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school-time peanut butter cake

AugustaPat avatar
Recipe by
Pat Morris
@AugustaPat
Augusta, GA

This is my revision of a Peanut Butter cake served in our lunchroom/cafeteria when I was in grade school. The original recipe was printed in the local newspaper; and this is similar to one served in the school lunchroom. We loved Peanut Butter Cake day! You can dust the cake with Confectioners' sugar; a Vanilla frosting; or the Peanut Butter frosting I am including below. When I think of the cakes and cookies made and served in schools –they were all goodies the children looked forward to eating. We may have complained about some of the food on the menu –but never the sweets/desserts.

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yield 12 -18 servings for a 9"x13"' cake: 12-16 servings for a 9" double layer
prep time 15 Min
cook time 30 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For school-time peanut butter cake

  • 1/2 c
    solid shortening (such as crisco)
  • 1 1/4 c
    brown sugar, packed
  • 2/3 c
    peanut butter
  • 4
    large eggs
  • 2 tsp
    vanilla
  • 2 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp
    baking powder
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 2/3 c
    milk
  • FOR PEANUT BUTTER ICING
  • 1 stick
    butter
  • 1/2 c
    peanut butter
  • 1/3 c
    buttermilk (you can make your own -see hint, below.)
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla
  • 1 lb
    confectioners' sugar

How To Make school-time peanut butter cake

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • 2
    Beat shortening with brown sugar, until mixture is creamy. Blend in peanut butter until mixture is smooth.
  • 3
    Beat in eggs, one at a time and vanilla; set aside.
  • 4
    Sift flour with baking powder and salt and add to the peanut butter mixture, alternately with milk. Divide into two greased 9-inch cake pans OR a 9"x12" cake pan. I usually use the 9"x12" pan as it reminds me of my school days -they baked it in a sheet pan, and cut it into squares for us.
  • 5
    Bake for 30 minutes or until the cakes test done -in a preheated 350 degrees F oven. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto racks and frost when completely cooled.
  • 6
    NOTE: If you are icing the cake with the Peanut Butter Icing below, don't let the cake(s) cool -put icing on hot cake.
  • 7
    TOPPING/ICING: You can sprinkle confectioners' sugar on top of the cake if you bake in a sheet cake pan OR, if you bake layers (or a sheet cake), you can frost with a Vanilla Frosting OR use the Peanut Butter Icing (Very close to the icing used on the cake during my grammar school days.). It is very good -not too sweet. Directions are in the next step -step 8.
  • 8
    FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER ICING: Bring to a boil 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla; bring to a boil, then add 1 lb. powdered sugar, mix well, and pour over hot cake.
  • 9
    HINT: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to 1/3 cup of milk; let it sit for 5 minutes. You will have the equivalent of 1/3 cup buttermilk.
  • 10
    Share a piece of cake with me -I cut you a piece. ENJOY!!!
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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