Method

 Preheat the oven to 180oC fan and line 2 x 20cm loose bottomed round cake tins.

Place the Manilife rich cocoa smooth peanut butter, groundnut oil, dark soft brown sugar, eggs and milk into a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Then with either a set of electric beaters or with the stand mixers beater attachment, beat together until everything is thoroughly combined.

Measure all the dry ingredients into a bowl before sifting into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix together to combine before finally beating in the boiling water to create a smooth chocolatey mixture.

Transfer and divide between the two sandwich tins and bake for approx 30 minutes or until the cake has risen and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before removing the cake and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cakes have cooled, level their tops off with a sharp bread knife. Place one layer on to a 20 cm cake board to make it easier to move and display later.

Mix the coffee and sugar together with the boiling water and paint over the tops of each sponge layer to create an extra moist coffee infused sponge. Leave to soak into the sponges while you roughly chop some of the Manilife cocoa dusted peanuts. Next spread just over half the Manilife deep roast smooth peanut butter over one surface of the cakes and every scatter over the chopped nuts. Place the other cake later on top, ensuring the base is on the top to create a flat even surface. Place the cake in the fridge to chill while you make the peanut butter ganache.

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl. Set over a pan of gently simmering water and allow to melt slowly, stirring occasionally until very smooth. Add the Manilife rich cocoa smooth peanut butter and stir to fully combine and melt together. Remove the bowl from the heat and remove the cake from the fridge.

Place your cake on the cake board on to a sheet of parchment paper and carefully pour the ganache over the top of the cake and using a small palette knife smooth over the surface allowing the mixture to fall down and cover the sides of the cake. Use your palette knife to evenly cover both the top and sides of the cake. Leave to set while you prepare your decorations.

Mix together the Manilife deep roast smooth peanut buttering and icing sugar, sifted into a bowl to create a thick peanut butter dough. Once thoroughly combined pick the dough up in your hands and knead together briefly. Place on to a sheet of parchment paper with another placed on top and roll out to the thickness of approx 0.5cm. Remove the top layer of parchment and cut out a large gingerbread man. Remove the trimmings to leave your gingerbread man sat within the cutter. Before placing it on the cake, dust the surface of your cake with icing sugar to look like flour or snow! Next carefully position and place your gingerbread man on the centre of the cake. Before decorating with your Manilife cocoa dusted peanuts to create the buttons and eyes. Mix together the icing sugar and water to create a thick paste and place this in a disposable piping bag, cut down to size. Cut a small tip off the end and then pipe a smile and decorative trimmings to your gingerbread man. Enjoy with a gingerbread latte and scoop of ice-cream in the shape of a snowball!