This is a healthy cake!
NOT
You can totally rationalize it though! I mean, there’s only four measly tablespoons of butter, a half cup of heart healthy peanut butter, brown sugar instead of white and the ganache is vegan! Totally vegan.
See? Healthy. So healthy you could practically eat it for breakfast.
I baked this cake yesterday for girls night. It just seemed like the right thing to do. The cake itself is super light and fluffy (and ridiculously easy to make, may I add) and the vegan ganache is perfectly melty, drippy and delicious. Especially when topped with a crunch of flaky sea salt!
Y’all know how much I love my sea salt.
Drool.
And just so everyone knows that I, too, mess up in the kitchen regularly, I’d like to add that this is my second attempt at the cake yesterday. I forgot the egg on the first attempt then realized when my cake was in the oven, baking like an orange rock.
It reminded me of the time during my final exam in culinary school when I forgot the baking powder in my biscuits.
Sometimes all you can do in a moment like that is take a deep breath, eat a few chocolate chips and start over. And whatever you do, don’t forget the egg for the second time.
Peanut Butter Cake with Salted Chocolate Ganache
recipe adapted from both Epicurious.com and The Post Punk Kitchen
serves 8 hungry girls
Ingredients:
for the cake
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup soy milk (or regular milk)
for the vegan salted chocolate ganache
2/3 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
3 T maple syrup
8 oz semisweet chocolate chips
flaky sea salt to sprinkle on top
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease an eight inch round cake pan. Set aside.
Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. In another bowl, beat together the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg (don’t forget!!) and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Add the soy milk and dry ingredients alternately, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan. Turn over onto a large plate and let cool while you make the ganache.
To make the ganache, bring the soy milk to a simmer on the stove. Pour over the chocolate chips , add the maple syrup and stir together until smooth. Let sit for 15 minutes to cool.
Pour ganache evenly over cake so it drips down over all sides. Place cake in fridge for another 15 minutes so the ganache can set, then sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top.
Time:
1 hour
Between that and these this week, I’m in a peanut butter-induced coma.
But I’m not complaining. It is my birthweek after all.
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
June 8, 2011 at 4:43 amI’m going to pretend you stopped after ‘this is a healthy cake” 😉
Marisa @ Loser for Life
June 8, 2011 at 4:43 amWow, that looks soooo amazing! And easy to make!
Jessica @ How Sweet
June 8, 2011 at 4:45 amSeriously, what more in this world do you need?
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
June 8, 2011 at 4:45 amOh dear goodness, Jenna….I love it!
Not healthy
Peanut Butter
Chocolate Ganache
Serves 8 hungry girls (girls night out anyone!)
And all that butter and sugar.
I heart this cake!
And the chalkboard. From the photography post, now I know how the magic is done and it’s kinda cool to “know” as weird as that sounds 🙂
amy walters, aDESIGNdock
June 8, 2011 at 4:46 amJenna, I love this recipe. Looks so delish! And, love that this was attempt #2 😉 I’m a total scatter brain in the kitchen…once I forgot the FLOUR in my bread machine recipe. Hehe…kinda a main ingredient, wouldn’t you say?!
Cheers,
amy*
Crina
June 8, 2011 at 4:50 amHappy Birthday week! You’re certainly celebrating in style . I think I’ll give myself a birthday week come August, too. 😉 (And YESYESYES to tall that peanut butter!!!!!)
I am more of a regular reader than regular commenter – I don’t even have my own food blog – but I felt compelled to leave a message to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed the recent vegan-friendly developings around here! 😉 (I’m a vegan, duh.)
Also, props to the boy for being so open-minded about all this!
katie
June 8, 2011 at 4:50 amthis looks amazing!! U totally have me drooling! This could be breakfast every day in my world! How easy it is to make too! I shouldn’t say that though until i try to make it ; )
Heather (Heather's Dish)
June 8, 2011 at 4:50 ami started drooling the second i read the title…holy heaven! although i’d probably just go all the way with the non-vegan ganache. actually, as long as there’s chocolate I don’t care 🙂
Molly @ RDexposed
June 8, 2011 at 4:51 amI do stuff like that ALL the time! When I go to make it the second time around I usually realize that I’m now out of one ingredient!
This cake looks so sinfully good, too!
Amy
June 8, 2011 at 4:54 amWhat a happy start to my day! I am convinced that chocolate + peanut butter makes everything better <3 Happy Wednesday, Jenna!
Liv @ The Salty n' Sweet
June 8, 2011 at 4:57 amDelicious! Definitely perfect for some chocolate PB craving girls. Like me!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
June 8, 2011 at 4:58 amOooh this looks delicious! I’ll happily join you in your peanut butter coma any time. 🙂 Oh, and I know I’ve said it before, but I love your chalkboard photos!! I’ve got your “how to set up a home photography studio post bookmarked and I keep coming back to it” – thanks so much for the tips!!
Blog is the New Black
June 8, 2011 at 5:12 amLooks wonderful… love the addition of sea salt on top! 🙂
jenna
June 8, 2011 at 5:13 amlooks delish! i could eat the ganache along! 🙂
Baking 'n' Books
June 8, 2011 at 5:15 amI probably would have just served it without the egg – so I applaud you for that!
Please DON’T take this the wrong way (it seems people immediately bash anyone who dares say anything critical on a blog at times!) – but do you really have to keep disclaiming things as healthy or not healthy? I think we can get it – we can enjoy all things in moderation and you aren’t eating whole cakes every day or just greens every day. It comes off as trying a little too hard or more flaky in a way. Not always – and I’m sure it’s just me….:( Sorry.
Anna
June 8, 2011 at 11:20 amI agree with this! Everytime I see “healthy” or “unhealthy” mentioned like that, I roll my eyes. Many bloggers seem to be obsessed with making “unhealthy” recipes/foods into a joke, like it’s our little secret or something. It’s not a big deal, we all eat cake sometimes!
Anyway that’s just my opinion, and that being said, I love all your recipes and I love reading the blog, and I think you’re awesome!
gia
June 9, 2011 at 10:29 amI enjoy the lightheartedness of it all very much. This is her VOICE, let us hear it and not squash it.
Lorin
June 10, 2011 at 12:58 pmYeah I was thinking that too. But it really isn’t just bloggers, it’s people in life. For example, my family friends came up and we went out to eat and one of them was like oh I want the lobster mac n cheese, but it has so many calories! I feel like it ruins the eating experience. It’s not going to kill you for one day to have an extra 300 calories..just eat a lighter lunch later or exercise or balance it out. I think you have the right to what you say, and I do love your blog and I don’t want you to filter or anything, but just something to think about. 🙂
Jil @ Big City, Lil Kitchen
June 8, 2011 at 5:16 amOhhh my gosh. haha This is amazing.
megan @ whatmegansmaking
June 8, 2011 at 5:24 amsounds like a great cake! Easy, yet elegant. And yes, we all make kitchen mistakes. The key is not to end up irrationally upset over them like I do… 🙂
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday
June 8, 2011 at 5:32 amYUM! I love anything with peanut butter and chocolate. How is the cake? Light and moist? or denser like a wedding cake?
Caroline @ chocolate and carrots
June 8, 2011 at 5:38 amYum, yum, yum!!!!!!
Victoria (District Chocoholic)
June 8, 2011 at 5:43 amFact: salt and chocolate always belong together. Delicious.
Evan Thomas
June 8, 2011 at 5:49 amOh God, I could definitely eat this for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner.
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen
June 8, 2011 at 5:52 amI love how you say first off how it’s not healthy and then go ahead anyway and try to rationalize it! haha 🙂
I love any chocolate that’s been “salted” so this is worth it even if it isn’t healthy.
Cait's Plate
June 8, 2011 at 5:59 amOh my gosh Jenna – that looks AMAZING. I would absolutely rationalize the “health factor” as a means to getting to eat that for breakfast 🙂
Holly @ The Runny Egg
June 8, 2011 at 6:04 amI want to be in a peanut butter induced coma. Sounds like heaven to me!
Lindsay @ Pinch of Yum
June 8, 2011 at 6:19 amThis is incredible. I love the color. And vegan ganache? Who knew?!
Amanda (Eating Up)
June 8, 2011 at 6:32 amThe last picture! It just looks so deliciously…cakey!
Rachel @ The Perseverance Diaries
June 8, 2011 at 6:46 ammy mouth is watering 🙂
yay for vegan ganache
The Blue-Eyed Bakers
June 8, 2011 at 6:58 amSweet and salty AND chocolate and peanut butter?! Totally amazing. We are all over this!
Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray
June 8, 2011 at 7:04 amSee, I can feel good about my willpower by having the healthy snacks you posted about yesterday…then reward myself with this cake! Perfect! 🙂
Sara
June 8, 2011 at 7:07 amThank you – this looks wonderful!
Caitlin
June 8, 2011 at 7:08 amYour blog makes me smile on a daily basis, especially when you write about peanut butter. Enjoy your cake and your birth week!
Tabitha (From Single to Married)
June 8, 2011 at 7:10 ammmmmm… sweet and salty, my favorite!
Jaime
June 8, 2011 at 7:31 amOMG
Emily @ Comfortable Home Life
June 8, 2011 at 7:58 amI just died. Would it be acceptable to make this and eat the entire thing for dinner? Probably not a good nutritional investment but definitely a soul comforting decision? I think so.
Mary Beth
June 8, 2011 at 8:11 amThis looks amazing! But, what isn’t when chocolate and peanut butter are involved?
I can relate with your experience of forgetting the egg. Last weekend I attempted to bake bluberry muffins and forgot the sugar. I didn’t realize this until they have been in the oven for 15 minutes. Whoops!
Bethany
June 8, 2011 at 8:14 amI’m thinking I should make this as soon as possible as a way to celebrate your birthweek. I mean, it would be wrong of me to do otherwise, right? You send fabulous recipes my way on a daily basis…the least I can do is celebrate your birthweek, right?
Right. Plus it’s healthy (ahem). It would be sinful for me to not make this.
jenna
June 8, 2011 at 8:17 amthank you, Bethany! I fully concur.
Alejandra @ mouthfulsandmorsels.wordpress.com
June 8, 2011 at 8:19 amSuch a perfect combo! Peanut butter, chocolate, sea salt. YUM!
R @ Learning As I Chop
June 8, 2011 at 8:28 amLooks good! If it’s easy, I might need to try it
Maria
June 8, 2011 at 8:31 amI am afraid to make this because I might eat the whole cake all by myself!
Cat @Breakfast to Bed
June 8, 2011 at 8:42 amSwoon.
Khushboo
June 8, 2011 at 8:44 amOk salted Choc and peanut butter- how can I NOT make this!! If I do, can I please add it to my snack list!?
Julie (A Case of the Runs)
June 8, 2011 at 8:47 amLook at that crumb!! I misread and thought it was totally vegan, but then I was like.. “butter?” Maybe a big ganache bowl is enough for me!
Allison @ The Delicious Life
June 8, 2011 at 9:05 amThis is screaming out to me. Must.Make.Now.
d.liff @ yelleBELLYboo
June 8, 2011 at 9:09 amOh wow that looks so amazing. I might have to ask someone to make me a second birthday cake…I do have a few more days until my real birthday!!
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope
June 8, 2011 at 9:25 amPeanut butter CAKE? Count me in! LOVE this recipe!
Mellie
June 8, 2011 at 9:41 amYum! This looks like a perfect cake, healthy or not. And I make the stupidest kitchen mistakes, like, all the time. In 6th grade I once left bananas out of BANANA BREAD. How stupid is that?
Katrina
June 8, 2011 at 10:02 amLove this. It’s like pizza…protein, dairy, grains, veggies…it’s healthy.
Erin
June 8, 2011 at 10:04 amyum! Making this soon!
I’m attending to your alma mater CofC this fall! Any tips/insider info/foodie spots??
Gina (Yogattude)
June 8, 2011 at 10:32 amI think I’ll have girls’ night just so I can bake something delicious…I mean if I’m entertaining, I have to provide something yummy, right?!
tom(watkins products associate)
June 8, 2011 at 10:49 amon my way to the gym now I have to get that pic out of my head
Marie
June 8, 2011 at 10:58 amOh my, oh my, OH MY! I’m on a bit of a PB kick lately as well. But your pictures truly torture me – it’s almost physically painful to not have a piece in front of me right now! 🙂
Vanessa @ Project Zen
June 8, 2011 at 11:15 amDepending on which chocolate chips you use to make the ganache, chocolate ganache unfortunately still isn’t vegan. Chocolate chips can either contain dairy or an ingredient called lectithin which can come from animal sources. I would keep this in mind if you want to make a vegan version of this recipe.
However, Ghirardelli chocolate chips are vegan.
It’s confusing but helpful to keep doing your research. I’m really glad to see more healthier posts now!
Sarah
June 8, 2011 at 11:31 amYum.
I love how you explained that the cake really could be called healthy.
Sounds like my mother (who is known for eating ice cream as a “healthy” lunch), sister, and I. 🙂
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite
June 8, 2011 at 11:32 amI adore salted chocolate anything! Wow, I cannot wait to try this cake! Happy Birthweek!
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove
June 8, 2011 at 11:55 amYou had be at “vegan ganache”. This looks so yummy!
Emily
June 8, 2011 at 12:45 pmJenna,
My sister is getting married in Healdsburg over July 4th weekend and we need a babysitter for our super cute 5 month old daughter, Lily, for the 5 nights we’ll be there. Do you have any friends in the area you could recommend? Please email me if you do.
Emily
Jen
June 8, 2011 at 12:59 pmSpeaking of kitchen mistakes…you just reminded me of my very recent experience in culinary school, in which I broke a sauce twice. By my third attempt, I was out of mushrooms and shallots, and had to chop up a whole new bath. Good times, good times.
Jessica @ The Process of Healing
June 8, 2011 at 1:18 pmUmm.. I’m kind of in love with this cake.
Alli
June 8, 2011 at 2:25 pmTwo of the best flavors in the world, put into one cake…omg, making for my next girl’s night party!
Mich
June 8, 2011 at 3:36 pmPeanut butter, sea salt, and ganache!?! This is too much…. Just learned how to make ganache last weekend, btw. Where have I been!?!!?!?!
Samantha
June 8, 2011 at 4:19 pmThis is pure brilliance ! I can’t wait to make it =)
Kristen
June 8, 2011 at 6:40 pmYum! I need to try this. One little quibble – call me crazy, but doesn’t chocolate have dairy in it? As in milk fat? Or maybe that is something totally different and doesn’t “un-vegan” a recipe. I’m pretty sure that the dairy allergy/vegan crowd that I know use carob chips (sad for them!).
Candice
June 10, 2011 at 5:40 amNot all chocolate has dairy in it, especially as the chocolate gets darker.
kankana
June 8, 2011 at 6:44 pmhappy birthday week 🙂 This cake looks like a perfect treat !
Mindy
June 8, 2011 at 7:38 pmThis looks and sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try it out.
jenna k
June 8, 2011 at 10:00 pmi just made this cake… at midnight. perfection.
my goodness, i’ve died. see ya in heaven, sister.
Camille
June 8, 2011 at 10:31 pmJust fyi – brown sugar is the exact same thing as white sugar, but mixed with molasses. It is not in any way less processed or healthier than white sugar.
Candice
June 10, 2011 at 5:43 amThis. If you want something vegan or less processed, look around for turbinado that’s coarsely ground and hasn’t been processed. I buy a bag at Whole Foods that describes itself as ‘Raw Cane Sugar’ and whether or not it’s truly raw, it still has the color and moisture found in less processed sugar. It should look similar to light brown sugar but it won’t be as sticky or fine.
Lindsay
June 9, 2011 at 11:33 amI came across this recipe on foodgawker last night right before I had company coming over. I wasn’t sure if they’d like peanut butter, but knew they love bananas..so I subbed the bananas for the peanut butter. OMG this was seriously one of the best cakes I have ever had. I’m not even a cake person… but it was so moist and literally perfection! My friend took most of it home (thankfully otherwise I would have eaten it all =)) Thanks for such a great recipe!
DessertForTwo
June 9, 2011 at 6:05 pmTotally loved that this is semi-healthy. Good enough for me 🙂
Once I made red velvet cupcakes without sugar…ugh.
Cynthea
June 10, 2011 at 9:23 amIn what world is Vegan described as using egg and butter?? I am new , just a few weeks and I thought the difference from Vegetarian and Vegan is the no dairy and no eggs. If you eat eggs and butter what is the difference between a Vegan and Vegetarian? thanks
jenna
June 10, 2011 at 10:31 amThe cake is not vegan, the ganache is.
Janet Rudolph @ DyingforChocolate
June 10, 2011 at 1:56 pmThis looks fabulous. Peanut butter + Chocolate.. always a great combo. Wonderful photos.. Lick the screen
Andy
June 19, 2011 at 4:43 pmIs it just me, or did anyone else come out with a dark tasting chocolate gauche? (not that I’m complaining, it came out pretty awesome, just the chocolate came out bitter than sweet)
Chocolate-Covered Katie
June 23, 2011 at 3:27 pmThis is beautiful, Jenna. Absolutely beautiful!
Kara G
July 5, 2011 at 5:34 amAmazing! Made this last night after finding your recipe a while back!
So simple & thank you for sharing!
Cristina Hartman
July 21, 2011 at 11:44 amI just made this cake today! I can’t wait to try it- I am taking it to a friend’s house tomorrow night, so I’ll have to wait- But my question is, do I need to refrigerate it until then?
Sara
March 9, 2012 at 10:52 amI want to try this, it looks delicious! I’m allergic to peanuts, so will substitute almond butter. Unfortunately, I’m also allergic to eggs, which I usually substitute 1 tbsp of oil for…will that work for this cake?
Peanut Butter Cake with Sea Salted Chocolate Ganache « just water please
January 14, 2013 at 3:57 pm[…] Recipe adapted from Eat Live Run […]
Peanut Butter Birthday Cupcakes with Banana Buttercream Frosting | Coffee & Quinoa
March 21, 2013 at 4:01 am[…] Notes Adapted from Eat, Live, Run and AllRecipes.com. […]
Experimenting in the kitchen | Yogi in Action
June 11, 2013 at 5:08 am[…] and started looking on my phone for recipes. I ended up getting side tracked with Jenna’s peanut butter cake with vegan salted chocolate ganache recipe. Not a chocolate cake- but I knew I had to make it. I quickly added the ingredients we […]
The Always Requested Birthday Cake | The Highlands Life
July 10, 2013 at 5:38 am[…] adapted from Eat, Live, Run […]