Even though I make an Amish recipe almost once a week on the average, I am enjoying this first-ever Amish Week here at My Patchwork Quilt. I am trying to have a variety of recipes (not just desserts as I so often tend to make). The Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup I shared Monday was so good. It made enough that my husband and I were able to enjoy it for several meals. If you like coconut and pineapple, you will love the Hawaiian Bread, I shared yesterday.
Well, you are in for a real treat today. This Midnight Cake is so yummy. It tastes like a chocolate fudge cake. AND the Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting is really the "icing on the cake".
The recipe calls for two 8 - inch round cake pans. It has been about 4 years I think since I have made a layer cake. Sheet cakes are so much easier. I didn't decide until I was mixing up the cake, to make it as a layer cake and not a sheet cake. When I was growing up, layer cakes were the only cakes my grandmother, mother, or aunts ever made. Most of the time, they were 3 layer cakes, also.
I couldn't help but think what a cute little cake this recipe made. BUT then I ate a piece. It wasn't "a cute little cake" anymore. It was out-of-this-world delicious. I would never make it as a sheet cake.
We are so ruined with all of our "super-sized" helpings. We have forgotten what "normal" means anymore. This 2-layer cake was perfect....very rich (and I even reduced the calories for the sugar by using 3/4 cup truvia baking blend - that's a stevia and sugar blend.)
I took half of the cake over to our new neighbors so we wouldn't be tempted to eat it all. I told Sean how good it tasted and he said, "Well, it smells good."
The recipe was another one from The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook. The recipe for the frosting called for 3 heaping tablespoons. I decided by the time I heaped 3 tablespoons I would have 4 tablespoons. So I just measured and used 4 tablespoons. It tasted perfect to me.
MIDNIGHT CAKE
1-1/2 cups sugar (I used 3/4 cup truvia baking blend)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup lard (I used shortening)
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 - inch round cake pans.
Cream together sugar, butter, and shortening.
Mix in cocoa and salt.
Add eggs and vanilla;
Mix well for 3 minutes (with electric mixer)
Gradually mix in flour and baking soda.
Add buttermilk.
Beat well for 5 minutes. (I mixed it on low and then scraped the sides of the bowl before I started the timer for 5 minutes.)
Pour into pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. (I cooked mine 30 minutes and then pressed lightly on center with my fingers.)
Cool (5 minutes on rack in pans and then remove from pans to finish cooling).
Frost with chocolate peanut butter frosting.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons or 1/2 stick butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons or 1/4 cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
2-4 tablespoons milk (I did use 4)
Mix together the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla until smooth.
Stir in sugar, cocoa, and salt. (I sifted the powdered sugar and the cocoa before adding.)
Add milk, stirring, until desired consistency is reached. (I added a tablespoon at a time.)
Frost the first layer....
add the second layer and
ice the sides and top.
To print this recipe, there should be a print icon at the bottom of this post. If you do not see it, scroll up and click on the title of the post. You will be taken to just the one post and the print icon will be the first icon on the bar. When the print window opens, you will have the option to remove the images.
Well, you are in for a real treat today. This Midnight Cake is so yummy. It tastes like a chocolate fudge cake. AND the Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting is really the "icing on the cake".
The recipe calls for two 8 - inch round cake pans. It has been about 4 years I think since I have made a layer cake. Sheet cakes are so much easier. I didn't decide until I was mixing up the cake, to make it as a layer cake and not a sheet cake. When I was growing up, layer cakes were the only cakes my grandmother, mother, or aunts ever made. Most of the time, they were 3 layer cakes, also.
I couldn't help but think what a cute little cake this recipe made. BUT then I ate a piece. It wasn't "a cute little cake" anymore. It was out-of-this-world delicious. I would never make it as a sheet cake.
We are so ruined with all of our "super-sized" helpings. We have forgotten what "normal" means anymore. This 2-layer cake was perfect....very rich (and I even reduced the calories for the sugar by using 3/4 cup truvia baking blend - that's a stevia and sugar blend.)
I took half of the cake over to our new neighbors so we wouldn't be tempted to eat it all. I told Sean how good it tasted and he said, "Well, it smells good."
The recipe was another one from The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook. The recipe for the frosting called for 3 heaping tablespoons. I decided by the time I heaped 3 tablespoons I would have 4 tablespoons. So I just measured and used 4 tablespoons. It tasted perfect to me.
MIDNIGHT CAKE
1-1/2 cups sugar (I used 3/4 cup truvia baking blend)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup lard (I used shortening)
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 - inch round cake pans.
Mix well for 3 minutes (with electric mixer)
Frost with chocolate peanut butter frosting.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons or 1/2 stick butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons or 1/4 cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
2-4 tablespoons milk (I did use 4)
To print this recipe, there should be a print icon at the bottom of this post. If you do not see it, scroll up and click on the title of the post. You will be taken to just the one post and the print icon will be the first icon on the bar. When the print window opens, you will have the option to remove the images.
There are 16 tablespoons in a cup, therefore 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup. Much easier to use a single 1/4 cup measure for your peanut butter and cocoa, than measuring 4 separate tablespoons for each.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, 4 tablespoons of butter = 1/2 of a stick.
You are correct about the 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup. Some things I do use the 1/4 cup, but others I use the tablespoons. When measuring just 1/4 cup of peanut butter, I use the tablespoon since I can't get my 1/4 measuring cup in my jar of peanut butter but can get my tablespoon, I use the latter. Since the wrapper on my stick of butter indicates tablespoons, I use that to help me gauge half a stick. I do usually use the cup for my cocoa, but my tablespoon works really well in the container I store my cocoa in. (I use a pint jar with the lid from a jar of Parmesan cheese that has two opening.) I think it is probably whatever you are used to doing. I usually will indicate both measurements in my recipes. I think I didn't in this one because the original recipe called for 3 heaping tablespoons and I decided that by the time I "heaped" them I would have 4 tablespoons. I have made the addition in the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to leave your observation.
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