Peanut Butter Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache

Okay, so apparently I'm just going to hurl sweets at you until you give up and gain 400 pounds (I haven't even gotten to the Nutella filled chocolate chip cookies yet). Yeah, I don't know what my problem is either. My only suggestion is that you take it to a party in order to unload your (my) bad habits on your unsuspecting friends. If that doesn't work, I should tell you this freezes very well so you can try to hide it from yourself in the depths of your freezer. Until you really really need it of course. But by then your husband/kids may have pillaged it out of your freezer hiding spot, so you've got to watch your back with these things.

In all honesty, I've had a little bee in my bonnet for a good peanut butter cake for a long time. However, peanut butter can be tricky to bake with. For whatever reasons it will often dry a cake out faster than a sandy picnic. Yet when I saw the picture for this in a little cookbook called Eat Dessert First there was a picture and that picture sure didn't look dried out. Now those cookbook pictures can be a little deceiving (don't get me started) so I was still a little wary, but this cake was awesome. It was moist and dense--almost brownie like while still being cake. 

I was worried that the peanut butter cake and peanut butter frosting would be just too much peanut butter, so I added a drizzle of chocolate ganache, which I think was just the thing. You could even try a drizzle of strawberry glaze or jam for a PBJ effect, or you could try serving this with strawberry ice cream or whipped cream and strawberries or, well, yes you could go nuts with the whole PBJ theme. 

Now go forth and gaineth 12,000 pounds. Or go forth and causeth your friends to gaineth 12,000 pounds. Or hideth this from yourself so your husband gaineth 12,000 pounds. Or, really, just try to be a little moderate and enjoy the darn thing.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache
adapted from Eat Dessert First
Makes one 10x15 inch pan (or a 9x13 inch and a few cupcakes)
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Cost: $4.00
cake: sugar: .30, flour: .30, eggs: .20, sour cream: .60, peanut butter: .60,
icing: butter: .25, peanut butter: .60, milk: .05, confectioner's sugar: .50
ganache: chocolate chips: .50, milk: .05

For Cake:

2 C sugar
2 C flour
2 large eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 C sour cream
2/3 creamy or crunchy peanut butter
1 C butter
1 C water

For Icing:
1/2 C butter
2/3 C creamy or crunchy peanut butter
6 Tbsp milk
2 1/2 C confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla

For ganache:

1/2 C chocolate chips
several Tbsp milk

For cake: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large bowl, combine sugar and flour.

In medium bowl mix eggs, baking soda, and sour cream. Set aside. In small saucepan, combine peanut butter, butter, and water. Bring to a boil. Add boiled mixture to flour mixture and mix. Stir in egg/sour cream mixture.

Pour into greased 15x10 inch sheet cake pan. (Note: I didn't have this size pan and I didn't want to put my math hat on and change the measurements, so I used a 9x13, poured a thin layer of cake and then set a couple cups of batter aside and made several cupcakes--about 6 with the leftover batter.)

Bake 20 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean (mine took a little longer than 20 minutes).

For icing:

Combine butter, peanut butter, and milk in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Stir until thicken and pour over cake while cake is warm. (Note: Mine was too thick to be exactly pourable, so I spread it--all was still right with the world.

Once it had cooled, I made a simple chocolate ganache by microwaving 1/2 C or so of chocolate chips with a couple Tbsp milk. I microwaved at 30 second intervals, stirring until it was combined and thick (if not thick add a few more chocolate chips), let it cool for a few minutes, and then drizzled this over top.

PRINTABLE RECIPE