolate cake is fine-crumbed with frequent punctuation by nutty roasted peanuts and Reese's peanut butter cup pieces. The peanut butter in the batter is really subtle so this cake tastes predominantly chocolate. It does, however, softens the intensity of the chocolate so that the peanutty add-ins blend in nicely with the cake.

This cake will also make an appearance in an upcoming dessert. Look out for it!

Chocolate, Peanut and Peanut Butter Candy Fudge Cake
makes a 9 inch cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 packages (1.6 ounces each) milk chocolate peanut butter cups, each cup cut into 6 chunks
3/4 cup whole roasted unsalted peanuts
1 cup butter, melted
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare a 9 inch springform pan.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Toss the peanut butter candy chunks and peanut butter with 2 tsp of the flour mixture.

Whisk the melted butter, unsweetened chocolate and peanut butter in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the eggs until combined. Whisk in the sugar until combined. Blend in the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour mixture and whisk until no traces of flour remain. Stir in the peanut butter candy chunks and peanuts until evenly distributed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out mostly clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack before unmolding.