Today I didn't make an actual dinner. I made a peanut butter cake and arranged some very good cheese on a plate. I added some fig preserves, freshly baked bread and crackers in a bowl.
No I didn't eat cake and cheese for dinner. I'm not saying I've never had cake and cheese for dinner, I just didn't today.
I went to my sister's to celebrate Father's day with my family. She and my brother in law made dinner. And it was so good! They made grilled steaks, marinated pork kebabs and her famous mac and cheese but the only recipe I have for today is for the peanut butter cake. If you want the recipes for the other parts of the dinner you have to ask my sister.
So this peanut butter cake is my own recipe. I've made it for years and it comes out different every time. That's the risk you take when you don't write this stuff down. Just because I'm writing it down now doesn't mean next time I'll make it the same way. I probably won't. I like to live dangerously.
Ingredients:
Cake
1 stick of butter at room temperature
1/2 to 3/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter (you can use the processed kind like Jiffy but it doesn't work as well)
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder
tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup of milk
Frosting
This part I didn't measure out, really. Ok, not at all so I'm giving estimates on amounts. When I make frosting I just keep adding whatever it needs depending on taste and consistency. Living dangerously.
Half a stick of butter at room temperature
3-4 big tablespoons of smooth peanut butter (the natural kind again, it really tastes better and gives a better texture)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of milk
To make the cake: It will make enough batter to make 2 9" cakes or a 9 x 13 cake or cupcakes until you're sick of filling the little papers and wish there was an end to the batter.
Cream the butter and peanut butter with a mixer. Or by hand if you're feeling adventurous. Don't really do it by hand.
Add in the sugar and mix until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing after each addition. Mix the baking powder and flour together and add to the creamed mixture one cup at a time adding some of the milk between cups of flour. Make the last addition be the milk and mix until batter is fluffy. Spray some oil in the cake pan and dust it with flour. Pour the batter into the cake pans or cupcake paper lined muffin tin. Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes at 350F. Check on them after 25 minutes and decide how much longer they need. I can't tell you for sure because I don't know your oven. I know my oven and mine took about 35 minutes for a 9" cake.
To make the frosting:
Cream the butter and peanut butter with the salt. Again, the mixer works well here unless you want to do it by hand. Go for it, it would be a good arm workout. Add the sugar with the milk and mix until smooth. At this point I taste the frosting and check the consistency. It may need a bit more salt but that's up to you. If it's too soft, add more powdered sugar and if it's too thick or dry and crumbly add more milk. If it doesn't seem to have enough body to stay on the sides of the cake add a bit more butter. You just have to keep adjusting as you go. It's not as scary as it sounds, be adventurous. Or not. Stay in your comfort zone and never taste the mind blowing deliciousness that is peanut butter frosting.
I'm not giving directions on how to frost a cake. You can figure it out on your own. I'm sure of it. Because you're smart. I know that because you keep coming back.
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