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.
