A Baking Article by Destiny J. Constantin

It’s a new year, and it’s time to make new memories goals and to follow your heart. The new year has brought some changes into my life, but good ones. I had difficulty working and going to school, so I needed to make a tough decision. My mind was racing for days, trying to decide what to do. After speaking with my dad, I decided that I was only pursuing a second master’s degree because I thought I didn’t have all the requirements to become an English teacher. Then, in November 2021, I was offered my dream job. I am an Adjunct English Instructor for my alumni, Bryant & Stratton College. I teach English and writing to first-year college students. I love every minute of my job. I love helping students build their writing skills and showing them how to craft an essay. It has been a dream come true.

Now that I am teaching, I need to change my schedule again to fit in my other two passions; writing and baking. I am ready to begin working on my young adult fantasy novel, “I’m No Ordinary Girl,” and continue my mystery story, “The Linux Mysteries,” with Coffee House Writers. Hopefully, next month, I will have a new chapter of “The Linux Mysteries” ready for my amazing readers. It has been a cold wintery January. The snowstorm we had recently inspired me to create a winter wonderland cake. Also, I had a chocolate craving. My best friend came to visit me this past weekend for sister movie night, so I decided to make a cake.

This week, I share my new and improved chocolate cake recipe. It’s a double chocolate cake with peanuts and caramel chips. The moist chocolate cake is filled with peanut buttercream and topped with vanilla buttercream frosting. Here is another one of my magical creations from my kitchen to yours. If you are a chocolate and peanut butter lover, you will want to try my new cake creation.

Destiny’s Chocolate Carmel Peanut Butter Cake

Cake Ingredients: Makes three nine-inch round cakes

• 3 cups of cake flour (Use Pillsbury Softasilk brand or King Arthur)
• 3 cups of Gluten-Free Pillsbury Measure for Measure Flour
• ½  cup of Hershey Cocoa Powder
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• ¼  teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 4 sticks of salted butter, softened
• 4 cups of granulated sugar
• 8 large eggs
• ¾ cup of buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste
• 1/4 cup of brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 cup of chopped peanuts
• 7 oz of Lily’s sea salt caramel flavor chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Whisk together the cake flour, gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 mins. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate fully.
3. Switch to low speed. Gradually add the flour mixture in 2 batches, beating just until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Do not overbeat.
4. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the coffee and heavy cream.
5. Pour coffee and cream mixture slowly while the dry ingredients are being incorporated with the wet ingredients.
6. Mix batter until it is smooth and blended well.
7. Fold in the peanuts and chocolate chips with a spoon or baking spatula.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Coat three nine-inch cake pans with baking spray, and place parchment paper at the bottom of the pan. Fill the pans with cake batter ¾ of the way. Do not overfill the pan because there will be a spill in the oven.

Baking tip: Use an offset spatula or butter knife to ensure the cake batter is smooth evenly across the pan.

1. Bake cakes for 25-30 minutes. Time may vary depending on the type of oven you have.
2. While the cakes are in the oven, prepare the filling.

Peanut Butter Cream Filling: Makes 1 cup of Filling

• ¼ cup of salted butter
• ¼ cup of vegetable shortening
• 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
• 3 tablespoons of heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste (You may substitute with vanilla extract)
• 1 ½ cup of Jiffy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Filling Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, peanut butter, and shortening until well combined.
2. Add the honey, vanilla, and spices.
3. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy — about two minutes.
4. Slowly pour the heavy cream into the mixer and beat to combine.
5. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
6. Make buttercream while cakes are cooling.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup of salted butter (2 sticks)
• 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
• 4-5 tablespoons of heavy cream
• 2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

Frosting Directions

1. In the stand mixer bowl, cream butter, and powdered sugar until smooth.
2. Add two tablespoons of the heavy cream to the bowl with the powder sugar and mix well.
3. Add the remaining heavy cream and the vanilla bean paste into the mixer bowl.
4. Blend ingredients together until it’s light and fluffy.
5. You may separate the frosting into multiple bowls so you can add gel food coloring.

Continuation of Cake Directions

1. Remove the cakes from the pan only if they are cooled—place parchment paper on your kitchen island or wherever you are working.
2. Place the largest cake on a cake board. Place the vanilla bean buttercream into a pastry (piping) bag fitted with any style tip you like to frost the cakes. My favorite piping tip is an open star tip.
3.  Make a circle of frosting around the edge of the cake.
4. Using a piping bag or tablespoon, fill in the center of the cake with the peanut buttercream.
5. Place the second cake on the board, make a ring of buttercream frosting, and place the peanut buttercream in the center.
6. Place the final cake on. Use a spoon and place a few spoonfuls of frosting on the cake. Spread the frosting with an offset spatula.
7. Crumb coats the entire cake with frosting before making a second batch of frosting to make light blue frosting for décor.
8. Once the cake is frosted, pick up the piping bag and pipe a border on the bottom of the cake.
9. Mix the blue and white buttercream frosting together in the same piping bag to make a spiral ribbon border on the top of the cake. Make dollops to fill in the top of the cake.
10. Use snowflake candy sprinkles and edible glitter to decorate the cake.
11. I also made a snowflake sugar cookie to place on top of my cake. You may decorate the cake any way you wish, but Wilton inspired my design.
12. Refrigerate the cake for at least thirty minutes before slicing and serving.

I hope you enjoy this tasty chocolate cake and have a blast decorating it. Then, curl up on the sofa with a warm cup of coffee, fuzzy blanket, a good book, and a slice of cake. That’s my kind of night.

Thank you for reading, and stay on the lookout for the next chapter of “The Linux Mysteries.”