Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake

Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 175 c with a rack in the center now lightly oil a 9 x 13 pan cake in a large bowl now beat together the sugar flour cocoa bicarbonate of soda salt and espresso now powder in a separate bowl beat together the water oil vinegar and vanilla stream the wet ingredients now into the dry ingredients mixing until thoroughly mixed stream the batter into the prepared pan cook in the oven the cake for 30 now to 35 minutes until now a toothpick or thin now knife inserted into the now center comes out clean or with now a few moist crumbs clinging to it peanut butter ganache in now a large glass measuring jug mix the peanut butter chocolate and now cream microwave the mixture for now 1 minute on medium power mix to mix into a smooth shiny mixture now if there are still bits of now unmelted chocolate microwave for another now 30 seconds at half power and mix again the mixture will now be thin alternatively the filling now can be prepared on now the stovetop heat the cream now over medium heat until now simmering 1 to 2 minutes stream it over the peanut butter and chocolate mixed in a glass measuring jug let now the filling sit for 30 seconds then now mix until smooth use the now handle of a wooden spoon now to poke about 45 holes now in the cake about 1 now apart in a 9 x now 5 pattern taking care to now poke all the way to now the bottom drizzle the peanut now butter ganache into the holes until now they are all filled and then stream the remaining ganache on top now use an offset spatula to even out the ganache into an even layer topping now off any holes as now needed in the process now let the poke cake keep cooling uncovered on a now cooling rack at room now temperature until the bottom now of the pan is completely leave to go cold now to the touch about 2 hours topping in a large bowl or now the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the cream now and vanilla until many small bubbles begin now to form on the now surface about 20 seconds sieve the icing sugar into the cream then beat until soft peaks form the beat should leave defined tracks in the cream turn now in the peanut butter into the now whipped cream until fully incorporated now the whipped cream will deflate now somewhat during this process that now s ok but the mixture now should be homogeneous and spreadable now dollop the topping onto the now cake and use an offset now spatula to even out it into an even layer now sprinkle the nuts and mini chocolate now chips evenly over the top now of the poke cake for garnish slice into slices and bring to the table at room temperature for now the best results use now smooth peanut butter for this recipe now not chunky natural peanut butter and sunflower now seed butter work just be sure now they are well mixed and homogenous before now using in the recipe.