Peanut Butter Layer Cake
Every peanut butter lover simply has to experience this amazing peanut butter layer cake. It’s fluffy and moist, bursting with the full rich flavour, yet it’s not heavy. The peanut butter frosting is airy and light and not overly sweet. Eat one forkful and you’ll want another and another, slice after slice! So if you crave peanut butter (or anything made with it)–you simply have to try this peanut butter layer cake now!
What Ingredients do I Need to Make Peanut Butter Layer Cake?
You only need a few simple staples to whip up one of these peanut butter layers cakes! They are:
- All purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Peanut butter
- Oil
- Vanilla
- Butter
- Milk
- Icing sugar
- Boiling water
Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter?
Yes you can! As long as you stir it very well until it’s smooth, you can use it in both the cake batter and the frosting. You won’t even notice any difference.
What Makes the Frosting so Light?
The secret to making this frosting so light and airy is the boiling water. Trickling it into the frosting while the beaters are whipping on high speed gives it that creamy texture. Because the beaters are whipping so fast, adding the boiling water in gradually somewhat emulsifies it into the fats, and you end up with a heavenly fluff that’s lighter than air.
Do I Need to Refrigerate it?
You do not need to refrigerate this cake because there is nothing in the batter nor the frosting that will parish at room temperature. In fact like many cakes, the texture will stay moist if you leave it out at room temperature. As long as you keep a piece of plastic wrap over any exposed sliced cake, it will stay nice and soft. You also want to keep a cover over the cake as it sits on the counter.
How Long Will Peanut Butter Layer Cake Keep?
Your delicious peanut butter cake will taste best if eaten within 4 days. Refrigerated, it lasts up to one week. You can freeze the layers without frosting for up to 3 months. It isn’t recommended to freeze your cake with the frosting.
I really hope you’ll give this old school peanut butter layer cake a try for your next birthday–or any day! It will be come a family favourite and you might find yourself having to make another one very soon. If you do try it, please give I Cook and Paint a rating and leave us a comment about how it turned out for you!
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- EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE
- STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE
- BEST WHITE CAKE
- WHIPPING CREAM POUNDCAKE
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Peanut Butter Layer Cake
Equipment
- 2 8 inch cake pans
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 eggs, separated
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour 270g
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
FROSTING
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup butter, soft
- 2-3½ cups icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 teablspoons boiling water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350℉/180℃. Grease two 8 inch pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand whisk or electric beater, whip together the egg yolks (save the whites for later), brown sugar, peanut butter, oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
- In another bowl whisk together the all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the dry mixture to the peanut butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mix. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
- In another bow beat egg whites with electric mixer until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue beating until very firm peaks form. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter just until no egg white streaks remain. Do not over fold. Divide batter evenly among the cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pans. Remove and transfer onto wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
FOR THE FROSTING
- In a mixing bowl beat together peanut butter and butter and salt until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Gradually add 1½ cups of icing sugar. Once well blended, trickle in the 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water. Add vanilla. Add enough more icing sugar and boiling water until you reach your desired consistency and sweetness.
Notes
