I’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!
Here’s what you need for the cake: Flour, sugar, salt, butter, peanut butter, baking soda, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
Amen.
Start 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.
When the butter melts…
Grab some peanut butter…
And 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.)
Plop the peanut butter into the pan with the butter…
And 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.
Pour in the boiling water…
Then let the mixture bubble up for about 10 seconds or so before turning off the heat and setting it aside.
Now make the buttermilk mixture! Add 2 eggs to the buttermilk…
Along with baking soda…
And vanilla.
Whisk it around and set it aside.
For the dry ingredients, mix 2 cups flour…
With 2 cups sugar…
And 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Stir it around…
Then pour in the peanut butter mixture…
And stir it until it’s halfway combined.
Next, pour the buttermilk mixture into the peanut butter…
And gently fold it together…
Until it’s all combined.
Now, 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.
And speaking of everything…this batter is everything.
Smooth it all out so the surface is even, then violently place it into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
While 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.
Place 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.
Melt the butter…
Then add 4 heaping tablespoons of cocoa.
Whisk it together…
Then 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.
Sift in the powdered sugar…
Add the vanilla…
And whisk it all together.
Meanwhile…the cake is ready!
Mmmm. You can’t imagine how delicious this smells. It filled my house with peanut buttery goodness heaven bliss wonderment.
Right when the cake comes out of the oven, drizzle the warm icing on top.
Luscious, luscious, luscious!
Luscious!
Oh, and don’t worry if you see little powdered sugar lumps. The world is an imperfect place. Be part of that beautiful imperfection!
Smear the icing all over the surface…
And here’s where you can start to get excited.
And I mean excited.
Hello, love-muffin!
It’s best if you eat this warm.
Here’s where you can start to get excited. Again.
Wow.
Look how pretty and moist!
So basically…we inhaled this. All six of us.
Nine of us, if you count seconds.
This is delightful! Make it the next time you need a comforting cake to go with your big glass of cold milk.
In other words: Make it today.
Here’s the handy dandy printable, both for the peanut butter cake and for the original chocolate sheet cake.
Be good! (Ha.)
Recipe
Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Icing
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Difficulty:
- Easy
- Servings:
- 16
Ingredients
- Cake
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk
- 2 whole Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1-3/4 stick Butter
- 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- Icing
- 1-3/4 stick Butter
- 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa Powder
- 6 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 pound Powdered Sugar, Sifted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt 1 3/4 sticks butter. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Add boiling water, let the mixture bubble up for about 10 seconds, then remove from heat.
Pour the peanut butter mixture over the flour/sugar mixture and stir until halfway combined. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and stir gently until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into a sheet pan or jelly roll pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove it from the oven.
While the cake is baking, make the icing: Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter. Stir in the cocoa powder, then the milk. Remove from heat and add vanilla and powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if you want it a little thicker.
Pour the icing over the warm cake right out of the oven and smooth the surface. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving warm.
Recipe
The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Difficulty:
- Easy
- Servings:
- 24
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
- 2 sticks Butter
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk
- 2 whole Beaten Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- _____
- FOR FROSTING:
- 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
- 1-3/4 stick Butter
- 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
- 6 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar
Preparation Instructions
Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.
