Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing
Moist, rich, and filled with that classic chocolate peanut butter combo in every bite, this chocolate cake with peanut butter icing is a Lancaster County favorite and is sure to be a hit at your house! A simple (but decadent) chocolate cake that’s slathered on top with the most peanut buttery icing you’ve ever tasted, this recipe is perfect for a special occasion or a “just because” weeknight dessert. Scoop some vanilla ice cream on top and it becomes an irresistible treat.
Yard sale season began a couple weekends ago here in Lancaster County. I’m not typically a huge yard saler, but I did go to a friend’s sale a couple Saturdays ago and found a sweet cookbook. This particular cookbook is filled with recipes from Lancaster’s Central Market, the oldest continuously running farmers’ market in the country. Now this cookbook is from the late ’80s but man, was I inspired to try some of the recipes in there! I’m always looking for new-to-me recipes and also Lancaster County favorites to share with you guys so I feel like I stumbled upon a goldmine here with this cookbook. This is the first recipe I’ve adapted and will be sharing with you.
It starts out with a pretty simple chocolate cake recipe. In this particular recipe, a cup of strong brewed coffee is used to really bring out the chocolate flavor of this cake and also bumps up the moisture level. This is definitely not a dried-out chocolate cake! And because of that very reason, it pairs so wonderfully with the peanut butter icing.
Speaking of which, there are two whole cups of peanut butter in this icing recipe. I had to tweak the original recipe to make it just right (in my opinion). It’s a thick, creamy, not-too-sweet icing that’s lip-smackin’ good. To me, it tastes like the inside of a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Seriously good stuff here.
The icing is layered thick on top of that chocolate cake…yum, it’s seriously so delicious. Mitch kept commenting on how good this cake was, which is unlike him. He usually just eats stuff and doesn’t really talk about it. But this cake must have made a big impression on him!
This is a great cake to make ahead of time because it’s even better the next day (or two) after it’s made.
It’s that perfect after-school snack paired with a tall glass of milk. Or enjoy it with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert. Either way, you’ll be glad you tried this Lancaster County classic cake combination!
| Servings |
| 12 big pieces |
|
| Moist, rich, and filled with that classic chocolate peanut butter combo in every bite, this chocolate cake with peanut butter icing is a Lancaster County favorite and is sure to be a hit at your house!
|
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups Golden Barrel organic cane sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup Golden Barrel Coconut Oil, melted
- 1 cup hot, strong-brewed coffee
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 1/2-2 cups Golden Barrel confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tbsp half and half (or milk)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9x13" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and lightly dusting with flour. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients with sugar and cocoa powder. Mix in eggs, coconut oil, coffee, milk, and vanilla extract, stirring until just combined. Batter should be thin and runny.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Do not overbake. Place on cooling rack until completely cooled.
- In a bowl attached to a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream together peanut butter and butter until incorporated. Add in confectioners' sugar and half and half and mix on high speed until smooth and creamy. Spread icing on cooled cake. Store in airtight container.
Related Posts:
