Peanut Butter Cake

Peanut butter shows up twice in this cake: a third of a cup creamed into the batter alongside the shortening, and again in the quick icing that gets spread on top. Double peanut butter means the flavor comes through clearly instead of getting buried under sugar.

Creaming the shortening, sugar, and peanut butter together first is where the cake gets its lift. That step traps air into the fat, which expands during baking to give the crumb its lightness. Cake flour keeps things tender and fine-grained rather than dense.

The eggs go in last, after the dry ingredients and milk have already been alternated into the batter. Adding them at the end keeps the batter from curdling, which can happen when cold eggs hit a creamed fat mixture.

The icing is dead simple: sugar, margarine, and peanut butter mixed with just enough hot water to reach spreading consistency. It sets up slightly grainy and fudge-like, almost like a peanut butter candy coating.

Pro Tips

• Use creamy peanut butter, not natural or chunky. Natural peanut butter separates and adds too much oil to the batter
• Alternate the dry ingredients and milk in three additions, starting and ending with dry. This prevents the batter from breaking
• Beat the eggs before adding them so they incorporate evenly without overmixing the batter
• Add the hot water to the icing a tablespoon at a time. Too much makes it runny and it won’t set

Variations

• Frost with chocolate icing instead for a peanut butter-chocolate combination
• Add ½ cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter for a peanut butter cup-style cake
• Top with chopped roasted peanuts for crunch