This is the perfect recipe for any kind of special occasion. It is a little bit too much work for most people to do just for a random slice of cake but if it is a roommate’s birthday or the birthday of a significant other, it is a great way to impress them and earn some good brownie points, or in this case, cake points. Be prepared to dedicate a couple hours to creating this masterpiece, but once it is finished and presented on the table, no one will be able to deny how absolutely delicious it looks. Take a bite and let the deliciousness dissolve on your tongue. The best part of the recipe is that it is a quite large cake, so there will be plenty left over to eat for days afterwards, either as a good afternoon snack or for a not-so-healthy lunch.
Cake:
6 squares (or 6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate
¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks)
1 ½ cups sugar
3 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 ½ cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons water
Filler:
½ cup of Nutella
½ cup of peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Milk (enough to get to smooth consistency, will depend on peanut butter thickness)
Melt chocolate and butter in saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly just until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar until well blended. With mixer on low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, until completely mixed. Add vanilla. Stir in ½ cup flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat in remaining 2 cups of flour alternately with water until well blended and smooth.
Pour evenly into two 9 inch greased and floured cake pans. (Can line bottom with parchment paper.) Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
Mix together Nutella and peanut butter. Add vanilla and mix until no longer visible. Then, add milk until the mixture has reached the desired consistency. It should be smooth and creamy enough to smear on top of one of the cake rounds. Smooth across one whole cake round as evenly as possible. Then place the other cake round on top of that. Cover the entire cake in whipped cream, either homemade or from a can/tub. Once cake is covered completely (this works well to cover any potential blemishes or gaping holes in cake), shave chocolate over top. This can be done with either a cheese grater or very carefully with a knife.
Eat and enjoy!