PB&J but make it cake! This incredible, small-batch (but generous) treat has layers of soft, buttery cake sandwiched with creamy peanut butter frosting and strawberry jam. Roasted peanuts are a fun, crunchy addition and I love that each layer of cake is roughly the size of a slice of white bread 🙂 Cake for breakfast never made more sense!
This recipe comes from The Perfect Cake cookbook. I halved it because I didn’t have two square pans and also didn’t need a large cake at home. A loaf pan worked perfectly for a size that could easily be cut to make one small layer cake and still produce five large slices.
This cake uses the reverse creaming method where the butter isn’t beaten with the sugar as in most recipes, but added after the dry ingredients. By coating the flour in fat, it limits gluten development and produces a more tender cake. While the cake is soft and light, I do think the more standard method also produces the same texture so I’m not sure it’s a crucial step with this one, but it doesn’t take much more effort so I was ok to try!
I decided to assemble the cake with frosting and jam between each layer as opposed to two jam ‘sandwiches’ separated by frosting like in the book. I was going for as much of the combination as I could get in every bite and it really worked well. The roasted peanuts on the side are a bit messy to get onto the cake but well worth it because they’re salted (personal preference) so are a complete flavour bomb with the jam.
The cake can be made the day before and the frosting and assembly done the next day if you want to space it out a little like I did. Have fun with this one!
Peanut Butter & Jam Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature (125 ml)
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature (see notes)
- 1 and 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsps all-purpose flour (140 gms)
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
- 3/4th cup caster sugar (140 gms)
- 6 tbsps butter, cubed and at room temperature (85 gms)
For the frosting
- 8 tbsps unsalted butter (115 gms)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (135 gms; I prefer natural, unsweetened)
- 2 tbsps cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4th cup icing sugar (90 gms)
- 8 tbsps strawberry jam
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted peanuts (I used salted)
Instructions
- Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a 9x5 inch loaf tin with non-stick baking paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the milk, egg whites and vanilla. Whisk well and set aside.
- Now in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, sift in the flour, baking powder and salt (if using). Add the sugar and stir to combine.
- With the mixer running on medium speed for about a minute, add the butter, a couple of pieces at a time, until the flour resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized bits of butter scattered throughout (see photos below). If you don't have a stand mixer, you can do this step by hand as well, like one would do for pie crust, just rubbing the butter into the flour with your fingers.
- Now pour in half the milk mixture, continuing to beat on low speed for about 30 seconds and once incorporated, pour in the rest and beat again briefly till combined. The batter may look a little grainy, don't worry. Stir by hand to make sure no flour is left at the bottom of the bowl.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin, smoothen the top and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then remove, peel away the sides of the parchment and let cool completely on a wire rack. Before you frost the cake, refrigerate it for 30 minutes to make it easier to cut for assembly.
- Make the frosting. Beat the butter and peanut butter in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed till smooth and creamy. Add the cream and vanilla and beat until light, then sift in the icing sugar. Stir briefly to combine so the sugar doesn't fly everywhere, then beat with the mixer until smooth and fluffy. Taste and add more sugar and vanilla if you prefer. If the frosting is a bit soft, you can refrigerate it for 15 minutes. If not using it immediately, make sure you let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes so that it is spreadable.
- Assemble the cake. First level off the top of the cake because it may have domed a little bit. Then slice the cake into two halves horizontally, and then again vertically to get 4 pieces of the same size, roughly resembling slices of white bread 🙂
- Place one piece of cake on your serving platter and spread with about 1/3 cup of the frosting. Top with about 2 tablespoons of jam and spread it around evenly. Place a second piece of cake on this, press down gently and use a blunt knife to scrape away the excess that oozes out. Repeat the frosting-jam-cake layering to make a square four-layer cake.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting around the edges and top (the 'crumb coat' that will seal in the crumbs and any jam that's seeping out). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Now add a second layer of frosting all over the cake and smoothen with a blunt knife or offset spatula if you have one. Any leftover frosting can be frozen for future use. Press the peanuts all around the sides of the cake.
- Add the remaining two tablespoons of jam (avoid any fruit pieces) in small, evenly-spaced dots all over the top of the cake, and drag a toothpick between each one to create a somewhat marbled, checked pattern on the top. The cake is done! Refrigerate again for 30 minutes to let it set.
- Slice into 5 large or 10 smaller pieces. Best enjoyed after 10 minutes, when the frosting and cake have both softened slightly. Store in an airtight tin in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days and in the freezer for longer. Happy baking!
Notes
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