Description
This Peanut Butter Cake is a rich, moist dessert featuring creamy peanut butter infused into both the cake and frosting. The cake combines classic baking ingredients with peanut butter for a deeply satisfying flavor, topped with a luscious peanut butter frosting and garnished with roasted peanuts for added texture and taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 Tbsp buttermilk (more if frosting is too stiff)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Garnish
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray to ensure the cake releases easily after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later.
- Heat Butter and Water: In a medium to large saucepan, heat the unsalted butter and water over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat immediately.
- Add Peanut Butter and Oil: Whisk the creamy peanut butter and vegetable oil into the hot butter-water mixture until smooth and fully combined. Let it cool for a few minutes.
- Incorporate Eggs, Buttermilk, and Vanilla: Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract into the peanut butter mixture until you have a smooth wet batter.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and gently whisk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cake tender.
- Pour and Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared 9×13 pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a cooling rack while you prepare the frosting.
- Make the Frosting: In a saucepan, combine the unsalted butter, creamy peanut butter, and buttermilk. Heat until it comes to a full boil, then remove from heat. Beat in the vanilla extract and sifted confectioner’s sugar, adding the sugar gradually until the frosting is smooth. For a more pourable consistency, gently rewarm the frosting on low heat while stirring constantly or add a splash more buttermilk if too stiff.
- Frost the Cake: Pour the warm frosting evenly over the warm cake quickly before it sets, spreading it as needed.
- Garnish: Sprinkle the roasted peanuts evenly over the top of the frosted cake for added crunch and flavor.
Notes
- You may use chunky peanut butter in the cake mixture for extra texture, but smooth peanut butter is recommended for the frosting for a creamier finish.
- If the frosting is too stiff, add more buttermilk a little at a time to achieve the desired spreadable consistency.
- Make sure the eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature for better mixing and texture.
- Use unsalted butter to control the saltiness and ensure balance with the peanut butter’s natural salt content.
- Spraying the pan with nonstick spray or greasing it well prevents the cake from sticking during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
