Peanut Butter-Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Butterfinger-Ganache Glaze - October Cake Odyssey

Okay, with a name like this, you might be expecting a cake that if complicated with several steps and hours and hours assembly, not to mention exotic, expensive ingredients.

Unless you pay attention to that one little word that lets you know this will, indeed, be an easy cake to put together.

Bundt.

Nothing says "simple dessert" like Bundt.

Here's something I'd like to know.  When I read recipes that utilize a Bundt pan.  Why is the word Bundt always capitalized?  I mean, I realize that means that it's a proper word.  But, who the heck is/was this Bundt person anyway? 

Looks like I have some research to do.

From one of my favorite, newest cookbooks, "Cake Keeper Cakes," I decided I had to try this recipe out over the weekend.  What better combo than peanut butter and chocolate and the Butterfinger sprinkled on top made it a no-brainer for me.  The house smelled divine while the cake was baking.  The kids were going nuts!

Peanut Butter - Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Butterfinger-Ganache Glaze
Here's What You Need:
cake:
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
ganache glaze:
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 Butterfinger candy bar, chopped

Here's What You Do:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour your Bundt pan.  Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another bowl.

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar.  Turn the mixer on medium-high and mix until fluffy for about 3 minutes.  Turn the mixer to low and alternate adding the flour mixture, then sour cream mixture.  Continue alternating, being sure to end with the flour mixture.  I'm not sure why it's necessary to end with the flour mixture.  Anytime I come across a recipe with this kind of instruction, they always say to end with the flour.  I know there's likely a perfectly good reason for this.  I have a friend who's a pastry chef.  I really need to write these burning questions down sometime and invite her out to lunch and then force her to educate me on the science of baking.

I digress.

After that last addition of flour mixture, turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat for 1 minute.

Scrape the batter into the Bundt pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  This will take anywhere from 40 to 45 minutes.  Le the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake is completely cooled, go ahead and make the glaze.  It's super easy.  Something with a fancy name like ganache  really should be more complicated than this.  I'm so glad it isn't though.  Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium0high heat until it comes to a boil.  Careful to not let it scorch!  Pour the cream over the chocolate and butter and let it stand for 5 minutes.  Whisk until smooth.

Place your cooled cake on a cake stand or cake plate and pour the warm ganache glaze evenly over the cake.  Let it drop down the sides.  Sprinkle the chopped Butterfinger over the glaze and let it stand until the glaze is set.  It will take about 1/2 an hour.  Or do like I did.  Tuck the kids in and slice up a big piece for yourself and your husband! 

I know.  I know.  I timed the baking of the cake out terribly and it was too late in the day for my kiddos to be eating anything of this nature.  Please don't think I'm a terrible Mom!  Honestly.  It was truly 9:00 pm before this cake was finished and that was without that 1/2 an hour wait time.  My kids had school the next day for crying out loud!

Okay.  Not only do I digress, I also rationalize.
Very.  Very.  Well.