Peanut Butter Cake (Milk Bar Inspired)

Meet the ultimate Peanut Butter Cake. A Milk Bar-inspired cake with three layers of peanut butter cake, peanut butter cream cheese frosting and homemade chocolate cookie crumbs.


Ingredients

Peanut butter cake

• 230 grams (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 180 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 250 grams (1 cup) smooth peanut butter*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) full fat milk

Peanut butter cream cheese frosting

• 250 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) full fat block cream cheese, room temperature
• 115 grams (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 125 grams (1/2 cup) smooth peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 435 grams (3 and 1/2 cups) icing or powdered sugar
• 2–3 tablespoons milk

Chocolate cookie crumbs

• 105 grams (3/4 cup) plain flour
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour or corn starch
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 60 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Peanut butter cake Preheat the oven to 360 F (180 C). Grease and line a quarter sheet pan with baking or parchment paper.
2. Place butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix together until smooth and combined.
3. Next, add eggs, one at a time. Beat on a low speed to combine. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled – this is normal.
4. Add baking powder and half of the flour, followed by all of the milk. Beat on a low speed to combine, then add the final half of flour. The cake batter should be thick and smooth.
5. Pour batter into prepare pan and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave in pan to cool completely.
6. Chocolate crumbs Next, make your chocolate crumbs. In a large mixing bowl, add plain flour, sugar, cornflour and cocoa powder. Whisk together. Melt your butter and add it to the mixture, stirring until it forms wet crumbs.
7. Pour this mixture out onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread out into one layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then leave to cool completely.
8. Peanut butter cream cheese frosting To make the cream cheese frosting, add butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add peanut butter and vanilla and beat briefly.
9. Then, add sugar, 1 cup at a time, along with 2 tablespoons of milk, and continue to beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk.
10. Assemble the cake Gently remove cooled cake from pan and remove baking paper. Cut out three 6-inch layers using a 6-inch cake ring. Note the diagram above – you’ll get two whole layers and then two halves.
11. Place a 6-inch cake ring on a cake board or plate. Line the inside of the cake ring with a sheet of acetate. Place two half pieces of cake at the bottom. Press down the cake firmly. If there are any gaps, use extra cake scraps to fill in the holes and press down very firmly to make one even layer.
12. Next, add a thin layer of cream cheese frosting. Scatter over 1/3 of the cookie crumbs. Add more cream cheese frosting on top.
13. Add another layer of peanut butter cake on top and press down firmly. Add more cream cheese frosting. Add another 1/3 of cookie crumbs. Add more creamy cheese frosting on top.
14. Add final layer of peanut butter cake on top and press down firmly. Add the remaining cream cheese frosting and scatter over the final chocolate cookie crumbs.
15. Place cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set. Cut and serve.

Notes

*I recommend using a processed full fat peanut butter like Bega, Jif or Skippy.