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Sour Cream Fudge Cake with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting

Yeah it is.  It’s better than money, that’s how good it is.

And remember back yonder when I whipped up Better Than Robert Redford Cake?  Yeah well this is even better than that! 

No, seriously, you will toss away your Ben Franklin’s, your Euro’s or whatever currency you use for this cake.  Yeah, you will.

I just offered the hooligans $5 for each of their pieces.  And you know what, they wouldn’t take it!  Why?  BECAUSE IT’S BETTER THAN MONEY!

This recipe comes from one of my favorite books, The Cake Book, by Tish Boyle.  If you don’t own this book, think seriously about adding it to your collection.  The recipes are to die for. 

This Sour Cream Fudge Cake with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting and topped with sugared peanuts is…well there are no words other than, it’s better than money.

This is one of those fudge-like cakes that you make in a regular 9 x 13 pan and either serve it right from there or use a biscuit cutter to cut out cute little circles from the cake pan and pile the frosting high.

And by the way the frosting…Oh Mama…you’ve just never tasted anything so utterly satisfying.  A little of this with black coffee…I don’t even think I’d be able to talk.

Unfortunately there will be no rest in this house until this cakes disappears. 

Let’s make another one together!


Here’s what you will need for the cake: Cake flour, salt, baking soda, unsweetened chocolate, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs vanilla extract, sour cream and hot water.

In a medium bowl sift 2-1/4 cups cake flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Set aside.

Also, this is a good time to melt the chocolate.  You want it to be only lukewarm when you add it to the batter so do this early.  You can either melt the 3 ounces of unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave (which is what I did).  If using the microwave stir every 15 seconds until done.  About two minutes.

In the bowl of your electric mixer add 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter.  Beat for about 1 minute, until creamy.  Slowly add 2-1/4 cups granulated sugar.  Beat for 3 minutes more.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.  Add three eggs, one at a time, mixing well before each addition.

Add half the melted chocolate and beat for one minute.  Add second half of chocolate and beat for another minute or until fully incorporated.  Scrape down the bowl.

On low speed add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat just until blended.  Don’t over-mix.  Add 1/2 the sour cream until blended.  Continue with another 1/3 of flour and once it’s blended add the other half of the sour cream.  Finish with the last 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Make sure to blend each step just until incorporated.  Do not over blend.

Add 3/4 cup hot water to the mixture but add in three additions.  Blend each addition until fully incorporated.

Pour batter, which will seem more runny than a cake mix batter, into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan.  Place in a 325 degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Mine took 50 minutes.

When done let cake completely cool.

Let’s make the frosting.  You will need:  Peanut butter, whole milk, unsalted butter, confectioner’s sugar and pure vanilla extract.

In a mixing bowl add 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter and 3/4 cup peanut butter until well blended.  Add 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla and blend.  Slowly add 3 cups confectioner’s sugar in three additions alternating with 1/3 cup whole milk in two additions.

What you get is an incredible creamy-peanut butter frosting.  If you taste it here you will not be able to stop eating it and there will not be any left for the cake.

Make this frosting after the cake is completely cool or you will have to refrigerate it and bring it back to room temperature to be able to frost the cake.

Go ahead and frost the cake.  Make sure you spread the frosting carefully as the top layer is very delicate due to the fudgey nature of this cake.  I’m telling you it is so good.

Top the cake with some type of sugared peanuts, walnuts or pecans.  Use whatever you like, buy them or make them yourself.  This is what I used.  It adds a great textural change.

I want to make sure you see every fudgey-pothole.

And every glob of frosting.

You just have to try this cake.  You have to.  Don’t you hear its siren song calling you?

Sour Cream Fudge Cake
adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

2-1/4 cups cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup hot water

Rack should be placed in the center of the oven and the oven preheated to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.

Sift cake flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

Melt chopped chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave.  I used the microwave.  It took about 2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds  Set the chocolate aside until it is lukewarm.

In the bowl of the electric mixer add butter.  Mix for about 1 minute and slowly add granulated sugar.  Beat for about 3 more minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add vanilla and beat just until incorporated.  Add eggs one at a time.  Beat each egg until fully incorporated into the batter.  Scrape down the bowl.

Add lukewarm, melted chocolate to the mixture in two additions.  Blend until each addition is incorporated.  Add flour-mixture in thirds and alternate with two additions of sour cream.  Blend only until fully incorporated.  Then add hot water in three separate additions as well.  Blend each addition only until it’s  fully incorporated.  Add batter to the prepared pan.

Bake cake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Mine took 50 minuted.

Cool the cake completely before frosting it and adding sugared nuts.

Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use a natural brand or sugar-free)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup whole milk

Mix peanut butter and butter together until fully incorporated.  Add the vanilla extract.  Beat one more minute. 

Alternately add confectioner’s sugar and milk until completely mixed.  Beat at low speed.

Use the frosting right away.

Cake should be stored in the refrigerator after making it.

Enjoy this, I know you will love it.

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Comments

  1. I love chocolate and I love peanutbutter…I just know that I’m gonna love this cake!!! The name is spot on…I love that you tried to bribe your kids!!! Thanks again for another wonderful recipe.

    Reply

  2. Oh. Lord. In. Heaven. This looks, well, there are no words! My hubbyman would think I’m a goddess if I made this. And, it’s a good thing if he thinks I’m a goddess! Wonderful, wonderful, recipe!

    Reply

  5. HAHA!!! You offered your kids $5 for their slices of cake, that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. You make me laugh so hard. But that cake….man oh man. Post bookmarked in my “MUST try” del.icio.us set.

    Reply

  16. Those look YUMMY! Especially now that I’m PMSing, I want chocolate! ( look at my blog sidebar and you can see what kind of day I’m having, at the very top)
    Gotta try those soon.
    thanks for sharing

    Reply

  19. You are going to have to buy me a new keyboard…I’m sorry but I blame you because of the drool that keeps collecting in it. I’m waiting for the little “pop” and a few sparks. ThenI’ll know it was too much. Heh.

    Again – amazing sounding, looking dessert! Tis may well be a must for us!

    Reply

  27. OMG–that sounds unbelievable!! I wish I could see the pics–but the computer I’m on is SO slow they won’t load. But I can imagine how hoe gooey and incredible it looks! I will definitely be making this one!!

    Reply

  30. So, uh, I know you have all that property for your vineyard… but do you think maybe you could move to the Philadelphia/Delaware/South Jersey area? Maybe start a new trend in wine making? Live next door to me?

    Yes? Please.

    Reply

  34. Well, great! I have to stop this blogging now and go run around my seven acres trying to work off the weight that just magically appeared while reading this decadent post! Oh wowie wow wow! That looks amazing! How many calories? (I knew you couldn’t count that high!!!) ; )

    Reply

  36. That was just plain mean…

    Oh I remember peanutbutter frosting from when I was a kid on Sunday afternoons…but SOUR CREAM cake too???

    How’d you do the round thing in the top photo!?

    Reply

  39. I checked this book out of the library once and it’s been on my want list since then. I’ve made the sour cream chocolate cake, but I didn’t try the frosting. I’ll have to now!

    Reply

  43. ogh. my. god. I am so upset I just clicked my way over to this blog – all I want to do is go out and buy these freaking ingredients make this dessert. But I have to work! I am so hungry for PB now….yum!

    Reply

  46. Wow. I’ve never felt the urge to lick my monitor until now. Your photos are amazing. Wonder if this recipe would work for cupcakes? I need a group “thank-you” gift and just might try it! Thanks for an incredible blog!

    Reply

  52. …Oh girl, you’re as wicked as Ree the Pioneer Woman! And that’s a good thing! ;o)

    …Will def’ be trying this recipe – thank you!

    …Blessings… :o)

    Reply

  53. I really love your step by step instructions and photographs. It feels so interactive! And you photos blow mine out of the water..I should learn how to use my camera 😉

    Reply

  59. Money can be replaced – the memory of something this gorgeous has to be much much better than money. I would give you my money for this – all $1.25 of it.

    Reply

  61. 60 comments later (and 4 Blue Lagoons!!!!) what can i drunkly add?!?! i will make this for my church treats as i usually do from your “dessert” area…
    i read EVERY day!!!!

    Reply

  62. I’ve wanted this book (the Tish Boyle cake cookbook) ever since I made a peanut butter pie she contributed to a Lisa Yockelson cookbook I won. It was unbelievable. This looks to be so as well.

    I just found her cookie cookbook used and did a happy dance. 🙂

    Reply

  65. Oh, this is simply divine! My teen daughter is always looking for a new chocolate recipe, so I’ll toss this her way. Talkin’ money … I just keep the basics in the pantry, and she bakes up a storm. (Although only one of us has to jog 4 miles each morning to keep our girlish figure, hahaha).

    Reply

  68. oh my word. I’m going to dream about this. I think I’ll make it to take on vacation so I don’t eat it all myself. WOW.
    (and thanks for the comment on my blog!! Woot woot!!) :)))

    Reply

  73. You are so bad. Better than money, maybe even better than sex. I didn’t write my wine description; be sure you taste that! It was killer. Girlfriend you might not be able to download a link but will you please tell your fan club to go vote for you! A post like this is why you got nominated in the first place. If it wasn’t 2 am,….

    Reply

  77. Oh. How did you know the Baby Shower was coming up. I was going to go to Costcos and buy a couple of monster pies – but I think I’ll give these a go instead. Also have a Craft Party to go to if I can’t wait. 😛 Got anything else up your sleeve? Need something awesome for the shower/BBQ. 😛 Like the mini potatoes (which I am SO making again)… fingery food for people to nibble on.

    Reply

  78. I can’t imagine saying no to $5, but this reflects on me as an extremely cheap person rather than on this cake. Which I think I need to live. Oh, those fudgey potholes…
    $10?

    Reply

  81. OK this has me wanting to go make this right now. That fudgy delight will turn my son-in-law into a blithering baby. He loves chocolate cake, especially fudgy and moist. Yummmmm.

    Reply

  87. imma hurt you for real. im on a desperate mission to shed 6 pounds before i travel again, to another beach destination overseas and ur over here tantalizing me…
    what is wrong with you!? seriously!?!?

    girlfriend, this is almost better than sex!!! 🙂 maybe i’ll make it while in Mexico.. then i won’t feel so bad.

    Reply

  92. OMG… would you come live with me… PLEASE!

    As soon as I’m done unpacking and putting away things – which of course will come after we are done doing all the work that needs to be done on this house… I’m going to make me some of this… YUM!

    Reply

  95. Oh my…my mouth is watering. I love peanut butter anything, and this seems to have it all. Wow. I am going to try this soon!!

    Just found your blog via Picky Palate! I can’t wait to “explore” …

    Reply

  97. This is a follow up to the comment I left earlier (see #2 above!). I had this post up on the computer because I thought the frosting would be great for my kids to make. Anyway, hubbyman came home unexpectedly at lunch time and saw this on the screen. He got all excited and asked if we were making this today. My daughter said just the frosting part, and hubbyman told her to “get busy” with it! I knew he’d love this! (We have to use gluten free products, so alas we won’t be making the cake portion of your recipe, but we’ll have a go at the frosting!)

    Reply

  102. Just made the frosting to put on our favorite boxed brownies…HOLYCOWALMIGHTY!! It is lucious and smooth and peanut-buttery and perfect for anything chocolate. I’m taking it over for Jennyonthespot to try tonite as she is considered the Chocolate/PB Queen of the county!

    Reply

  104. Okay, I just commented on the Lemon Squares that I tried but on Friday I went out and got the cake flour, sour cream, and baking chocolate to make this. It was a lot more work than I’m used to when baking but it came out awesome. I still have almost a whole cake (it’s just two of us at home and I’m TRYING to be good). My boyfriend asked what the occasion was for baking a cake and I said there was none, I just wanted it. Couldn’t find those peanuts so we did without, but man. So rich and chocolately and delicious. You’re BRILLIANT!!! : )

    Reply

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