Peanut Butter Cake......yes, for real.

Ahhhh.....peanut butter.  The divine food that, if stranded on a desert island, would be the one  item I would wish for.  I find that it is really best when eaten straight from the jar, with a large spoon and a tall glass of milk to go with it.  

If you don't have the fortitude to eat it straight from the jar, then I strongly suggest that you bake it in the following cake.  Seriously.  The recipe comes from The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking and my family has already requested another cake....and soon.  

I am going to pass along the recipe straight from the book, however I used two 9-inch cake pans and cooking spray with excellent results.   I also used self-rising flour without a problem.    

Peanut Butter Cake 

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Grease and sprinkle with sugar three cake pans.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  For the cake, in a large mixing bowl beat the shortening, peanut butter, and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  In a separate bowl combine the flour with the baking soda, and add to the mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating after each addition.  Add the vanilla and mix well.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and after the cakes have cooled for 5-10 minutes, remove them from the pans to a cooling rack.  

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar

1 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky as desired

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

milk, as needed 

In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla extract,  adding just enough milk to make a creamy, spreadable frosting.  Frost the layers as you add them one on top of the other and then frost the sides and top of the cake. 

Delicious, I am telling you.