"Death by Chocolate" Cake

1. Make the ganache. In a medium size saucepan bring the cream and sugar to simmer, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, add chopped chocolate and let stand for a minute. Whisk until smooth, add peanut butter and mix until smooth and glossy. Set aside to chill and set while you make the cake.
2. Pre heat the oven to 180C. Butter and line with parchment paper two 18 cm cake pans.
3. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large sauce pan at low heat. Set aside to cool.
4. In a bowl of a stand mixer beat the eggs and both sugars until light and airy.
5. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
6. Pour the chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mixture and beat on medium speed until smooth. Sift in the dry ingredients, and mix until the batter is smooth. Divide equally between prepared pans and bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool the baked layers in the pans for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling wrack to cool completely.
7. While the cake layers are cooling, make the frosting. Melt the chocolate in double boiler* or in the microwave. Set aside to let it cool to a room temperature.
8. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder in few batches. Beat for few minutes, until well blended. Mix in the melted and cooled chocolate, and vanilla. Add the cream and liqueur (or vodka) and beat for couple of minutes more until the frosting is smooth. 
9. To assemble the cake, slice each layer horizontally so you will have four tin layers for the cake.
10. Place first layer on a cake plate or a board. Cover the layer with an even coat of frosting and 1/3 of the ganache filling. Repeat until you've covered three layers. Place the last layer on top, cut side down. Spread the remaining frosting (save some for decoration) evenly all around the cake.
11. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill, and make the chocolate glaze.
12. Melt the chocolate and butter in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Let it cool. It will thicken a little but it will still be pourable. 
13. Pour the cooled chocolate glaze over the chilled cake, let it run down the sides. Use offset spatula to smooth the top of the cake. Decorate the cake with leftover frosting.

*Double boiler method

Place a heatproof bowl over a sauce pan. Fill the pan with water, without letting the water level come up to the bowl. Bring the water to a boil, and then let it simmer so that steam heats the bowl and melt the chocolate.

Happy baking!