Fudgy Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

This cake is a once a year favorite for my birthday.  I got this recipe from my friend Julie.  She gave me some helpful tips to result in a dense, fudgy, decadent, unforgettable cake.  This starts with an incredibly moist chocolate cake, frosted with peanut butter cream cheese frosting, topped with peanut butter, dark chocolate ganache, and finished with chopped peanut butter cups. To Die For!!!
Follow these tips for best results: First, do not overbake the cake.  If you do, you won't get that fudgy effect.  Second, get the Hersheys special dark cocoa for an extra dark cake not only in taste but in color.  Third, the cake can be made a day or two before you need it, as it tastes better the longer the flavors meld together. 

Fudgy Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Cake:
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dark or dutch process)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c neutral oil such as canola or vegetable
1 c sour cream
1 1/2 c water
2 tbs vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 8 or 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray liberally. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.  Combine in a medium bowl the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk to combine them well.  Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend.  Gradually beat in the water, then blend in vinegar and vanilla.  Whisk in the eggs and beat until blended.  Divide batter even;y between the two pans.
Bake for 30-35 min. or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.  Let cool in the pans for 20 min.  Then freeze them in the freezer for about 30 min.  (this is so the cakes don't fall apart when you invert them.)

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

10 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
2/3 c peanut butter (creamy kind)

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter till fluffy.  Add powdered sugar gradually. beat until fluffy.  Add peanut butter at the end until well combined.

Chocolate PB glaze:

1 c semi-sweet chocolate
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 half n half

combine all ingredients except for half in half in a bowl, microwave in 30-sec increments until chocolate is melted, whisk the mixture to make smooth.  Whisk in half n half, beating until nice and smooth.

Assemble the cake:  Place one cake round on a cake plate, cover liberally with frosting, top the next layer and continue to frost until cake is covered.  Pour ganache over cake and top with chopped peanut butter cups (About 6-7 peanut butter cups) (this is optional). Place in the fridge for a few hours for the cake to set.