nutella & peanut butter chocolate cake cups

Tis the season for giving and I love nothing more than hand delivering a sweet treat in a jar. There's something about a little individual portion, perfectly made for one person to indulge without busting out the stretchy pants. Also, Nutella. I had you at Nutella, didn't I?

I branched out a bit from my normal 4 ingredient recipes with this one but surprisingly, it really wasn't difficult. And Bear thought it was pretty much the coolest thing ever that this cake has three layers; weeks later and he's still talking about the "crazy cake". Does that make me the crazy cake lady? Probably. I'm okay with that.

This chocolate cake is rich and decadent, topped with a layer of peanut butter frosting and another layer of Nutella buttercream. In the world of desserts, it doesn't get much better. Wrap these little guys up with some pretty Christmas ribbon and your friends & neighbors will love you forever.

This recipe might be a bit confusing because I kind of winged it but just bear with me! Hopefully it will make sense in the end and if not, feel free to ask any questions you might have in the comments!


Start by spraying your mason jars with cooking spray. I used the mini wide mouth jars for this recipe. Preheat the oven to the temperature directed on chocolate cake box mix. 
Line your jars up on a cookie sheet (one that has sides is preferred). 
Mix together cake mix as directed on the box. Pour a very small amount of prepared batter into each jar. It's hard for me to give an exact amount, just realize that the cake will rise and you still need room for two layers of buttercream and pour accordingly.
Set your timer for 15 minutes less than directed on the box. I used a bamboo skewer to test for doneness. Bake longer, if necessary.

While your cakes are cooling, mix up peanut butter & Nutella buttercream using the recipes below.
 

peanut butter buttercream
you'll need:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of salt
instructions:
Cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly add in sugar and salt. Add in cream, mix until combined.

nutella buttercream
you'll need: 
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup Nutella
3 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of salt
instructions:
Cream together butter and Nutella until smooth. Slowly add in sugar and salt. Add in cream, mix until combined.


Add a thin layer of Nutella buttercream to each jar, followed by a peanut butter buttercream layer. Top with chocolate shreds, sprinkles, or whatever you have on hand. Store in the refrigerator until eaten.
Enjoy!
 

Today has been such a busy day, running around trying to get everything ready for our Colorado trip. I'll be back with one more post tomorrow before we head out! For all of our adventures, follow along on Instagram & Snapchat (@brittfullwood). Thanks for stopping by!
xo, Britt