Peep Cake!

My friend Jayna had a picture of this cake on Facebook last year and I thought it was so cute!  I decided it would be perfect to take for Easter Dinner at my Grandparents house.  I am going to try and make the inside match the outside by making the cake lemon and chocolate.  I used 9 inch pans and bought 5 boxs of peeps.  This was enough for the cake and for the kids to have a few!  I went searching for a lemon and chocolate recipe and ended up with these Martha Stewart classics.

Lemon Cake Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup low-fat buttermilk


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.
3. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack.
4. While cakes are baking, bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add lemon slices and simmer 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to a waxed-paper-lined plate. Stir remaining 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice into syrup.

Dark Chocolate Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, room temperature

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans; dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. Line bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in chocolate and vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in three parts and buttermilk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pans 15 minutes; run a knife around edge of each pan, and invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and 1 cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined. With machine running, add remaining 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes more.

Use yellow food coloring to make a yellow to match the peeps!  This makes a lot of frosting but I think if you only make half you won't have enough.  I think it would be cute to make some cupcakes and frost them with the leftover and top with one peep.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting (Used for the filling!)

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a boil. Remove from heat; add 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, and let stand, without stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk just until combined. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until spreadable, about 1 hour

Pan after butter and cocoa powder/flour with parchment paper in the bottom....this will make the cake come out perfect every time!

Layer the cakes Chocolate, Lemon, Chocolate, Lemon!  Oh don't forget to make the awesome lemon glaze to go over the lemon cakes!  The ganache is in the middle!  So good.

Dirty Ice the cake and let it refrigerate for a while...I waited a day.  Add more Icing and add a chocolate center (leftover ganache).

Add the Peeps....don't take them apart just bend them around in the circle.  I left them over hang a little so I could add another layer.  Add Chocolate chips to the middle...this takes awhile but the look is worth it.  Enjoy and Happy Easter!