To make the cake, line two 7-inch cake pans with a parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, or until everything is well combined.
Add milk, eggs, oil and butter. Mix the batter just until smooth, about 15 seconds.
Stir in vinegar and mix for another 10 seconds.
Divide the batter into the prepared baking pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let cakes cool completely in the pans set on wire rack. Then carefully run a knife around the edges and invert. Wrap each cake with a plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, preferably overnight. Chilled cakes are sturdier and slice much easier, but you can definitely frost the cake as soon as they cooled completely.
To make salted caramel sauce, follow this
recipe. (
Note 3)
To make peanut butter buttercream, in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, combine butter and peanut butter and beat on medium high heat for about 2 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula half way through.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and continue beating until the frosting is nice and smooth and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.
To make salted caramel buttercream, in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, combine butter and salted caramel sauce and beat on medium high heat for about 2 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula half way through.
Add powdered sugar and continue beating until the frosting is nice and smooth and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.
To make the ganache, heat heavy cream in microwave for 45 seconds, or until hot. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl and pour hot cream over chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes, and then stir until smooth. If the chocolate isn’t melted completely, microwave the mixture for 15 seconds and stir, continue until ganache is smooth and runny. (TIP: Make the ganache right before assembling the cake.)
To assemble the cake, cut the cake layers horizontally into equal layers. Place the buttercream frostings into 2 separate piping bags fitted with plain round tips, or simply cut the ends off.
Prepare peanuts, cake board, 4 strips of parchment paper, offset spatula and ¼ cup measuring cup or a large cookie scoop.
Place a cake board on a turntable and smear a small amount of frosting in the middle. Place 4 parchment paper strips around the edges of the cake boards, as pictured.
Put the first layer of the cake, pipe peanut butter buttercream frosting all over the cake and then spread it evenly with a
small offset spatula.
Pipe salted caramel buttercream frosting around the edges to create a boarder and put ¼ cup of salted caramel in the middle.
Sprinkle some peanuts over the caramel sauce and place the next layer of cake. Repeat with the remaining layers.
To crumb coat the cake, frost the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and smooth it out as best as you can. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until the frosting is set.
Meanwhile, transfer remaining salted caramel sauce and ganache into
squirt bottles. If they are too thick, microwave each sauce for 10-15 seconds to thin them out. Make sure they’re not too hot before decorating the cake.
Transfer a small amount of frosting into a piping bag, fitted with star tip.
To decorate the cake, apply another layer of frosting and smooth it out nicely with an offset spatula, or a
bench scraper.
drip salted caramel sauce around the edges, followed by chocolate ganache.
Pipe the frosting with decorated tip around the edges. Pour some chocolate ganache in the middle and sprinkle some peanuts. Top with snickers bar slices.