The Peanut Butter Celebration Cake

The Peanut Butter Boy is hosting the 7th Great Peanut Butter Exhibition.  Enter your favorite recipe that uses Peanut Butter in celebration of ….something! 

This was perfect timing for the the Peanut Butter Celebration Cake.  It’s Ted’s Birthday!  Look who was celebrating…

Yay Grandpa Ted!

July 11th is Ted’s birthday and he is my resident PB boy. His birthday cake is a deluxe peanut butter cream coconut cake.  Melt in your mouth fantastic!

Peanut Butter Celebration Cake

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup + 1 TBS canola oil
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup coconut
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350. Spray 3 9″ cake pans with non stick baking spray. 

In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil, peanut butter, and sugar until fluffy.  In a large measuring cup, crack your 4 eggs, add the vanilla and give it a quick beating with the mixer. Add to your butter-oil-sugar mix the coconut. Mix all this together really well.

Mix the dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, soda, salt.  In a separate cup, combine the buttermilk and the sour cream – no need to mix.  Add to the butter-coconut mixture, alternating with the addition of the flour and buttermilk-sour cream.  Do not overmix.  Just stir until everything is combined.

Pour into the 3 prepared baking pans and bake approximately 25 – 30 minutes. When a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing from cake pans.

Cake Wash:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 TBS rum
• 1 TBS vanilla

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes and remove from heat. Add the rum immediately.  When adding the rum to the hot liquid, the alcohol will “burn” off.  Add the remaining 1 TBS vanilla and let cool.

 Coconut Cream Filling:

1 Pkg. Jell-O brand coconut cream cook-n-serve pudding (use only 1 3/4 cup whole milk not 2 as indicated in the directions.  Mix the pudding with the milk and microwave for 5 -6 minutes. Stopping at 2 minute intervals to stir. *Trick…when allowing the pudding to cool, a thick coat will form on top. Cut a piece of wax paper and gently lay it on top of the pudding while it cools. This will prevent that thick skin from forming.

You will also need your favorite preserves such as seedless strawberry, raspberry, or apricot.  I used apricot so I didn’t distract from the other flavors in this cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 Pkgs. (8 oz each) Cream Cheese *If you REALLY have a peanut butter fanatic, you can sub 8 oz of PB for one of the pkgs of cream cheese.
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 TBS vanilla
• 1 2lb package of Confectioners sugar
• 1 TBS milk or you can use water (optional)
• 2/3 cup coconut and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional for decorating)

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla for 2 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar and continue beating. If you want to thin it a bit, add the milk/water.  Do not make it too sloppy.  NOTE:  This frosting does not stand up to heat.  Make sure you keep it cool or you will have a puddle of cream cheese syrup.

To assemble the cake, place one of the 3 layers on a cake plate. Make sure the cake is level..if not, even it up with a knive.   Brush with your cooled cake wash. Coat with a thin layer of the cream cheese frosting.

Top with a layer of apricot preserves.  NOTE:  It’s easiest if you microwave the preserves for about 15 to 20 seconds on high.  This makes them easier to spread onto the cake. 

Top the preserves with 1/2 of the coconut pudding filling. 

Put another cake layer on top.  Repeat as before…brush with wash, cream cheese, preserves, and pudding. Top with the final layer of cake. Brush with the wash and frost top and sides with most of the cream cheese frosting.  Leave some frosting aside to mix with about 2/3 cup coconut for decorating.

Enjoy.