Chocolate ? Peanut Butter Cake

1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

340 gr  bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup  chunky peanut butter

Bring cream and sugar to simmer in saucepan, whisking to dissolve sugar.

Remove from heat. Add to chocolate; let stand 1 minute.

Whisk until smooth.

Whisk in peanut butter. Chill uncovered overnight.

Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

450 gr golden brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 sachet vanilla sugar

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans

Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until blended.

Beat in sugars.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.

At low-speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Start and finish with dry ingredients. Add 1-2 tablespoon buttermilk if needed.

Divide batter among pans and spread evenly.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Cool cakes completely.

Frosting

340 gr cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup powdered sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 sachet vanilla sugar

3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl to blend.

Whisk whipping cream and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in bowl until mixture holds medium-firm peaks.

Fold into cream cheese mixture in 3 additions; chill until firm but spreadable, about 1 hour.