Gooey Peanut Butter Cake

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Gooey Butter Cake is the pride of St. Louis, MO and proof that sometimes a mistake in baking can lead to a beautiful new invention. Now, for a long time I held the belief that “Gooey Butter Cake” was the most beautiful cake-name in the world, but now I know that it’s not true–the best one is Gooey Peanut Butter Cake. It’s also proof that a classic can sometimes get even better: adding White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter to both the crust and the filling adds a beautifully nutty note to this sweet, rich, and utterly indulgent treat.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 24-30 servings

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1 tablespoon White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, full-fat, at room temperature (do not use it chilled)
1/4 cup White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Procedure

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven; preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a strip of parchment paper (for easy removal later).

2. Make the crust. Place the cake mix, butter, 2 eggs, White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Give another quick spin with the mixer. The dough should be quite cohesive and easy to form into a ball.

3. Remove from the mixing bowl, but you can leave the beater and mixing bowl right where they are (you don’t have to wash them before making the filling).

4. Using your fingertips, press this crust mixture into the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1/2 – 3/4 inches, so there is a little “lip” on the sides. Set the pan aside for the moment.

5. Prepare the filling. Place the cream cheese in the same mixing bowl you used for the crust. Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop the machine and add the melted peanut butter, 2 large eggs, and vanilla; beat again on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the confectioners’ sugar in about three additions (to avoid a cloud of sugar floating into your face), pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour the filling into the crust, spreading it with your rubber spatula so that it evenly fills the crust. It should come to be about flush with the top of the sides of the crust.

6. Place the pan in the oven. Bake until it is browned on the sides, but the center still jiggles, about 42-45 minutes. Transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for about 30 minutes; sometimes I even like to let it chill out in the fridge for 20 minutes in addition, before cutting into bars and serving.

These slices freeze beautifully, for up to 2 months if properly wrapped. Keep uneaten bars in the fridge for up to a week.

What other cakes that don’t traditionally have peanut butter would you consider adding peanut butter to? Leave a comment below and all entries received by the end of November 8, 2011 11:59PST will be entered into a drawing. On November 9, 2011 we’ll randomly choose a winner to receive a copy of CakeSpy’s new book CakeSpy Presents: Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life as well as two jars of peanut butter (winner’s choice)! U.S. Residents only.