I have never been much of a cake fan. But there is one kind that when I eat cake I must have, it is chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. Just the thought of a piece of decadent moist chocolate cake with a light homemade peanut butter frosting and a big glass of milk makes me need to eat a piece while writing this post!
The chocolate cake recipe is amazing! Everything goes together in one bowl and is super quick to through together, just as quick as a box mix and you cannot even begin to compare the taste! The cake recipe is so good there was no need for me to change anything in it. The original recipe comes from Valerie over at Valerie’s Kitchen. You can click the link and follow her recipe and directions and you will get the best chocolate cake ever. And it only takes 35-40 min to cook too so this is something that I just whipped up last night when I needed a dessert in a pinch!
Her chocolate icing recipe is also to die for and came out perfect when I tried it! Again no worry about having icing in the cupboard as I always have powdered sugar on hand so you can just make you own and again it’s THE BEST! I will post her recipe below as well but drop by her page and give her some love for sharing this amazing cake and frosting recipe. –Just a side note, her cake and icing recipe call for buttermilk which I never buy but that is a simple fix; by adding one tablespoon white distilled vinegar to 1 cup of milk you will make the perfect buttermilk.–
Now for the other best part… peanut butter icing! Yes there are a tone of recipes out there and there are so many different ways of doing it. My mom likes to mix peanut butter into a chocolate icing and use that! This is my favorite and one that I have come up with to produce that perfect light ( not too peanut buttery) but also one gets nice and stiff. I am do not like a watery frosting on a cake and this one is light and melts in your mouth but it will set up so beautifully on the cake!
Whether you needing a dessert in a pinch or you are craving that wonderful chocolate peanut butter combination or you just want to make something completely from scratch with ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now and you want to wow everyone with your skills… this is the recipe for you!
One Bowl Chocolate Cake ( From Valerie’s Kitchen)
Ingredients
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup very hot water
Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 16 ounces (4 cups) powdered sugar, or as needed to reach desired consistency
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
For the Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric hand or stand mixer, beat in eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Add hot water and mix until combined. Batter will be quite thin.
3. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan before frosting.
For the Frosting:
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over MEDIUM heat. Whisk in cocoa powder, buttermilk and vanilla. Turn heat to LOW and whisk in powdered sugar until you’ve reached desired consistency. It should be thick but pourable. Continue whisking vigorously until smooth. Stir in chopped nuts, if using.
2. Immediately pour frosting over cake and use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread it out evenly over the surface. Allow to set for a few minutes before slicing and serving the cake.