Two days ago, Jake–our saggy, lovable Labrador–turned 14.
According to the fine folks at PetMD, that puts him somewhere around 88 years old in human years. We have to tap him on the shoulder to get him to turn around these days, and his joints are kind of creaky, but he still flips out whenever the UPS man comes to the door. Which is a good sign.
But then I look at this pre-VSCO Cam, pre-Instagram-filter photo:
And I’m reminded of how much time has really passed. How different our lives look now. A time before airport security lines, broken Skype conversations, long-distance email threads, and increasingly frequent discussions about “the future.”
I mean, 14 years ago,
- We were stocking up on canned tuna in case Y2K plunged the world into chaos.
- My sister was 7. Her favorite past time (it seemed to me, anyway) was inflicting physical pain in the form of kicking, punching, and occasional biting. Our relationship has since improved.
- I carried my CD player and CD collection everywhere, which included a very worn and scratched copy of Britney Spears’s seminal classic, Baby One More Time, and at least three editions of NOW That’s What I Call Music!
- We were all still glued to our Gameboy Colors and the endless enjoyment of Super Mario Bros., Frogger, and Black Bass Lure Fishing.
- We didn’t know what a Sichuan peppercorn was.
- I still used a Trapper Keeper for my school notes.
- The thought of living in China was laughable (due to its far-fetchedness) and frankly terrifying (due to its 7000-miles-away-ness).
- We had a pink bathroom. And a Hello Kitty shower cap. (see above)
- My mom decided out of the blue–after years of begging, cajoling, and light tantrumming–that we should get a dog.
Sometimes I’m afraid that the older I get, the farther away I’ll get from those memories, until they’re all ultimately replaced by more recent–and infinitely less sentimental–ones.
I mean, they’re already pretty fuzzy–all combining into one big megalith of experience that may or may not have been real, dreamed, or read about in a Meg Cabot novel.
Where does one turn, in a moment of crippling nostalgia?
One turns to cake. (Or pie. But since we’re celebrating a birthday, might as well be cake).
In honor of Jake’s birthday, I made a classy classic peanut butter cake, with peanut butter frosting. A decidedly retro cake, with very few bells and whistles. A back-to-the-source, sweet, peanutty love letter to the past.
The recipe yields a very moist, lightly sweet cake. Feel free to increase the amount of frosting if that’s your fancy.
For the peanut butter cake:
Yields a double layer 8-inch cake or 1 sheet cake
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the peanut butter frosting:
- 3 oz. softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour your cake pan(s).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the oil, peanut butter, and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold it all together gently until smooth.
Divide evenly among cake pans and smooth out the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost with peanut butter frosting.
To make the frosting, beat everything together until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk (a teaspoon at a time). If it’s too thin, add a bit more sugar.
Spread the peanut butter frosting over that peanut butter cake!
Serve this classic peanut butter cake for any occasion!
To the 14 years that have turned that sudsy puppy into a very distinguished canine senior citizen–the years that have brought us to the here and now. Happy Birthday Jake!
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 oz. softened cream cheese
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease/flour two 8-inch round pans or one 9x13-inch sheet pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the oil, peanut butter, and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold it all together gently until smooth.
- Divide evenly among cake pans and smooth out the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost with peanut butter frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat everything together until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk (a teaspoon at a time). If it’s too thin, add a bit more sugar.
tammy says
when makeing this classic peanutbutter cake do i use all purpose flower in my cake pan
Bill says
Hi Tammy, Yes, 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour for both pans after greasing them with shortening or butter. Hope you enjoy it.
Julija Graham says
Hi,
Just a note to say that I loved both the story about the dog and the cake. My husband loved the cake (and had he read the story, he too would have loved it).
Thanks for posting! I’ve already had the opportunity to pass on your recipe to two other people, and I just made the cake last night. *Hubby likes to post things I cook/bake on Instagram. Rest assured ALL credit for the yumminess that is this cake went to you!
Cheers!
j
Sarah says
That’s so awesome, Julija! I love this cake, and we haven’t had a lot of comments on it, but I’m glad you’ve discovered and shared the recipe. :)
plasterer bristol says
This sounds so good. Cant wait to try making this, thank for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Judy says
You are very welcome! Hope you will give it a try.
Sarah says
Let us know how you like it, Simon!
Sarah says
Hey Jeff, sorry to hear of your experience! I’ve made this cake several times and am still a fan of it––perhaps we just have different taste preferences when it comes to the sweetness of desserts? I do admit that i like my desserts less sweet.
Maureen Brockson says
I am making a birthday cake for my husband. He wants my peanut butter buttercream icing, but I do like this cake recipe, and will use it!! Thanks you! My four pups will be getting a peanut butter stuff toy, with other goodies in too! The funny thing is, that I am going to stick some raw string beans in the two puppies treat balls because I can’t snap beans without them coming a running!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Sarah says
Hey Maureen, sounds like a plan! Hope you guys enjoy the cake. :)
sara says
I just baked this today using my own homemade peanut butter and I was so happy with the result; this recipe produced a moist, lightly sweet cake which was devoured in seconds by my family. Thanks for sharing, it’s definitely a keeper :)
P.S. Belated happy birthday to Jake!
Sarah says
Thanks Sara! We’re so glad you liked it. Sometimes it’s nice just to have a simple, pared down “peanut butter cake” without all the bells and whistles, huh?
CP says
Was in the mood to try a different cake and this sure got the job done! Was a teensy bit drier than I was planning (on me), but it was still great tasting and had a nice peanut butter flavor. I didn’t use the icing you did- I wanted something more chocolatey and made a chocolate-peanut butter icing and garnished with peanut butter cup pieces, and it all turned out for the best. I’m definitely gonna make the icing at some point though. Sounds delicious.
I was also touched by the story about Jake- had a lab who lived til he was 15, miss him still and looking at the pictures he looks so much like mine.
Sarah says
Thanks for sharing, CP! Jake says hi! : )
CP says
Aw, thanks. Give him a belly rub for me. :)
Sarah says
Will do. : )
janet dortch says
hii’m janet send all recipes ok to [email protected]
Sarah says
Hi Janet, you’re now subscribed to our email list, so you will receive email notifications whenever we publish a new recipe!
Julie @ This Gal Cooks says
Aww, I love this story about your dog! My pup turned 14 in March. You’re right – so much was different 14 years ago!
Great cake. I totally swoon over anything that has peanut butter in it!
Kaitlin says
Thanks for the kind words, Julie. Hope your dog’s going strong! Geriatric canines are the best kind :)
[email protected] in Pyjamas says
I’ve just discovered your blog on The Weekend Re-Treat Link Party. This cake looks lovely and so does your blog, you’ve now a new follower :)
Sarah says
Thanks so much for your kind words Laura!
Sophie says
Such a sweet post! Jake looks like a very happy and well-loved guy and his puppy-bath photo is ADORABLE. Haha I remember taking my CD collection everywhere, too! What a pain! This cake is perfect — our dog is a peanut butter lover, and he won’t get any sugar but if I baked this cake for us, but he would definitely get a scoop from the jar :) :)
Sarah says
Give your dog a big spoonful for us, Sophie! : )