Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

I love this cake. I've been making it for years. I have the original cut out from Southern Living magazine from years ago.

You have to let the peanut butter mixture cool for the 25 minutes. I use a timer. And the whipped cream has to be extra firm prior to combining the two. It takes a little elbow grease to get them to combine entirely so no white is showing from the whipped cream.

I make an 8"x3" cake and cut it into 3 layers with the mousse in between each layer. I never have any mousse left over. I then top the entire cake with the ganache and sprinkle chopped Reeses peanut butter cups on the top. I semi-freeze the Reeses to make it easier to chop then freeze the bits so they're easy to sprinkle.

For larger gatherings, I also make cupcakes and cut them into 3 layers and spread the mousse in between each layer using a piping bag and piping tip. I then top each one with the ganache and sprinkle some chopped Reeses peanut butter cup on each one. I add a cupcake topper to each one based on the holiday/party theme. This way you get more servings. They're always a hit.

Don't forget to take it out of the fridge for at least an hour prior to serving.

My mom has made this cake for me on my birthday for years. It is absolutely delicious! There's something light about the peanut butter mousse that just makes this cake the best thing on the planet. As an adult I've made it a few times myself now as a very special occasion dessert and everyone goes crazy for it. Mine has yet to turn out as beautiful as my mom's but with deliciousness like this you won't be looking at it for long anyway!

The cake base must be study---very important to use NON-PUDDING mixes. Either Duncan Hines (no pudding in mix) or other decent brand such as Trader Joes. I don't think the size of the box is the issue 18 oz or 18.25. As long as it makes a two-layer cake. It's just a base. Level your cake layers i.e no domes or lop-sided cakes. Cakes that are not leveled properly WILL crack under the pressure of heavy fillings such as this mousse. They will also slide. You will be depressed. I always use a 'cake spatula' to move my cakes into position then I slide them onto the cake. Less handling, the better. Mousse---cool mixture completely before folding in the other ingredients. This is a great and beautiful cake if you take your time. Be Blessed.

Wow! The only flaw was the choice I made for the chocolate cake mix - be sure to get something sturdy, mine started to crumble apart. I followed the directions EXACTLY and the mousse is superb! (You MUST let the mixture cool for 25 min and whip the everloving out of the whipped cream.) There is a ton of it - if I make again, I will reserve at least 1/4 of it to pipe on the top of the cake after glazing to add that extra touch. The mousse was thick and held my crumbling cake together. The glaze was crazy easy and flowed beautifully on top of the cake and down the sides. My husband said this can be his birthday cake for the next few years! (So long as we work out enough to make up for the calories! 630cal for 1/12th of the cake!!)

yummy

I agree that the mouse was too soupy. I am thinking that it may be because you cannot buy an 18.25 oz cake mix anymore. My husband is a big chocolate peanut butter fan, so I had to try this recipe. Yes it was tasty but there was way too much mousse, and it did run down the sides of the cake. I think that when I make it again, I will not use all of the mousse and put the exta in pudding dishes with cushed chocolate cookies.

The first time I made this cake it was for a fun thing to take to work. I completely messed up the mousse and so the cake turned out sloppy though it tasted great. I asked my downstairs neighbor if she wanted to try some since it was too messy to take to work, and well let's just say now that neighbor is my wife. Pretty good recipe I'd say.

This cake has become a favorite with my family, and it gets rave reviews from guests! The key with the mousse layer is to cool the peanut butter mixture completely before folding in the whipping cream; it makes a nice, thick, fluffy layer. I have never had a problem with it. I use mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for garnish, chopped and whole. It is a beautiful cake; I have made it for several holidays.

It's absolutely delicious, but take warning from the other reviews. The PB mousse is amazing, but SUCH a pain to work with. I think it calls for too much whipping cream when you fold it into the whipped cream. It got rave reviews, but it made too much mousse and was just messy. Tasty, but doesn't look like the picture. I promise.

This cake is fantastic! It's amazing how fancy a boxed mix cake can become when you add filling and ganache. I'm in the process of making it for my husband's birthday. I made it last year and he loved it, so it was the first thing he asked for when I asked what he wanted this year. I'm topping it with mini peanut butter cups this year. This recipe is definitely a keeper, and it's a huge hit with guests.

Enjoyed this cake very much. Read the reviews before making and was concerned that the mousse would be runny. I made sure that the peanut butter mixture was completely cool and had no problems. Quite easy to make and delicious!

I also had a hard time with the mouse turning soupy. Maybe my ingredients and bowl weren't cold enough. Putting the mouse mixture in the fridge helped but the cake still turned out rather messy. Maybe the parfaits would be a better way to go. Still the cake tasted great!

Tried to make this cake and everything was going GREAT until I folded the peanut butter mixture back into the whipped cream. It turned into soup. I put the mixture into the refrigerator and it stiffened up, but probably won't make this cake again.

I love this recipe. It is wonderful!