Glad Weekend! First off, earlier than we communicate cake, I need to can help you know that the loopy site issues I have been having the previous few days must with a bit of luck be formally higher now, so that you must now not have any problems getting onto my web site. My present site server has in reality let me down (I believe a switcheroo is so as!), however it kind of feels that issues are again in motion and dealing easily. If for some reason why you ever do have bother attending to the web site, simply know that you’ll at all times google “sweetapolita printables” + the recipe you might be searching for, and also you must in finding the printable model (however arms crossed that would possibly not be a topic ever once more).

Now, onto cake! When I used to be considering what form of advent would make without equal back-to-school cake for our cakelet Reese, I stored desirous about what elements make youngsters happiest–particularly my youngsters. My littlest cakelet, Neve, is popping 3 subsequent week so she’s nonetheless house with me for some other 12 months, however Reese is beginning Senior Kindergarten at a brand new college and she or he takes her maximum favorite snacks at house very critically: peanut butter, mini pastel marshmallows, popcorn, chocolate and cake. I sought after to make her a back-to-school confection that used to be as comforting because it used to be playful, after which I remembered a shockingly inspirational guide I gained awhile again referred to as Make, Bake & Have fun! via Annie Rigg. This guide boasts distinctive and pleasant desserts, together with Rose & Strawberry Cake with Crystallized Roses, Chocolate Dazzle Drop Cake, Chocolate Polka Dot Tower, and naturally the cake I made up our minds to make and that solutions each kid’s candy desires: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Popcorn.

The cake used to be unusually fast to make, even with the entire other parts, and what I discovered exhausting to imagine used to be that I had by no means concept to make a peanut butter layer cake before–with the easy addition of peanut butter to a relatively vintage butter cake, it provides it a singular decadence and nutty twist. Paired with two sorts of wealthy frosting and without equal candy & salty topper, it is a marvel I did not give this one a make & bake the instant I gained the guide a couple of months in the past.

I really like this cake for lots of causes, however maximum of all I really like its impossible to resist name to formative years on all counts: peanut butter & chocolate chip layer cake, peanut butter & cream cheese frosting (with a touch of maple!), chocolate fudge frosting, and selfmade caramel corn tossed with mini pastel marshmallows and peanuts (which, I may upload, is an ideal little deal with by itself).

My cakelets had been in a position to lend a hand me with such a lot of of the stairs in making this cake: Reese made lots of the chocolate fudge frosting herself, Neve helped me make the cake layers and peanut butter frosting, they usually each helped me combine the popcorn. As Annie mentions within the guide, this cake with all of its parts tastes similar to a Snickers chocolate bar and makes for the easiest party cake for children. And what higher reason why to have a good time than the beginning of a brand new college 12 months? No longer best does the cake style as decadent because it appears to be like, however I in finding nice pleasure in making a dessert that has a number of parts all mixed for one show-stopping finale–particularly when one of the crucial parts is as surprising as it’s tasty, as with this whimsical pile of caramel popcorn heaped atop the cake.

Believe coming house from college to this? I made this previous to Reese’s first day, however I could have to make it once more (or in cupcake form–wouldn’t that be a laugh?) subsequent week whilst she’s in class for the primary day. She’s been counting down the times till college begins, and no longer best begins college subsequent week however ballet–she can slightly stand the anticipation.

We went again to college buying groceries, and it used to be a Hi Kitty extravaganza (attire, pants, ear muffs, lunch bag, college bag, hair clips, sweaters . . . ). Since Hi Kitty used to be one in every of my favourites as a kid (by the way, she made her first look in 1974, the 12 months I used to be born), I will be able to’t lend a hand however really feel the similar connection to it as Reese does–between little cakelet Neve, myself and Reese, we are beautiful similar to youngsters in a sweet shoppe once we stroll into shops with Hi Kitty clothes and accessories. It is in reality exhausting for me to imagine that she’s 5 years previous and already in her 2d 12 months of faculty. At this level I in finding myself conserving on a little bit tighter and little longer after I hug her, in all probability with hopes of constructing the time stand nonetheless. ♥ Here is the recipe, shared with permission and as written within the guide Make, Bake & Have fun! via Annie Rigg (my notes beneath):

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Popcorn

• 350 g/2-2/3 cups undeniable/all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of/baking soda
• 150 g/10 tablespoons butter, cushy
• 100 g/1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 350 g/1-3/4 cups (caster) sugar
• 4 huge eggs, calmly crushed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 250 ml/1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 125 g/3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 amount Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 200 g/6-1/2 oz.. cream cheese
• 50 g/3-1/2 tablespoons butter, cushy
• 75 g/1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup

Salted Caramel Popcorn

• 50 g/1/4 cup (caster) sugar
• 25 g/2 tablespoons butter
• 50 g/2 cups undeniable popcorn (popped weight)
• 50 g/1/3 cup roasted peanuts
• 50 g/1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 50 g/2/3 cup mini marshmallows 3
• 20-cm/8-inch spherical cake pans, greased and baselined with greased baking parchment 

 

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• 350 g/12 oz.. darkish/semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 225 g/15 tablespoons butter, diced
• 175 ml/2/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 350 g/3 cups icing/confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gasoline 4.
2. Sift in combination the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate/baking soda.
3. Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar within the bowl of a stand mixer till in reality light and light–at least 3-4 mins.
4. Steadily upload the crushed eggs to the creamed butter in 4 or 5 additions, blending neatly between each and every addition and scraping down the bowl every now and then with a rubber spatula.
5. Upload the vanilla and blend to include. Steadily upload the sifted dry elements to the cake combination alternately with the buttermilk. Combine till easy, then fold within the chocolate chips.
6. Divide the mix lightly between the ready cake pans, scraping the mix from the bowl the use of a rubber spatula.
7. Unfold stage with a palette knife and bake at the center shelf of the preheated oven for approximately 20-25 mins or till a skewer inserted into the  center comes out blank. Let the desserts cool within the pans for 3-4 mins, then flip onto a twine rack to chill totally.
8. To make the Peanut Butter Frosting, beat the cream cheese till easy.
9. Upload the butter, peanut butter, vanilla and maple syrup and beat once more till creamy.
10. To make the Chocolate Fudge Frosting, Soften the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over pan of slightly simmering water. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl contact the water. Stir till easy and punctiliously mixed. Got rid of from the warmth and funky rather. In some other bowl whisk in combination the milk, vanilla and sugar till easy. Upload the melted chocolate and butter and stir till easy. Let thicken to the specified consistency earlier than the use of.
11. To make the Salted Caramel Popcorn, put the sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small, heavy-based saucepan over low warmth and dissolve the sugar with out stirring.
12. As soon as dissolved, build up the warmth and proceed to prepare dinner till the syrup becomes an amber-coloured caramel.
13. Take the pan off the warmth and upload the butter, swirling to make a easy butterscotch. Briefly pour the butterscotch over the popcorn and stir neatly in order that it begins to stay in combination in clumps.
14. Upload the peanuts (chopped, should you desire), chocolate chips and marshmallows.
15. You’ll even upload a splash of Chocolate Crunchy sprinkles on best, or a sprinkle of Gold Stars Fit to be eaten Glitter for some additional sparkle

Position one of the crucial cake layers on a serving dish and unfold part the peanut butter frosting over it. Moderately unfold one-third of the Chocolate Fudge Frosting over that. Duvet with a 2d cake layer. Repeat this procedure, completing with the ultimate cake layer and the rest chocolate fudge frosting on best of that. Pile the salted caramel popcorn on best simply earlier than serving.

Sweetapolita’s Notes:

• Annie’s recipe requires chocolate chips within the Salted Caramel Popcorn combination, however I opted to put out of your mind them, most commonly as a result of I used to be assembling the popcorn and able to {photograph} the cake whilst the caramel used to be nonetheless a little bit warm–this would have melted the chocolate chips into roughly a yucky mess. Subsequent time if I used to be including the chocolate chips, I might merely wait till the caramel corn used to be totally cool.
• I used vanilla sugar when making the caramel for the popcorn–yum!
• You’ll make the caramel popcorn forward of time, however you’ll want to upload it best earlier than you might be serving the cake, another way it is going to turn into somewhat soggy.
• I made the cake layers day 1, wrapped them tightly in plastic wrap and left them at room temperature, made the frosting, made the popcorn and assembled the cake all on day 2.
• You’ll additionally take a look at including sprinkles on best for an added wow! Take a look at Sweetapolita.com for some sprinkle inspiration.

Excellent success & experience!