By
Rebekah Turshen, CountryLiving
This creamy, nutty, cola-and-booze-spiked cake is an unusual — but deliciously rich and indulgent — dessert delight.
Total Time:
Prep:
Level:
Moderate
Serves:
16
Ingredients
- 1 c. shelled peanuts
- 2¾ c. sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ c. Buttermilk
- 1½ c. cola
- ½ c. olive oil
- ¼ c. Simple syrup (see recipe below)
- ¼ c. dark rum
- 8 oz. smooth peanut butter
- 8 oz. mascarpone
- 1 c. heavy cream
Simple Syrup
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 c. water
Directions
- To make sugared peanuts: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss peanuts with 1/4 cup sugar, egg whites, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Stir nuts and continue baking until toasted and dry, 10 to 15 more minutes. Remove pan from oven and let nuts cool.
- Meanwhile, to make cake: Butter and flour two 10-inch round cake pans and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, 2 cups sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk and eggs to combine. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring butter, 3/4 cup cola, olive oil, and 1/4 cup water just to a boil. Remove from heat and fold cola mixture into flour mixture. Fold in buttermilk-egg mixture and stir to combine. Divide batter between reserved pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to make a rum-and-cola syrup, combine simple syrup, 2 tablespoons rum, and remaining cola in a small bowl. Set aside.
- To make peanut-butter filling: In a medium bowl, fold together peanut butter, mascarpone, and remaining sugar, salt, and rum until smooth. In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold half of whipped cream into peanut-butter mixture; repeat.
- To assemble: Transfer one cake layer, bottom side up, to a 10-inch round springform pan, pressing gently so that the cake sits flat. Drizzle with half of rum-and-cola syrup, then spread top with half of peanut-butter filling. Place second cake layer, bottom side up, atop the first; drizzle with remaining syrup, then spread top with remaining filling. Sprinkle top of cake with half of sugared peanuts. Refrigerate cake for 3 hours to set. Run a sharp knife between pan and cake, remove springform ring, and transfer cake to a plate. Garnish with remaining peanuts before serving.
- To make the simple syrup: In a medium pan over medium-high heat, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. After adding to rum-and-cola syrup recipe, refrigerate remaining syrup in a glass jar for up to 2 months.
