Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Soul Food

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 10

Servings: slices

Calories: 482kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Classic Soul Food-style pound cake with marbled swirls of peanut butter and chocolate flavor, finished with a nutty PB icing

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Equipment

Ingredients

For the Peanut Butter Chocolate Pound Cake

1 pound butter softened to room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs at room temperature
½ cup milk at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
¼ cup cocoa powder
⅓ cup peanut butter

For the Peanut Butter Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup butter softened to room temperature
½ cup peanut butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons milk at room temperature
cocoa powder optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside.
Make the Batter: Use stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment to cream butter until it is smooth, fluffy, and a slightly lighter shade of yellow (about thr minutes). Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar, and beat for another two minutes, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the milk, and vanilla extract, until uniform.
1 pound butter, 6 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In another bowl, whisk together flour and sea salt. Add the wet mixture to flour mixture and stir by hand until batter is uniform and no dry pockets remain.
4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Flavor the Batter: Divide batter evenly into two bowls. Mix the melted chocolate and cocoa powder into one bowl until uniform. Mix the peanut butter into the other bowl until uniform.
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ⅓ cup peanut butter
Create the Marble Effect: Fill prepared bundt pan about halfway with batter by adding alternating spoonfuls of chocolate and peanut butter batters. Use a butter knife to swirl the batters together then repeat process with remaining batter until pan is full.
Bake the Cake: Place pan in oven and bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into multiple parts of the cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let it sit in pan for about 10 minutes then carefully invert it onto a plate to finish cooling.
Prepare the Glaze: Use stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the powdered sugar and butter together for about 30 seconds then add peanut butter and vanilla extract. Mixture will be somewhat coarse and crumbly.
1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup butter, ½ cup peanut butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Add in milk one tablespoon at a time until desired texture is reached then continue mixing for another three minutes or until the frosting is smoth and uniform. It should be glossy in appearance and thick enough that it doesn't run or easily drip off whisk when raised.
5 tablespoons milk
Decorate the Cake: Pour glaze over top of cooled pound cake and allow to fall down the sides. For an additional optional garnish, sift cocoa powder over top of cake.
cocoa powder

Notes

Preparation

In addition to using a non-stick pan, the number one tip to keep a bundt cake from sticking to the pan is to grease and flour it. Next, bake the cake on the middle rack so that the bottom is less likely to burn and, therefore, stick. This also helps ensure an even bake.

I strongly recommend you finish mixing the cake batter by hand rather than with a mixer to avoid over-mixing it. Over-mixing cake batter activates the gluten, which can give it a tougher texture.

The temperature of the butter actually makes a difference in the amount of air that can get into the frosting. I like to use this tip when I need to soften butter quickly without melting it.

Modifications

You can substitute the nut butter of your choice, including almond butter, cashew butter, and hazelnut butter for peanut butter, if you like.

Use plant-based milk, butter, and eggless products to make this a vegan-friendly cake.

You can bake this easy recipe in a bundt pan as shown, or use two large loaf pans, or an angel food cake pan (also called a tube pan).

Storage

This cake will keep well at room temperature for up to two days. Beyond that, I recommend storing it covered in the refrigerator for up to five more days.

To freeze, cool the cake to room temperature, then wrap it in one layer each of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. You can freeze the cake whole or (my preference) in individually-wrapped slices.

Nutrition