I can’t think of a more home comfort dessert than pound cake with the classic flavors of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s one of my very favorite flavor combinations. I love it in a chess pie or a sheet cake. I eat a peanut butter sandwich for lunch most days. In the form of a pretty molded Bundt cake with a traditional glaze tinted a lovely pink, this recipe levels up to a sophisticated dessert with a touch of whimsy. That’s not to say a slice of this in your lunch box is a bad idea!
My jam of choice in a sandwich or a dessert is jelly, but go with what you love – grape or blueberry or whatever. The cake itself is nicely dense with pops of peanut butter from the chips (you can leave them out if you want, but they are worth it). Spoon the glaze over bit by bit so it doesn’t slide off too quickly. I love the crunchy pop of salty roasted peanuts sprinkled over the top and I imagine honey roasted would be tasty too. The cake will keep, covered, for several days.
Ingredients
- For the Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
1 ( 10-ounce bag) peanut butter chips
- For the Glaze
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
3 Tablespoons seedless strawberry jam
6 Tablespoons milk
Chopped roasted peanuts to garnish, optional
Directions
- For the Cake
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray, such as Bakers’ Joy.
- Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer to break it up then add the granulated and brown sugar and peanut butter and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl, about 5- 6 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, baking powder and salt alternately with the milk, beating to combine and scraping the bowl. Beat on high for five seconds, then add the chips and beat to distribute. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, then bake for an hour and fifteen minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil about halfway through to prevent overbrowning the top. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack set over a piece of foil or parchment paper to cool completely. The foil will catch any drips from the glaze.
- For the Glaze
- Cool the cake completely before glazing or it will just slide right off.
- Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl Add the jam and blend with a fork. Add the milk, a few Tablespoons at a time, until you have a nice glaze somewhere between spreadable and pourable. You want a nice layer of glaze that doesn’t just drip off. You may not use all the milk. Spoon the glaze over the cake bit by bit. Letting a layer set before adding to it. Leave to set for 30 minutes.
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