this is Scotts amazing chocolate peanut butter cake, as seen on Smitten Kitchen. i can't even explain how rich this was! in her blog, Smitten Kitchen's author explains that she was not sure how peanut butter and cream cheese would go together. well she was right when she said GOOD!
this cake called for something i had never seen before in a batter: vinegar. i know you're thinking it; what!? yeah, i said the same thing to myself, but faithfully followed the recipe. the cake tasted nothing of vinegar. i assume it reacted with the baking soda in the dry ingredients and helped leaven the cake.
it was an odd cake altogether, albeit delicious. it called for lots of water in the batter, another ingredient you don't see often in cakes. here are the elements you need to put this together!
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups of sugar
- 3/4 of a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of vegetable oil (i used canola)
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
- 2 eggs
sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, and whisk them together. then add the oil and sour cream and keep whisking. at this point, it will be very thick and hard to cut through, but just keep going, it doesn't have to be perfect.
gradually beat in the water. this is when the batter becomes more manageable. now add the vinegar.
the next step is to add the eggs. again, whisk them in well until everything is completely blended. divide the batter between three prepared cake pans (preferably 8 inch).
and now for the insanely amazing frosting! it makes about five cups, so unless you load it on, expect to have a little left over. you will need:
- 10 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature (thats about one standard 250g brick)
- 4 ounces of unsalted butter at room temperature
- 5 cups of confectioners sugar
- 2/3 of a cup of smooth peanut butter
with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. gradually add the confectioners sugar, about one cup at a time, mixing completely after each addition, and scrapping the sides of the bowl. continue to beat it on a medium speed until it's light and fluffy. this could take a few minutes. after you've done that, add the peanut butter and blend it once more until it's all incorporated.
this is where the fun begins. you have to put it together. be generous with your icing. i probably could have added more between the layers, so i did have about 3/4 of a cup extra of the peanut butter icing. my plan is to make some cupcakes for Chris to use it up. why will he need cupcakes you ask? (actually, you probably didn't ask that). well, his brother Ryan is celebrating his birthday on the 29th of june and the cake that i plan on making him will be enjoyed by all BUT Chris. you see, he doesn't like those things with seeds in them....you know......what's the word. oh right! FRUIT!
in any case, this cake will probably go down in history. everyone loved it! my dad was somewhat upset that he didn't get to taste it, so maybe i'll give him some of the cupcakes. as always, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to post them here! i will reply in a speedy manner!
i'm glad you enjoyed your cake, Scott!
No comments:
Post a Comment