We recently had a "Welcome Home" party for one of our friends that had just returned from a tour in Afghanistan. It was also a "Going Away" party for my husband that had recently left the company into a wounded warrior unit.
The thing about this group of soldiers is they LOVE their sweet treats. One of the girls in the unit requested a Reese's cake at the party. I wanted to make sure it was over the top and the recipe I found HERE was fit that bill. I also made cupcakes and a sheet cake to decorate.
I didn't change it too much and clarified the instructions a bit. You need to plan ahead for this one but it is not at all hard to make. By starting the day ahead I had plenty of time to freeze the layers and then put it all together.
There are 4 different recipes so make sure you go through them all to make sure you have all the needed ingredients. I didn't take pictures through the process, but it is really easy to do.
Reese's Overload Cake
Peanut Butter Layers
2 sticks butter
1 c. creamy peanut butter
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 c. creamy peanut butter
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Spray with non stick cooking spray, 2-9 inch springform pans.
Line with parchment. Spray the parchment.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Melt butter and peanut butter in microwave in 30 second intervals. Mix after each cycle to see if it’s melted. Put in mixer and add sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour and baking powder. Divide evenly into 2 pans. Bake 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely. Place wax paper between layers and freeze.
Cheesecake layer:
1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2- 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 oz. package cook and serve vanilla pudding (small box)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Hershey Bars
½ cup melted Ghirardelli bittersweet chips
Extras:
Reese’s Pieces
Miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 1- 9" springform pan with non stick spray, line with parchment and then spray the parchment.
Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Add cream cheese one package at a time, mix until smooth. Scrape bowl down, continue to beat on medium speed, adding eggs one at a time. Add pudding mix and baking powder. Mix until smooth.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 1- 9" springform pan with non stick spray, line with parchment and then spray the parchment.
Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Add cream cheese one package at a time, mix until smooth. Scrape bowl down, continue to beat on medium speed, adding eggs one at a time. Add pudding mix and baking powder. Mix until smooth.
Melt the candy bars and Ghirardelli chips in microwave at 30
second intervals stirring after each. Chocolate may be melted but still hold
its shape so make sure to stir. Pour the melted chocolate into the cheese
mixture and mix until well combined. Make sure to scrape sides of bowl.
Pour in pan. Smooth batter as much as possible. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Cheesecake will puff up during baking, and then deflate when removed from the oven.
Leave the cheesecake in the pan. Put directly in the freezer until frozen solid.
Peanut Butter Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
few tablespoons of milk
Beat peanut butter, butter, vanilla and 2 cups of powdered sugar. Slowly add rest of sugar alternating with a tablespoon of milk until the desired consistency to spread on. Use only enough milk to make easy to spread. Beat on high until fluffy.
Pour in pan. Smooth batter as much as possible. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Cheesecake will puff up during baking, and then deflate when removed from the oven.
Leave the cheesecake in the pan. Put directly in the freezer until frozen solid.
Peanut Butter Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
few tablespoons of milk
Beat peanut butter, butter, vanilla and 2 cups of powdered sugar. Slowly add rest of sugar alternating with a tablespoon of milk until the desired consistency to spread on. Use only enough milk to make easy to spread. Beat on high until fluffy.
Chocolate frosting
1 cup baking cocoa
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup heavy cream
½ butter, very soft
dash salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat cream in microwave for 30 seconds and pour in mixer
with cocoa and ¾ cup powdered sugar. Mix well. Add butter, salt, 1 cup powdered
sugar, vanilla and whip on high. Set aside.
Put it all together:
Put it all together:
Remove one peanut butter layer from freezer and place on
cake circle and plate. (Cake circle is option.)
Frost layer with ½ of the chocolate frosting.
Remove cheesecake from freezer and carefully remove from
pan. Center cheesecake on top of frosted peanut butter layer.
Fill center of cheesecake with remaining chocolate frosting.
Remove second peanut butter layer from freezer and center on
top of frosted cheesecake.
Frost the entire cake with the peanut butter frosting.
Embellish sides with Reese’s pieces and top with whole and
chopped Reese’s peanut butter miniatures.
Keep cake in the refrigerator. The cake will be very firm when you cut it to serve, use a strong cutting knife.
Find a lot of people to serve this to. Slice as small as
possible as the cake is probably one of the sweetest richest cakes I’ve ever
eaten. I cut the pieces too large and only a couple of people were able to
finish a whole piece.
I think next time I make this I will cut the recipe in half
and still divide it to make the three layers. Baking times would be reduced.
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