Hi! I’m Jenny and I blog over at BAKE. I’ve been blogging for just under a year and I adore it! I studied Fine Art so I was initially attracted to the still-life photography aspect, but within a few weeks I’d fallen in love with the whole process. As I repeatedly proclaim over on BAKE I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, I tend to favour fruit-filled desserts as opposed to cupcakes and layer cakes covered in sugary icing. I hate to admit it, but I am also a bit of a lazy baker – well, more specifically an impatient baker with a short attention span. This is not my everyday baking (if it’s yours you must have a far better metabolism than me!) but sometimes the occasion calls for something a bit special.

Firstly, I needed something that meets with the high standard of Erin’s blog, and secondly I needed something spectacular to help my lovely friend Heather say goodbye to an amazing year and welcome in the next chapter in her life. In the past twelve months Heather has been granted UK residency – we’re all so pleased she gets to stay with us – and has been accepted into Law school, which I know she is going to excel at. I know she is going to have a future full of adventures and success (though I’m going to touch wood just in case), and I’m really glad to be there to cheer her on. Heather loves sweet food, which gave me a real opportunity to play around.

This is loosely based on one of her favourite sweet brands, Reese’s, so it’s peanutty, chocolatey and very slightly salty. In my best M&S advert voice, this is not just any cake; this cake is a rich, moist, treacly chocolate sponge, filled with a chunky peanut butter icing and finished off with a seven minute chocolate buttercream. This is the ultimate birthday cake.

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Reese’s Cake

Sponge
from Grandma’s Ways for Modern Days by Paul and Diana Peacock

220ml milk
50g plain chocolate
175g butter
250g soft brown sugar
230g self raising flour sieved together with
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 tablespoon {black treacle}

The recipe calls for you to grease and line 3 x 18cm sandwich tins, but I used 2 as I only wanted 1 layer of filling. Preheat the oven to 180C. Melt the chocolate into the milk and then put aside to cool. Beat the sugar and butter together with a tablespoon of the flour mixture. Slowly beat in the eggs, followed by the treacle. When it has been mixed in thoroughly fold in the flour and cocoa. Stir in the chocolate and milk mixture. The mixture will become more like a thick batter. Divide among the 3 cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, until springy. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Place in the freezer for at least an hour; it helps with the icing process

Peanut Butter Icing
1 tbsp peanut butter – I used chunky but smooth will work too
1 tbsp butter
100g icing sugar
1 tsp milk
1 tsp salt

Beat the butter and peanut butter together until mixed. Add the icing sugar and salt, and mix in. It will be chunky and breadcrumb-like. Add in the milk and mix. This will form the filling of the cake.

Seven Minute Chocolate Buttercream
1 tbsp butter
3 tsp cocoa
450g icing sugar
1 tbsp milk

Blend the butter to soften it, then add the icing sugar and cocoa and whisk well. Add the milk and whisk for seven minutes. The icing is now ready to coat the cake. To create the swirl pattern use the back of a teaspoon to push the icing into the design.