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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

This sweet and simple sheet cake marries two great flavors that just plain belong together: Rich and tender chocolate cake, and creamy peanut-butter frosting.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Sheet Cake
Servings: 11

Equipment

  • parchment paper
  • Baking pan
  • Oven
  • Utensils

Ingredients

Part 1: Cake

  • 1 stick Unsalted butter ( melted and cooled, plus more, softened, for pan )
  • 1 1/3 cup Unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup deZaan Holland Terra Rossa 22/24% Dutched Cocoa Powder
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 4 Large eggs ( room temperature )
  • 1 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp Pure vanilla paste or extract
  • 1 cup Sour cream ( room temperature )

Part 2: Frosting

  • 1 stick Unsalted butter ( softened )
  • 1 cup Smooth peanut butter ( not natural, such as Jif )
  • 1 1/2 cup Confectioner's sugar
  • 1/4 cup Sour cream ( room temperature )
  • 1/3 cup Chopped roasted salted peanuts

Instructions

Part 1: Method - Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a 9-by-13-inch or 8-by-12-inch baking pan with butter. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. Butter parchment.
  • Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Combine eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until thick and pale, about 4 minutes. Add flour mixture; beat just to combine. Add butter and vanilla; beat to combine. Add sour cream; beat until smooth.
  • Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with a spatula. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes (for 9-by-13-inch) or about 40 minutes (for 8-by-12).
  • Let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Using parchment overhangs, lift cake out of pan and let cool completely on rack. (Cake can be made to this point and stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, up to 1 day.)

Part 2: Method - Frosting

  • Frosting: Beat butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in confectioners' sugar until thick and fluffy. Remove from mixer; stir in sour cream by hand until frosting is silky and dense. 

Part 3: Assembly

  • Spread frosting over cake; sprinkle top with peanuts. Frosted cake is best the day it's assembled, but can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 1 day.
  • Return to room temperature before serving.