Peanut Butter Cake

I love peanut butter.  Actually, any nut butter.  I don’t care if its almond, peanut, cashew…I am eating it and I am loving it.  I even devour the fake Goober stuff, with the jelly mixed in. 

I prefer eating it straight up with a spoon, straight from the jar.  I eat anyone and every ones peanut butter.  I have eaten jars of my roommates, my mom stocks up when I visit, my grandma doesn’t even stand a chance.  I might have a problem.  Well, actually, I know its a problem and therefore I don’t keep pb in the house.  Its on the ‘not allowed’  list … along with chocolate ice cream, chewy candy, Doritoes, and Diet Coke.  Substances I can’t, no matter how hard I try, eat in moderation.  Its all or none.  The remaining peanut butter used to make the cake is on the very top shelf of my cupboard…I would need a step stool to to get it down.  And longer arms.  Otherwise…it would be gone. 

So, not a big surprise that I like baking with pb.  This time around its cake.  Peanut butter cake.  Heaven.  Slathered with dark chocolate icing.  Heaven squared.  Do you call it icing or frosting?  Either way its good.  I can eat that with a spoon too.  Heaven help me. 

This here cake is surprisingly light and tender.  Not at all dense, however you will need a tall glass of milk.  Its a rule. 

Lets bake a cake. 

Ok before we begin, can we just take a look at my new favorite measuring spoons.  I love these!  Found them at The World Market…lovely.

Another gander for good measure.  Hahaha…get it?  Hehe. 

Ok, back to the cake.  Doesn’t creamed butter and peanut butter just look, well smooth and creamy?   I feel like I am snooping in on the brown sugar in this picture.  I stunk at taking pictures, so beyond creaming the sugar – imagine eggs and vanilla being creamed in here too. 

Cake flour!!  It makes for a light and fluffy cake.  With this here cake flour, sift in baking powder and salt.   You will alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the creamed butter, eggs, and sugar.  At the end, the batter will look like below.  Like I said before, I forgot to take pictures…I need another set of hands. 

Evenly divide between two prepared pans.  No need to be exact, but get as even as you can.  Now, if you followed directions your oven will be preheated and ready to go.  Or if you are like me and can never quite remember to preheat the oven, wait a few minutes and then place them in your freshly preheated oven.  I think I don’t preheat the oven so I can get another shot at eating more batter.  Yeah I am a batter eater…don’t judge me.   Raw eggs don’t scare me. 

Peanut Butter Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting

Makes 2 – 8 in. round cakes

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 + 1/2 Cups Cake Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter – room temperature
• 1 + 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 + 1/4  Cup Whole Milk

Frosting

• 1 Cup Butter ( 2 sticks) – room temperature
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 + 1/2 Cups Special Dark Hershey’s Cocoa
• 1/2 Cup Whole Milk ( don’t use skim – eck!)
• 4 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter (or Pam Spray) 2 – 8 inch round pans and flour.  Placing a round piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, will make cake extraction easier. 

In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and peanut butter until until smooth.  Beat in sugar and vanilla until combined.  Beat in eggs, one at at time.  Mix thoroughly.  Scraping the sides and bottom as you go. 

Blend in the flour mixture and milk, alternating – starting and ending with flour.  1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour mixture.  Found that this works best. 

Evenly divide cake batter between the two prepared cake pans.  Spread evenly and place in preheated oven.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Do not over bake!!!!  It will dry out quickly.  When toothpick is inserted, a few crumbs should remain stuck to toothpick.  When done, remove from oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before turning out and letting cool completely on wire racks. 

While cooling, prepare frosting. 

In a large bowl, cream together butter, vanilla, and cocoa powder until combined.  Slowly add confectioner’s sugar in several installments.  Add milk and beat until smooth.  Taste, if you want it sweeter, add more sugar, or would like it of thinner consistency…add more milk.  It is forgiving to a point.

Ice cake when completely cool. 

Enjoy!