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A square slice of chocolate ganache poke cake is on a white plate with a gold fork next to it. The ganache in the cake is seen and it is decorate with pink meringue blobs and sprinkles. It has a single candle in it that is lit.
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Chocolate and Peanut Butter Poke Cake - Keke Tiakarete me te Pata Pīnati

A delicious vanilla and peanut butter poke cake filled with peanut butter chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate buttercream.
Course Baking
Cuisine Cake
Keyword best vanilla cake recipe, best vanilla cake recipe nz, birthday cake nz, moist vanilla cake recipe nz, peanut butter and chocolate cake nz, poke cake, vanilla and peanut butter cake, vanilla and peanut butter cake nz
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 14 servings

Equipment

  • 1 x 20 x 25 cm rectangle tin with 5 cm high sides or a 23 cm cake tin

Ingredients

The Vanilla Cake - Te Keke Wanira (with a touch of PB)

  • 1 ¼ C (310 ml) miraka (milk)
  • 1 ½ tablespoon (22 ml) winika, wai rēmana rānei (vinegar or lemon juice)
  • 175 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
  • ⅓ C (85 g) pata pīnata māeneene (smooth peanut butter)
  • 1 C (200 g) huka hāura (brown sugar)
  • ½ C (85 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon tote (salt, fine)
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) wanira (vanilla)
  • 2 hēki (eggs, size 7)
  • 2 ¼ C (335 g) puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon pēkana paura (baking powder)
  • 1 teaspoon 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 (165) kirīmi (cream)
  • ⅓ C (85 g) pata pīnati (peanut butter, 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 (85 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) wanira (vanilla)

French Meringue - Merenge Wīwī (Optional)

  • ⅔ quantity of my French meringue recipe
  • 2 kahu hēki (egg whites, size 6 eggs)
  • ½ C (110 g) huka one (caster sugar)
  • ¼ tsp kirīmi tāta (cream of tartar)
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) wanira (vanilla)
  • 3 drops pink food colouring gel

Instructions

Preheat the Oven:

  • Preheat the oven to 145 °C bake setting, 135 °C fan bake setting.
    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 5 cm high sides or a 23 cm cake tin and line it with baking paper on the base and sides.

Create Homemade Buttermilk:

  • 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.

Whip the Butter and Sugar:

  • Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), pata pīnati (peanut butter), huka hāura (brown sugar), puehu huka (icing sugar), tote (salt) and wanira (vanilla) in 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 after 5 minutes it hasn't reached that state, whip for a couple more minutes.
    This is important because it helps the cake rise well when baking.

Whip in the Eggs:

  • Add a hēki (egg) at a time, whipping for 20 seconds after each egg. 

Add the Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk:

  • Sift in half of the puehu parāoa (flour), and all of the pēkana paura (baking powder) and pēkana houra (baking soda).
    Then pour in half of the buttermilk mixture on top.
  • Āta whētuihia (gently fold it together).
  • Sift in the remaining puehu parāoa (flour) and the rest of the buttermilk mixture.
  • Whētuihia anō kia māene (fold it again until smooth).

Bake the Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake:

  • Pour the ranunga (mixture) in to your prepared tin.
    Smooth out the mixture with a spatula and then bake it gently.
  • If you are baking it as a sheet cake it will take 40-45 minutes to bake.
    If you are baking it in a cake tin it will take 45-55 minutes to bake.
  • Check the keke (cake) at the 45 minutes 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.

Prepare the Chocolate Ganache:

  • Pour around 4 cm of water in to the bottom of a medium pot. Bring it to a simmer over a low heat, you don't want a wild boil here, just a smooth simmer. 
  • Chop the tiakarete pata pīnati (peanut butter chocolate) into small pieces.
    Add the tiakarete (chocolate) and kirīmi (cream) in to a heat proof bowl.
  • Place the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water. 
    Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
  • Melt all of the ingredients together, stirring occasionally until a smooth glossy ganache forms.
    Then remove it from the heat and set aside. 

Poke Holes in to the Baked Cake:

  • Remove the cooked cake from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the tin.
  • Using the end of a wooden spoon (2 cm wide) gently poke deep holes around 2 cm apart all over the cake going ¾'s of the way in to 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 a visual aid).

Add the Chocolate Ganache:

  • 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 all of the holes.
    Drizzle over the extra pata pīnati (peanut butter) and spread it evenly all over the cake.

Cool the Cake:

  • Leave the cake in the tin to completely cool before adding the pani reka tiakarete (chocolate icing).

Make the Chocolate Buttercream:

  • Chop the tiakarete (chocolate) in to fine pieces. Add the pata (butter) and chocolate in to a small pot and gently melt it over low heat on the stove.
    Remove from the heat and cool it for 5 minutes.
  • Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) in a medium bowl.
    Whip it on high for 4 -5 minutes until light and fluffy in colour and texture.
  • Add the cooled tiakarete (chocolate) a tablespoon at a time, whipping well after each addition until it is smooth and fluffy.

Make the Pink Meringue (Optional):

  • If you want to add a bit more flare, make a ⅔ batch of my French meringue recipe using the measurements above.
    Although the quantities are different, the recipe method remains the same. Add the pink gel colouring when you are adding the wanira (vanilla).

Decorate the Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake:

  • Spread the buttercream over the cooled cake with the back of the spoon to create a wispy effect. Pipe on the merenge (meringue) if you are using it.
    Sprinkle with a handful of ruireka (sprinkles) and rau koura (gold leaf).

Store the Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake:

  • Store this keke (cake) in a sealed container in a cool place. 
    It will develop in flavour as it sits and in my opinion is even better a few days after it is baked. It will keep well for up 5 days.
  • In the hotter months you can store the decorated and uncut cake in the refrigerator but bring it to room temperature before eating. 
  • Once it is cut, don't keep it in the fridge as the cake will dry out.