Classic Peanut Butter Cake

CLASSIC PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

I’m struck by how quickly the years have passed. What a difference a year makes. A period before airport security queues, broken Skype talks, long-distance email threads, and increasingly regular discussions about the “future,” to be precise.

I worry that as I get older, my memories will fade away until more recent and less emotive ones replace them until they’re all gone.

What I mean by that is that they’re already quite blurry; they’re all converging into one gigantic megalith of experience that might or might not have happened.

In a moment of crippling nostalgia, where does one turn?

Cake is the only option. (Or a piece of cake.) But, hey, it’s my birthday, so why not have cake?

I baked a classic peanut butter cake to celebrate Jasmine’s birthday and frosted it with peanut butter icing. This cake has a distinct retro aesthetic, with only the most basic decorations—a delicious, peanutty love letter to the past from the original creator.

The cake is delicious and very slightly sweet, thanks to this recipe. If you’d like more icing, go ahead and do so.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:

• 2 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. of baking powder
• 1 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 1/2 cup of peanut butter
• ¾ cup of sugar
• 3 pcs. of eggs
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of buttermilk

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:

• 3 oz. of softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup of confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 tsp. of vanilla
• 2 tbsp. of milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put two 8-inch round pans or one 9×13-inch sheet pan in the oven and preheat to 350°F.
2. Set aside the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and mix thoroughly. Mix the oil, peanut butter, and sugar in a large bowl until well combined—one at a time, beat in the eggs and then the vanilla extract. Begin with the peanut butter mixture and gradually add the dry ingredients, starting and ending with the buttermilk. Gently knead the mixture until it’s smooth.
3. Smooth the tops of the cakes after dividing and distributing them evenly. 25-30 minutes of baking time, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Frost with peanut butter icing once the cake has cooled.
4. Whip all ingredients for the frosting in a large bowl until well combined. Add extra milk if it’s too thick (a teaspoon at a time). If it’s not sweet enough, try adding a touch more sugar.