Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

Annie's Eats

My hope is to inspire you to be fearless in the kitchen, to try new things, to take the time to make things the homemade way and most importantly, to have fun doing it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

103 comments

posted in: Cakes, Chocolate, Dessert

04.10

2009

My pal Chelle and I decided to bake something together again, and it was my turn to pick. In celebration of her former nut allergy being completely gone, I decided this would be the ultimate treat for her (and me too, of course.) We both love Oreos and peanut butter, and of course the peanut butter-chocolate combo is hard to resist. This consists of an Oreo crust filled with a light, rich peanut butter mousse, topped with chocolate ganache and chopped roasted peanuts – it’s every bit as delicious as it sounds! I was a bit worried that the peanut butter flavor would be too strong, but the mousse is lightened up nicely with the whipped cream and confectioners’ sugar.

Originally I had intended to make this in mini-springform pans but then couldn’t find all of them, so I just made the full-size. I tasted a piece and sent it off to work with Ben where, I am told, it was a real hit. The only change I made was to increase the amount of Oreo crust by about a third. Some Tuesdays With Dorie members warned me that the original amount might not be sufficient and they were correct. I have altered the recipe below to reflect my changes. This is sure to be a hit with just about anyone and if it is not, I would check for a pulse.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

Ingredients

32 Oreo cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups salted peanuts, finely chopped, divided (for the filling, crunch and topping)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. espresso powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (not natural)
2 tbsp. whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Combine the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.
To make the crunch, in another small bowl combine 1/2 cup of the chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips, sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss with a fork to mix and set aside.
To prepare the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a separate bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Wipe out (do not wash) the mixer bowl, replace the whisk with the paddle attachment, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, whole milk, and 1/4 cup of the chopped peanuts until well combined.
Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about 1/4 of the whipped cream just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream. Scrape the mousse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.
To finish the torte, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan. Bring the 1/2 cup of cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and, working with a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and smooth.
Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, at least 20 minutes. When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the springform pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source

adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

http://veggiegirlvegan.blogspot.com VeggieGirl

NICE choice for celebrating a former nut allergy – ultimate indulgence!! Holy yum.
http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com Tracey

Gorgeous! This has been one of my favorite Tuesdays with Dorie recipes! Glad you enjoyed it too :)
http://lepetitpierogi.blogspot.com Kristen

Oh my goodness this looks amazing….this would be my ideal dessert! I’ll have to try it soon…yum!!!
http://veggiegirlvegan.blogspot.com VeggieGirl

By the way, how did the nut allergy go away??
http://bakeitafterall.blogspot.com/ Meghan

Your torte is gorgeous!!! The crust looks so smooth and perfect. Unfortunately my nut allergy will never go away, but I could adapt this recipe to be nut-free I’m sure!
http://mangiodasola.blogspot.com Memoria

YUM!!
Lori

I don’t have espresso powder. Would it be OK to leave it out or should I sub something else for it? And if I leave it out, should I leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg, too?
Annie

Hi Lori,
I think you could just omit the espresso powder and it would be fine. I honestly didn’t notice it in the flavor (I wasn’t really trying to taste it though). It is only 1/2 teasoon in a very large quantity of filling. I would still do the cinnamon and nutmeg though, no need to leave them out!
:) Annie
Annie

VeggieGirl,
Unfortunately I have no good explanation! Her allergy seemed unusual in that it didn’t appear until her 20s, so it seems to be an odd case. I’m just happy it went away ;)
:) Annie
http://karaskitchencreations.blogspot.com/ Kara

Oh man, I am in trouble with this one! It looks so good that I just have to make it even though my hips are telling me no. Thanks for all the fabulous recipes!
http://jennyisluckyinlove@blogspot.com Jennifer

Um…my mouth dropped open when I saw this pic. I’m definitely going to be making it!
http://missysmixingbowl.blogspot.com missy

OH. MY. GOODNESS. That lookes like heaven!!!
http://www.cakebatterandbowl.com Kerstin

It sounds AMAZING Annie! Definitely the perfect way to be celebrate being able to eat nuts again :)
oneparticularkitchen

This is jaw-dropping. Seriously. OMG!
Sarah

Dang. That looks rich as a dog and super awesome!
Erin K.

Holy Moley! This looks amazing. Wife, mother, doctor, chef, baker… is there anything you don’t do well?!
http://primadharma.blogspot.com Erin

I will be visiting this torte in my dreams tonight. ahhhhhhh sooo delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://amritac.wordpress.com/ Amrita

OMG! That looks soooooooo decadent! I could dig in right now!
http://cupcakemuffin.blogspot.com sara

YUM, this looks so gorgeous!!
http://www.chantelklassen.com chantelklassen

Just stumbled across your blog and have now gone through the entire thing and opened a million tabs with recipes to try! I’ll be back!
oneordinaryday

Oh my gosh, that first photo is amazing. It makes me wish I had a great big slice right now. Great job!
Michelle
http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/
http://natalieskillercuisine.blogspot.com Natalie

That looks beautiful, delicious, and did I say delicious? I can resist peanut butter temptations, and chocolate temptations, but together? Too delicious to pass up!!
http://baseballbakingandbooks.com ingrid

Yum that looks awesome! Peanut butter and chocolate are wonderful together!
~ingrid
Pingback: Chocolate Links for Easter Weekend : Chocolate Bytes - All about chocolate - history, uses, recipes and everything else your heart and stomach desire!
http://pookiepantry.blogspot.com/ rita

wow, this looks absolutely amazing. i want to make it right now. and then eat it all right now! :-)
http://www.kokoskitchen.com Koko

Oh my….this looks like a slice of heaven!!!!!!
http://www.browneyedbaker.com Chelle

This looks great Annie! Such a great pick, I loved it too. Good call on upping the amount of crust… mine was just a tad skimpy, but I’m a crust girl so I could always go for more ;-)
Pingback: Chocolately, Eastery Week « Alluring Fixations
http://www.wheresmydamnanswer.com Cathy – wheresmydamnanswer

I am utterly speechless over this one – OMG it looks so incredible!
http://sweetsavorysouthern.wordpress.com Renea

Oh my goodness! This looks sinful. Yum!
brooksie

I made this as one of our desserts for Easter, it was a huge hit! Thanks for the great recipe.
http://www.kevnkoi.blogspot.com Katrina

That. looks. amazing! Mmmmm!
http://www.rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com Rosa

Oh my goodness! this looks fantastic and as perfect as in Dorie Greenspan’s book! A scrumptious torte…

Cheers,

Rosa
http://carascreaturecomforts.blogspot.com Cara

This looks amaaaazing. I can’t make it because I would want to eat it all! Saving it for a special occasion. I am trying your strawberry lemonade cupcakes this weekend and am really excited about them! I am going to do half with the syrup and half without, I think.
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km

this looks absolutely delicious! i’m bookmarking it and making it soon :D just one question though; is the torte difficult to slice? the chocolate lid looks like it might take some effort to slice so that it doesn’t shatter. will taking it out of the fridge much earlier before serving help?
emi

I would like to make this torte. Could this torte be left out (a few hours) or must it be refrigerated? Thanks.
Annie

Hi KM,
The topping is ganache, which is composed of heavy cream and chocolate. Because it is not pure chocolate, it is actually soft and very easy to cut. You do not need to remove it from the fridge in advance of serving.
:) Annie
Annie

Hi emi,
I would not recommend leaving this torte out at room temperature for any length of time. Mousse is intended to be served cold, and ganache should be chilled to keep the texture. Also, the filling contains heavy cream and cream cheese, both dairy products that should be refrigerated. I suppose it is up to your own judgement, but both for optimal taste and safety reasons, I would keep it chilled.
:) Annie
http://ourlifeinfood.wordpress.com Carrie

This looks so amazing! I’m not sure that I’ve seen a better looking dessert!
http://delishfood.wordpress.com ash

wow. looks amazing!
http://amberskitchen.blogspot.com Amber

This looks and sounds amazing! I am definitely going to have to make it sometime this summer.
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emi

Thanks Annie! I made the torte for a cakewalk and it was so beautiful and delicious looking that I had my whole family participate in the cakewalk to win it back. After several tries–we won! It was worth it! I had leftover filling (mousse) when making the torte so I put it in parfait glasses and topped with oreo crumbles and nuts–very good!
http://haveabanditday.blogspot.com Teresa

I made this over the weekend and brought it into work on Monday. It was a hit! And I just had someone stop me and tell me that she was very impressed with how amazing it looked (totally a first because I while I can bake, I do NOT decorate!) :) Thanks for the recipe.

And on an unrelated note, I am happy to see your recipes for baby food. They are so much less intimidating and fuss-free than so many other sites I came across when we first started our daughter on solids. When we get around to baby #2, I am definitely giving them a try!
Also Annie

So this might be a really silly question but do you use the whoel oreo or just the cookie part?

Thanks

Also annie
Annie

Hi Annie,
Not a silly question at all! I use the whole Oreo cookie, and it turns out just fine. I used to remove the filling beforehand, but have found it to be unnecessary.
:) Annie
Lanie

Mmmm…this looks fabulous! Is there a reason why you can’t use natural peanut butter? I really can’t stand that processed stuff.
Annie

Hi Lanie,
The recipe does not state that you can’t use natural peanut butter, but it does have a different consistency from regular store-bought, so I guess that would be your call.
:) Annie
Malin

Yum yum gimme some! Looks absolutely delicious! I’ll be making this as a post-birthday cake for myself…
Laura

I would like to thank you Annie for ruining my diet hehehe That torte looks mouthwatering!!! *digs out her pots and pans*
mkc3888

I usually don’t leave comments, but this torte is AMAZING! Thanks for the great recipe.
http://crackedcheesecake.wordpress.com Connie

I just made this for our Christmas party and it was delicious! My only problem was that the ganache never completely set. Is that the nature of ganache? Should I have frozen it? Thank you for your help!
Annie

Connie,
Glad you enjoyed it! I have no idea why the ganache would not set, especially if you chilled it. Freezing should not be necessary. Did you substitute any of the ingredients with something else (like use something besides heavy cream)? This is the ganache recipe I use routinely because I always have great success with it.
http://magnoliamom.com Magnolia Mom

My mouth is totally watering! I need to find an occasion to make this for sure.
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Estie

Hi Annie-This looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, but my hubby is DEATHLY allergic to peanuts-any ideas for a great substitution? Love your site so much!
Annie

Hi Estie,
For a dessert like this that has peanuts ALL over it and in it, there isn’t really any substitute that would be adequate. My advice would be to make this for yourself when your husband isn’t around, or just find another awesome decadent dessert that doesn’t feature peanuts like this one. Maybe this brownie mosaic cheesecake? It’s pretty amazing.
http://cakesnthings.blogspot.com/ Casie

*writes on to try list* man with your blog my to try list jut got like 8 pages longer! This looks amazing and can’t wait to try it!
http://castlefarmcookbook.blogspot.com/ Ryann

I made this last night – it came out perfectly and was delicious! i brought it to work and was “yelled at” for not bringing milk though, haha.
http://multiplydelicious.com/ Heather

Oh my! This looks absolutely heavenly. My husband would love this since it combines all his favorites. Again, amazing and I can’t wait to try it.
http://fortheloveofkidsandfood.blogspot.com Miranda

Oh. I must say, this is one of the most beautiful tortes I have ever seen! Very lovely. I can’t wait to try it!!!! :)))
http://ems-premature-eblogulation.blogspot.com/ Mhe-Lhanee Benito

WOW!!!! How decadent!!! I will definitely definitely definitely try this one!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
http://www.spinachtiger.com Angela@spinachtiger

This looks exquisitely delicious. My husband would go crazy for it.
http://www.youtube.com/linnlar Linn @ Swedish home cooking

wohoo, decadent. I just made a little swedish cupcake for my online cooking show. Please check it out!
http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.blogspot.com Jane

OMG! I will have to make this soon! Peanut butter and chocolate is my favorite combination!
http://www.mysweetgems.com Jessie @ My Sweet Gems

Wow that looks great! My mom is a huge PB fan and this might just make her day.
http://www.branappetit.wordpress.com Brandi

This looks fantastic. And I might be able to convince my husband to try this. He loves peanut butter, but not many peanut butter desserts. This may change his mind.
http://pioneervalleyma.blogspot.com ValleyWriter

Oh My! This looks absolutely incredible!
http://www.tokissthecook.blogspot.com To Kiss The Cook

After months of looking for an excuse to try this, I put it together Thursday night. It was gifted to a group of friends in town last night and to say it was a massive hit doesn’t quite cut it. “All that ever was and ever will be good in the world” and “if sex were cake it would have an Oreo crust” were my favorites. Thank you for this!!
Chloe

You are so good at doing the crust. Mine always turn out too thick on the bottom and in the corners and really thin on the sides, yours looks perfect…I’m so jealous!
Tracy

I made this on Saturday for my daughter’s birthday dessert, and it came out perfectly, looked exactly like your photo and everyone was impressed. Some of us enjoyed it (probably too much) and others found it a bit too rich to eat more than a couple bites. I think if I make it again I will leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg (I already left out the espresso powder), since I thought it was kind of distracting to the peanut butter flavor. Overall, though, I really liked it – thanks for sharing the recipe and great photos!
http://miss-coco-bakes.blogspot.com Coco

I made it yesterday- it’s one of THE BEST cakes I’ve ever made, and I made thousands of cakes. Thank you for this recipe, this cake is AMAZING.
Abby

What would happen if you forgot the freezing step? :) Is it going to fall apart when I cut into it?
Annie

Yeah, it probably won’t slice nicely.
http://rachelsmiles.com RachelSmiles

Hi Annie! I know you posted this recipe forever ago, but I was wondering if you think this would hold up for two days in the fridge. Like make the mousse one day, add the ganache the next day and then serve the following day?
We are having an event at my office and I know this will be a crowd pleaser! I love all your reicpes!
Thanks!
Annie

Sure!
Christina Madison

Annie- not sure if you get late replies like this. When I made this the first time my crust stuck to the pan (non-stick springform and was buttered). Any ideas why or what I can do differently? Does it need to return to room temp before releasing the ring? Too much crust? I didn’t have an issue with the brownie mosaic cheesecake crust so it makes me wonder if the filling from the oreos caused it to stick? I really want to make it again for a harvest party tomorrow night and am looking for clues. Thanks!
Annie

Are you talking about the sides of the springform or the bottom? You definitely should cool the crust before removing the sides of the pan. If you had problems with the bottom sticking, I usually like to line my pan with parchment paper just to be on the safe side. I make Oreo crusts all the time and don’t have problems with sticking so I’m guessing it was not letting it cool that was the issue.
Christina Madison

Hmm no the sides totally stuck to the pan and pulled off of the cake – about 3/4 of the outside were destroyed. It was thoroughly cooled in the fridge before I took the ring off – just wondered if I should have let it return to room temp before releasing it instead of it being so cold. I guess I will just try it again.
Annie

Hmm, that is strange, I’m not sure what to tell you. Maybe just even more butter next time, and a very gentle touch. Good luck!
https://smsprayhealth.wordpress.com/ Suzanne Spray

I made this today for our Christmas dessert. It is truly amazing! :) I highly recommend this! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Erik

Just made this over the weekend – everyone LOVED it! I found the filling to be a bit ‘loose’ and made it difficult to cut, especially with the Ganache on top – it kind of ‘mushed a bit’. Based on my previous experience, next time (about 2 weeks from now actually), I’m going to try whipping my cream to stiffer peaks and adding a packet or two of gelatin to the cream (a trick I learned awhile ago) for added stiffness and stability. Some of my family do not like peanuts, but do like peanut butter, so I left them out, increased the amount of mini chocolate chips to 1 cup in the filling and topped the ganache with shaved white chocolate. Awsome. Several people said this was restaurant quality. Thanks for passing along a great recipe.
So happy!

Annie, thank you so much for posting this – I made everything but the ganache last night and it is currently in my refrigerator waiting for me to finish it tonight! A very easy recipe for someone who loves cooking but is working out of a student kitchen :-) You are about to make my roommate VERY happy!
Lauren

I have a nut allergy that I developed in my 20s, too. I’m practically in anaphylactic shock just looking at this picture. If you adapt this to be nut-free, you must share.
Greg

When you make the crust, do you just use the oreos without the filling? If so, do you use both top and bottom of 32 cookies, or is it 32 pieces? Can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Annie

I don’t bother removing the filling. It takes too much time and never seems to make much difference!
Jennifer

I made this for a dessert potluck and it was the hit of the party! I’ve never made ganache so I was leery, but it was super easy. I made it without the espresso, but next time I make this I think I will substitute kahlua for the milk and maybe add some into the ganache. Also, (for cost reasons only) I plan to use pre-made whipped cream and possibly substitute regular chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate. The torte came out a little less firm that I had anticipated, but maybe it just didn’t have enough time to refrigerate. Not sure. This was beautiful and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!!!
http://www.livelovepasta.com Kelly

Hi Annie, made this cake over the weekend and it could be the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Followed the recipe exactly and loved it. We served for a party after letting it sit only 4 hours but it would have been better if we waited overnight. Either way it was delicious!
Adelle

This torte was SO GOOD. I loved it and so did all my friends! I didnt have the espresso so I left it out, but it was still very good. I also only had semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate, so I combined them for the ganache. it would’ve been better if I had left the unsweetened out though. It made the top too bitter.
http://thelistninja.com The Ninja

I tried this last weekend and WOW!
I love Stumble, always finding new recipes.
http://www.themaczkafamily.blogspot.com Meredith M

This looked too good not to make. But, it was going to be a stretch for me. I even had to Google “Spring Form Pan” to find out what it was! After realizing I didn’t have one, going to the store and buying one, I made an attempt to recreate this beauty. Luck must have been on my side! It turned out delicious and my guests even made the comment that “This is as good, if not better than anything you can order in a restaurant.” That seemed like a stretch to me…but who am I to turn down a compliment?
Angel Shadoff

I took this to a dinner party last week – huge hit! I have no idea what it tasted like since I didn’t get any – but everyone else loved it!
http://frillsandfrolic.blogspot.com Amanda

Thank you so much for featuring this recipe! I loved it so much that I had to make it twice!

I blogged about it and linked back to you for the recipe

Thank you for sharing!

Amanda

http://frillsandfrolic.blogspot.com/2011/10/delish-dish-chocolate-peanut-butter.html
Julie Y

Made this for Canadian Thanksgiving. We ommitted the crunch to save some calories and we halved the mousse. It’s such a rich dessert!

Just a comment that would be super helpful because I make so many of your recipes, it would be awesome if you could put a yield in your recipes. Just to give an idea of how many servings ‘ish it might make.
http://mamasgottabake.wordpress.com Mama’s Gotta Bake

Seriously! That’s the most amazing cake. I was looking for a dessert for a dinner party next Saturday, and I think I just found it!
Mindy

Wowwwwwwwwwwww. It looks amazing. Especially the peanut butter mousse/filling. It looks very rich.

QUESTION:
So would I be able to JUST make the filling if one day I wanted to have only peanut butter mousse? Like, I just use the ingredients for the mousse, and then only follow the third paragraph in the instructions, which is the paragraph where you tell us how to make the filling?

Because, really, I do NOT want to miss out on that mousse. I would love to have it and top it with some Oreos and nuts, as one reader said.
Picky Palate, a food blog, has tons of peanut butter + chocolate recipes, and tons of recipes with Oreos, too! You should check it out!
Annie

Sure, you could make just the filling. I am familiar with Picky Palate.
Lacey

First I have to say thank-you for creating this recipe, it is what I have been searching for. Explanation… my high-school best friend’s dad used to make this for me for my birthday every year and even after we went away from college we would come home for easter break and there would be a “birthday cake” at her house waiting for me. Over time I lost touch with my friend and sadly i found out her dad past away but i couldn’t go see her because it the same day i was in the hospital having my first baby. I never got the recipe he used and have tried to copy many times and this is the first time anyone has come close. i don’t know if it is the espresso, cinnamon and nutmeg because they are a change from the others i have tried and the reason i decided to one more time recreate this nostalgic dessert. thank you.
Jessica

So I guess this feel like a really really silly question….. buuuutttt… when the recipe calls for the finely processed oreo cookies, does that include the white filling part as well?
Annie

You can leave the filling in.
Anonymous

It’s probably fine, the most important thing is just to make sure it is completely evenly mix. The paddle is the standard attachment though, I would be surprised if your mixer hadn’t come with it.
Anonymous

Hi Mariah,
You should still be able to make it. Please see the FAQ page for more info. Enjoy!