Nov 04 2013 Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Icing

Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingI’ve been wanting to take the chocolate sheet cake recipe I’ve made for my entire married life—the same sheet cake recipe my mother-in-law handed me when I became engaged to her son, the same sheet cake that has gotten me through some wild ups and downs in life, the same sheet cake recipe that should be canonized it’s so delicious and perfect, if a recipe could even be canonized, which it couldn’t, but that’s how good it is—and turn it into a peanut butter version, but for some unknown reason, I never have done it. Until yesterday. And I’ll just say it: Yesterday was my very favorite day ever. Come along! I’ll show you why! Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingHere’s what you need for the cake: Flour, sugar, salt, butter, peanut butter, baking soda, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Amen. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingStart with just under 2 sticks of butter. I actually tried it with 2 full sticks, but wound up deciding it needed a little less because I wanted to add more peanut butter and I didn’t want the cake to be too oily. Boy, that was a long explanation. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingWhen the butter melts… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingGrab some peanut butter… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingAnd measure half a cup. (Note: I used a 1/3 cup measure here, heaped it in there, then wound up wanting more peanut butter flavor in the case. Hence the half cup measure.) (Boy, that was a long explanation.) Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingPlop the peanut butter into the pan with the butter… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingAnd stir it till it’s smooth. And this right here is pretty much the only difference between the chocolate sheet cake and this peanut butter version: Instead of adding cocoa at this stage, I added peanut butter. A simple change that completely alters the entire cake. Just like that bottle of Sun-In completely altered my entire head of hair in the summer of 1985. But that’s another story for another time. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingPour in the boiling water… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingThen let the mixture bubble up for about 10 seconds or so before turning off the heat and setting it aside. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingNow make the buttermilk mixture! Add 2 eggs to the buttermilk… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingAlong with baking soda… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingAnd vanilla. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingWhisk it around and set it aside. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingFor the dry ingredients, mix 2 cups flour… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingWith 2 cups sugar… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingAnd 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingStir it around… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingThen pour in the peanut butter mixture… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingAnd stir it until it’s halfway combined. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingNext, pour the buttermilk mixture into the peanut butter… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingAnd gently fold it together… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingUntil it’s all combined. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingNow, pour the luscious batter into a half-sheet pan, also known as a sheet cake pan, also known as a sheet pan, also known as an 18 x 12-inch pan you can get at restaurant supply stores or kitchen stores, also known as I have an addiction to these and use them for everything. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingAnd speaking of everything…this batter is everything. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingSmooth it all out so the surface is even, then violently place it into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingWhile the cake was baking, I made the icing so that I could get it on the warm cake right out of the oven. But rather than make a matching peanut butter frosting, which I was afraid would be too overwhelming, I stuck with the regular chocolate icing that goes with the chocolate sheet cake. You know why? Because…”Two great tastes that taste great together!” If you can name the product that goes with that jingle, you watched way too much TV in the early eighties. Like me. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingPlace just under 2 sticks of butter in the same saucepan, which you just washed because you didn’t want to dirty another pan because your sink’s already full of enough dirty dishes. Boy, that was a long explanation. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingMelt the butter… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingThen add 4 heaping tablespoons of cocoa. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingWhisk it together… Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate IcingThen add 6 tablespoons of milk. I put my milk in this little cow creamer, because it absolutely cracks me up to watch milk pour out of the cow’s mouth. I’m easily entertained. And here’s where my being married to a cattle rancher messes with me. I think to myself, milk would never come out of a cow’s mouth. Cows don’t drink milk. Cows eat grass. Now, calves drink milk. Calves drink milk a lot, as long as they’re still nursing. So really, these should be CALF creamers, not COW creamers. But even then, milk would be going INTO a calf’s mouth, not out. If milk were coming out of a calf’s mouth, the calf would probably be sick. Which makes me want to stop talking about it and get out there and doctor the sick calf. Even though the sick calf only exists in my mind. Goodbye.