Vanilla, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Poke Cake – Keke Wanira, Tiakarete me te Pata Pīnati.
I made this keke (cake) last year for Whittaker’s chocolate. The brief was to create a birthday cake and I had always wanted to do a poke cake so I set to work creating the tastiest one I could. What is a poke cake you may be wondering? It is a cake that you bake and poke deep holes in to it. You then fill those holes with whatever deliciousness you desire. For this version I bake a vanilla cake with a pop of peanut butter in it. We then poke deep holes in to the cake and fill them with chocolate peanut butter ganache with a little extra pata pīnati (peanut butter). It is finished with a simple chocolate buttercream, pink French meringue and some sprinkles of goodness! If you don’t vibe with the chocolate and peanut butter combination, use my vanilla and chocolate poke cake (nut free) version!
I created this in a sheet pan but you can also bake it in a 23 cm cake tin too if you want. This cake is perfect for a birthday cake or for any occasion at all! I can’t wait to see what you think e te whānau (family), it is a cake I have made a few times this year and people always go back for more!
Vanilla, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Poke Cake – Keke Wanira, Tiakarete me te Pata Pīnati
A delicious vanilla and peanut butter poke cake filled with peanut butter chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate buttercream.
Servings 14 servings
Ingredients
The Vanilla Cake – Te Keke Wanira (with a touch of PB)
- 1 ¼ C miraka (milk)
- 1 ½ tbsp winika, wai rēmana rānei (vinegar or lemon juice)
- 175 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- ⅓ C pata pīnata māeneene (smooth peanut butter)
- 1 C huka hāura (brown sugar)
- ½ C puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 1 tsp tote (salt, fine)
- 1 tbsp wanira (vanilla)
- 2 hēki (eggs, size 7)
- 2 ¼ C puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- 1 ½ tsp pēkana paura (baking powder)
- 1 tsp pēkana houra (baking soda)
The Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ganache – Te Ranu Tiakarete me te Pata Pīnati
- 220 g tiakarete pata pīnati (peanut butter chocolate)
- ⅔ C kirīmi (cream)
- ⅓ C pata pīnati (optional but worth it)
Chocolate Icing – Pani Reka Tiakarete
- 100 g tiakarete tote (I used sea salt chocolate, 62% with saffron but use what you want)
- 125 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- ½ C puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 1 tsp wanira (vanilla)
Instructions
The Vanilla Cake – Te Keke Wanira (with a touch of PB)
- Pre-heat the oven to 140 °C. Note: I know this is a low temperature but trust me, if you bake a little lower, the cake will stay nice and moist and rise evenly.
- Grease a 20 x 25 cm rectangle tin with 5cm high sides or a 23 cm cake tin and line it with baking paper.
- Add the miraka (milk) and winika (vinegar) or wai rēmana (lemon juice) in to a jug. Give it a good stir and leave it aside to turn in to buttermilk.
- Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), pata pīnati (peanut butter), huka hāura (brown sugar), puehu huka (icing sugar), tote (salt) and wanira (vanilla) to a large bowl.
- Tāwhiuwhiua mō te 5 mīniti – whip it (on high) for 5 minutes. You want this mixture to be light in colour and super fluffy. If not, whip for a couple more minutes.
- Add a hēki (egg) at a time, whipping for 20 seconds after each egg.
- Sift in half of the puehu parāoa (flour) and pour in half of the milk mix. Fold them gently in to the mixture until it has just combined.
- Sift in the remaining puehu parāoa (flour), pēkana paura (baking powder), pēkana houra (baking soda) and the rest of the milk mix. Fold it all together again until smooth.
- Pour it in to your prepared tin. Smooth out the mixture and then bake gently.
- If you are baking it as a sheet cake it will take 40-45 minutes to bake. If you are using a cake tin it will take 45-55 minutes to bake. Check at the 45 minute mark.
- The cake is ready when it springs back in the middle when pressed. As it bakes, prepare the peanut butter chocolate ganache so it is ready to add as soon as the cake has baked.
The Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ganache – Te Ranu Tiakarete me te Pata Pīnati
- Chop the tiakarete pata pīnati, (peanut butter chocolate) into small pieces.
- Add the tiakarete (chocolate) and kirīmi (cream) in to a heat proof bowl and gently melt over a pot over barely simmering water. This can also be done in 20 second bursts in the microwave.
- Stir it gently until it has transformed into a glossy, smooth ganache.
- Remove the cooked cake from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon (2 cm wide) gently poke deep holes around 2 cm apart all over the cake. Do this gently but twisting the handle side to side to help it move cleanly in and out of the cake (refer to the video for this).
- When the holes are created, pour the chocolate ganache all over the cake. Using a spatula, smear it all over the cake making sure it goes in to the holes. Drizzle over the extra pata pīnati (peanut butter) and spread it all over the cake.
- Leave the cake in the tin to completely cool before adding the pani reka tiakarete (chocolate icing).
Chocolate Icing – Pani Reka Tiakarete
- Chop the tiakarete (chocolate) in to fine pieces and gently melt in the microwave. Cool for 5 minutes.
- Whip the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) together. Add the cooled tiakarete (chocolate) in two or three additions, whipping for 20 seconds after each one.
- Spread the buttercream over the cooled cake with the back of the spoon to create a wispy effect. Sprinkle with a handful of ruireka (sprinkles) and rau koura (gold leaf).
- You can also do what I did and pipe on some French meringue with a few drops of pink food colouring whipped in for good measure!
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