Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake; a flourless melt-in-your-mouth-truffle-on-a-plate!

This cake is a big melty peanut butter truffle on a plate. It was truly designed for chocolate lovers, and certainly not something you might think of as 'healthy' when you taste it (and when you see how much butter is in it), but for those who need or want to eat gluten-free, it is the perfect dessert.

Recipe: Flourless Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake
Serves: 12-14 servings

You need:

• 10 oz of milk chocolate (I used organic and Fair Trade milk chocolate), chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 lb (1 cup) butter, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2/3 cup of organic, raw cane sugar (or white granulated sugar, if that is what you have)
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup of natural peanut butter (I used organic, smooth)
• 1 tsp salt

For the topping, you need:

• 6 ounces of milk chocolate (5.5 ounces chopped and 0.5 ounce shaved for topping)
• 1/3 cup of cream
• roasted and salted peanuts, partially crushed

Instructions:

1. Prepare a 9-inch springform cake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper. Then butter the paper and up the sides of the pan to prevent the cake from sticking.
2. Place your chopped butter and 10 oz of chocolate into a stainless steel or glass bowl, and place over a double boiler (a pot with 1 inch of water nearly simmering in it). Stir with a wooden spoon until melted together. Take the bowl off the heat as soon as it is melted, or better yet, when there are a few pieces of chocolate & butter left and stir until combined (do not overheat, or you will separate your cocoa butter from your chocolate).
3. Add the sugar and stir until combined.
4. Add the eggs and beat with a hand mixer or immersion blender just until combined (stop beating if your batter starts to puff and gain volume).
5. Slightly warm the peanut butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds and stir.  
6. Add the salt and the warmed peanut butter to the batter, and beat briefly with the mixer, or stir them in by hand.
7. Pour into the prepared cake pan.
8. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.
9. Turn off the oven and let sit for five minutes with the door closed.
10. After the five minutes is up, remove from the oven and then let cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the springform pan and remove the sides carefully. Let cool completely (1 hour, then refrigerate for 1/2 hour), then flip it onto a serving plate, before adding the ganache.

Instructions for the ganache topping:

1. Place your cream and chocolate into a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute on half power (50% or Power 5).
2. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.  If it is still not completely melted, microwave for 10 seconds more and stir.
3. Once melted and combined, pour onto the cake and use an offset spatula to spread around.  Push to the edges carefully and drip a little over the sides for a delicious effect. 

Topping ideas:

• Sprinkle salted, roasted peanuts and chocolate chunks on top.
• Top with beads of peanut butter.
• Decorate with a little peanut butter buttercream icing.
• Top with peanut butter chips and milk chocolate shavings.
• Squiggles of melted milk chocolate squeezed through a pastry or Ziplock bag.