Cake and photo by catwhisper97, Premium Member © Sarah Phillips,CraftyBaking.com Cake frosted with Easy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Frosting and filled with seedless raspberry jam.
The combination of chocolate and peanut butter can't be beat. This cake is so moist and addictive.
CAKE RECIPE HELP
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, cold
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (can substitute with Dutch-processed cocoa)
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup NATURAL crunchy peanut butter, Smucker's Brand in the jar (16 ounces; 1 jar yields 1 1/2 cups), well stirred; measure in dry measuring cup and level to rim SARAH SAYS: For more flavor, use crunchy peanut butter, but you can use smooth
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising); spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts, lightly toasted (optional); measure, chop and lightly toast SARAH SAYS: Toasted peanuts adds so much peanut flavor
NOTES: You can substitute the natural cocoa powder with Dutch-process. Do NOT change the leaveners in the recipe.
Frosting:
1 recipe Easy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Frosting
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Position oven shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Grease two, 9 x 2-inch cake pans. Set aside.
Remove the butter sticks from the refrigerator, and cut into approximately 10 – 12 evenly-sliced pieces. Set aside, and let soften slightly, but must remain cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Whisk in the peanut butter.
In a one-cup measuring cup or a bowl with a pouring spout, with a fork, beat together the eggs and vanilla. Set aside.
2. Into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the sugar. Fit a paddle attachment to the mixer, and mix on low, about 10 to 15 seconds to combine the ingredients. Make sure you get all of the ingredients mixed in from the bottom of the bowl.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter 1 tablespoon or piece at a time at a time into the flour mixture. Keep adding each butter-piece about 10 seconds apart, until all has been incorporated; you should not see any butter pieces in the mixture. The flour mixture should begin to clump together and look moistened slightly.
The mixture after the butter has been added.
Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the cooled cocoa/peanut butter mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, about 10 seconds apart. The flour mixture will clump together.
4. With the mixer speed on low, add the egg mixture slowly at the side of the bowl. Mix until incorporated, taking about 5-10 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the chopped peanuts, if using and mix just to blend.
The fluffy batter, after all of the ingredients have been added and thoroughly mixed together for 1 minute.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and gently smooth the tops. The batter will fill the baking pans about half-full.
Batter divided evenly between two prepared baking pans.
6. Bake for about 25 – 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs but not batter. The sides will shrink slightly from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake. The cake is not a high riser and the cake bakes flat.
7. Remove cakes to cool on wire racks for 10 to 15 minutes and then unmold onto wire cake racks, right-side-up, to cool thoroughly. Be careful, the cakes are delicate when warm.
8. Fill and frost with the Easy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Frosting.
Caryl, Premium Member, Says: When I made this recipe, I torted EACH layer in half and then, filled in between each layer with frosting.
STORAGE
The frosting does not need refrigeration. So the frosted cake can be covered and stored at room temperature. The unfrosted cake layers can be stored at room temperature for a few days, or frozen for a month or more. Thaw at room temperature.
