Chocolate cake with Golf theme

This chocolate cake is my go to recipe. I love the fact that this cake is moist and delicious. I also wanted to make a cake sturdy enough to carve into novelty cakes. I’ve been making this chocolate cake recipe for many years, adding a few tweaks here and there, and it has never let me down. Whether it's smothered in whipped cream,  buttercream, draped with fondant or dripping with ganache, this cake is a must! 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1. 2 cups Granulated Sugar
2. 1 cup Buttermilk
3. 2/3 cup Vegetable Oil
4. 1 cup Water
5. 2 Eggs
6. 2 cups Flour
7. 1/2 tsp Salt
8. 1 tsp Baking Soda
9. ½ tsp Baking Powder
10. ¾ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
11. ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
12. 1 tsp Instant Espresso Powder

For the filling:

1. 1 (8oz) Package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, at room temperature
2. 1 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
3. ½ cup Powdered Sugar
4. ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

For the topping :

Whipped cream

Fondant for decoration

Method :

1)   Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease the baking cake pans, line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.

2)   Add the instant espresso powder in the water and give it a stir. Set aside.

3)   In a large bowl, combine the sugar, buttermilk, oil, espresso water, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk well to combine.

4)   Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix together just to combine but not over mixing.

5)   Divide the cake batter evenly between the 2 greased cake pans. Bake in your preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

6)   Allow the cakes to cool for 45 minutes or until completely cooled.

7)   For the filling, in a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until well combined.

10)   Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread the filling over the top. Add the second cake layer.

11)  Cover the cake with whipped cream topping and decorate it with fondant.

Happy baking :)