Peanut Butter Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
We’re sharing a decadent dessert makeover on a classic combo – peanut butter and jelly. Talented baker and season two winner of ABC’s The Great American Baking Show, Amanda Faber, revamped this family favorite.
Amanda is a mom, baker, artist, and honey-lover. She finds inspiration in simplistic beauty using wholesome ingredients – like Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Wildflower Honey. The result: a museum-worthy, sweet-treat masterpiece.
These delectable peanut butter cakes are filled with Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Honey, vanilla buttercream, blackberry jam, and roasted peanuts, then are naked frosted and topped with honeycomb, more peanuts, more jam, and fresh blackberries. Drooling yet?
If you thought there’s no way you could recreate this heavenly honeycomb cake – think again! Amanda shared her recipe with us so we can share the love with you. If you try it out, be sure to tag @Amandaefaber and @SueBeeUSA on Instagram with your hand-crafted honey cake.
Ingredients
Cake
1/2 cup browned butter, slightly cooled
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup + 2 tsp milk, room temperature
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
4 eggs, room temperature
Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Wildflower Honey*
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
4 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
*Amanda used Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Wildflower Honey, but you can substitute for your favorite Sioux Honey!
Assembly
Jam
Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Wildflower Honey
Honeycomb
Salted, roasted peanuts, chopped
Directions
Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
Prepare three 8-inch round pans with butter and flour or a baking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the browned butter, peanut butter, and sugar. Mix on low until combined and free of lumps. Turn mixer to high for 30 seconds to lighten the mixture.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Combine the vanilla, milk, and oil. Set aside.
With the mixer still running on low, add the eggs one at a time to the peanut butter mixture. Wait until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Turn the mixer off and add one-third of the dry ingredients to the mixer. Mix on low until combined. Scrape down the bowl before adding in half of the milk mixture. Mix on low until combined. Scrape down the bowl before adding the next third of the dry ingredients. Repeat the same process then add the rest of the milk in the same way, and finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients.
Thoroughly scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Turn the mixer to medium for about 30 seconds.
Divide the finished batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Tap each on the counter to remove any major air bubbles. Bake at 350°F/177°C for about 25-30 minutes. Cakes are done when the look very lightly browned, and they will return to their shape when gently poked.
Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes in the pans before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.
Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, salt, honey, and vanilla. Mix on low until completely smooth.
Turn the mixer off and add in one cup of sugar. Mix until combined. Repeat with another cup of the sugar. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Add in the cream, and mix on low until combined and very smooth.
Add in the remaining sugar, and mix on low until smooth. Scrape down the bowl one more time at the end, and let the mixer run for a few seconds more to make sure the mixture is perfectly consistent. Use immediately.
Assembly
Trim the cakes to make each layer even and flat.
Start with the first layer of cake, with the flat, pan side of the cake down. Spread with about 1/2 cup of frosting. Use a spoon or an off-set spatula to gradually spread the frosting toward the edges. Allow the frosting to pile up around the edges and to be very thin in the center to create a cup for your jam. The excess frosting at the edges is important to keep the jam contained.
Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of jam and carefully spread. Top with the next layer of cake, sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and repeat the frosting and jam process.
Top with the last layer of cake with the pan side up. This will make your top nice and flat.
Thinly cover the cake with the rest of the frosting. You should have just enough. If you would like a thicker covering of frosting, the frosting recipe is easily doubled.
Decorate the top of the cake with jam, fruit that complements the jam, honey, honeycomb, chopped peanuts, and extra frosting if you have it.
The cake is best served on the day it is assembled, but you could chill it in the refrigerator for a day before it is sliced.
