Chef notes
I love this recipe because it reminds me of my childhood eating snack cakes with my grandmom. The classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate is instant nostalgia for me.
Swap option: Swap the peanut butter with tahini or any other nut butter!
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1¾ cup sugar
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup flavorless oil (such as canola or grapeseed oil)
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup egg whites
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preparation
For the cake:
1.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2.In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
3.In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, oil and peanut butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Whisk in the boiling water.
4.Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost all the way clean, about 30 minutes (start checking for doneness around 25 minutes). Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and the remove to a rack and cool completely.
5.Cut the cake into 1- by 1-inch squares.
For the frosting:
1.Heat egg whites and sugar over a double boiler, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 165°F.
2.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk egg white and sugar mixture until light and fluffy.
3.Switch to the paddle attachment for the stand mixture and gradually add your butter and peanut butter, alternating between both. Mix in the salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes.
4.Put frosting into a pastry bag with a star tip attached.
To serve:
Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cake square and serve.
