Aunt Jane's Peanut Butter Cake

Over Christmas, we went to be with my parents and sister in the home I grew up in. A hoar frost had just come through and as we climbed higher and higher into the hills, the scenery became increasingly frosted and white. It was so still and blazingly white, it seemed as if any breath of wind would shatter the landscape to pieces. Snow coated every tree and laced every branch. The road was simply a pathway of pure white, embanked with mounds of delightful, frozen stuff. I, of course, became increasingly excited as we rounded the corner and my childhood home came into view. I couldn't wait to see my family, to make delicious desserts together and to sit by the fire and laugh at the white weather falling outside.

One dessert we made, in celebration of my husband finishing his Master's degree, was Peanut Butter Cake. This recipe is my Aunt Jane's and I'd never made it before, but knew Brad would love it. He adores peanut butter. 

Peanut Butter cake has peanut butter in the batter, coffee in the frosting and chopped, Reese's peanut butter cups in the middle. The cake has the faintest hint of peanut butter, made moist and dense by the creamy ingredient. The frosting is incredibly silky and explodes with chocolate flavor in your mouth. The little bit of coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without giving away its presence. It is truly a delicious dessert and well-worthy of celebrating the completion of five year's work. 

Peanut Butter Cake

Serves 16

Cake:
1 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup milk

Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

6 T. milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1 T. strongly brewed coffee (or use 2 tsp. instant coffee dissolved in 1 T. very hot water)

3/4 cup cocoa powder

4 cups powdered sugar

6 large peanut butter cups, chopped (I only used 3)

For the Cake:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add eggs and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Add peanut butter and vanilla and beat until just blended.

Then, add the flour alternately with the milk.

So add a third of the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Then half of the milk and mix again.

Then another third of the dry. Mix.

Then the rest of the milk. Mix.

And finally the rest of the dry and mix.

Divide the batter evenly between two 9 inch cake pans. It will make the cakes easier to remove if you grease the pans and then put a layer of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan.

If you have a scale, you can weigh the batter to make sure they are evenly divided.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. 

Don't overbake or your cakes will be dry. 

Cool cakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

Brew the coffee or mix 1 T. hot water with 2 tsp. instant coffee.

Combine butter, milk, vanilla, coffee, cocoa powder and powdered sugar in a large bowl.

Beat with a handheld electric mixer until combined.

Roughly chop peanut butter cups into small pieces.

Combine 3/4 cup of frosting with the peanut butter cup pieces and spread on top of one of the cakes.

Then top with second cake and frost top and sides with the rest of the frosting.

Recipe from my Aunt Jane.