Chocolate Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

By Linda Larsen, The Spruce

[post_ads]This fabulous recipe for Chocolate Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is very easy to make. The cake is also good for you (well, kind of!), because it uses cocoa powder and oil instead of melted chocolate and butter.The chocolate cake is frosted with the most fabulously rich and creamy peanut butter frosting for one of the best desserts you have ever tasted. This is a wonderful cake for a celebration such as a birthday, especially for anyone who loves this flavor combination.

Just a note: If you use self-rising flour in this cake, it will never test done. In fact, never use self-rising flour unless a cake specifically calls for it.

What You'll Need

•     1-3/4 cups flour (do NOT use self-rising flour)
•     1-1/2 cups sugar
•     1/2 cup brown sugar
•     1/2 cup cocoa powder
•     1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
•     1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•     1/4 teaspoon salt
•     2 eggs
•     1 cup milk
•     1/2 cup oil
•     2 teaspoons vanilla
•     1 cup boiling water
•     3/4 cup butter, softened
•     3/4 cup peanut butter
•     6 to 7 cups powdered sugar
•     7 to 10 tablespoons milk
•     1/8 teaspoon salt
•     2 teaspoons vanilla

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How to Make It

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and dust with cocoa two 9" layer cake pans. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with wire whisk until blended.
3. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat well with wire whisk or mixer until combined, about 2 minutes.
4. While beating, heat the water in a microwave oven to boiling. Stir the boiling water into the cake batter. Pour the thin batter into the two prepared pans.
5. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cake pulls away from sides of the pan, the top springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks.
6. For the frosting, combine 3/4 cup butter, the peanut butter, and 2 cups of the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon milk and the salt and beat well.
7. Gradually beat in the rest of the powdered sugar and enough of the milk for desired spreading consistency until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
8. Fill and frost the cake with the frosting. Pile it on; this is one of the best parts of this cake. Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for 3 days, if it lasts that long!

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