Chocolate-Sour Cream Cake & Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

Submitted by Marg (CaymanDesigns)

"This is the traditional birthday cake in my brother's house. I ALWAYS look forward to having it again. It is moist, rich and decadent! If you use chunky peanut butter in the Frosting, omit the chopped peanuts. PLEASE NOTE, this is a recipe that you really need to make BOTH the cake and the frosting to appreciate. It is the combination that makes it so good. If you are looking for JUST a chocolate cake recipe, you should try Recipe #2496, not this one. ;)"

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 15-18

ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine
• 1⁄4 cup cocoa
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1⁄2 cup butter (or margarine)
• 1⁄4 cup milk (plus 2 tablespoons)
• 1⁄4 cup cocoa
• 4 1⁄4 cups powdered sugar (1 16-ounce bag)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 cup peanuts, chopped (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup peanut butter

directions

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; mix well, and set aside.
2. Combine water, butter and cocoa in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
3. Gradually stir hot mixture into flour mixture; stir well.
4. Stir in eggs and sour cream; mix well.
5. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
6. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.
7. Combine butter, milk, and cocoa in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
8. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth.
9. Frost cake with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting.

Reviews

[evelynathens]

I really can't fault this recipe in any way on taste - it is what my kids want on each of their 3 respective birthdays. Just wish it was prettier - the icing is so delicious, but a real pain in the bu** to spread, and clumpy-looking, get past that, and you 'll think you're eating a Reese's. *Edited on March 31, 2011* I tried adding 2 tblsps of heavy cream to the frosting while I was beating it, and it came out wonderfully.

 

[Just_Gwen]

I should have believed my gut when I noticed there was no actual chocolate anywhere in this recipe but the picture was so tempting. The cake was moist and fluffy but rather bland. I meant to add coffee to it and if I make it again I would use half strong coffee half water or maybe even all coffee! The frosting had a weird life of it's own, sliding off the spoon cleanly and oozing after the cake was cut. Somewhere between frosting and fudge, I think. It needs actual chocolate not cocoa powder; it was weak even after I added instant espresso granules. I doubled the amount of peanut butter (I could hardly taste it) and only used four cups of powdered sugar plus extra milk to thin it out again. The only plus, my boyfriend loved it! I think we have different tastes...

 

[CarsonM]

Delicious cake: as Marg promises, it is indeed very moist, rich, and dense! It held up very well over the course of several days, although it almost didn't need to... I made the mistake of eating several pieces the day I baked it, and it took about a week for my arteries to forgive me ;) I did double the amount of peanut butter in the frosting, to give it a really noticeable peanut-butter flavor, and if I made the recipe again, I'd also increase the amount of cocoa in the cake so that the chocolate was strong enough to hold up to the peanut butter. This recipe's definitely a keeper.

 

[Weesie D]

I only made the icing; it was fabulous!!! It tastes just like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I will use this again for sure! Thank you.

 

[LuuvBunny]

This tasted ok,not as chocolatey as I thought it would be.The cake needs more flavour in my opinion.As alot people have said,the icing is indeed very strange,not like any frosting I have ever used before.It is definately like play dough but with peanut butter flavour.