A few weeks ago I went to Big Potluck and was assigned to bring a cake to share. It was, after all, a potluck. This was my contribution. I was stumped about what kind of cake to make. I thought and thought about it. And thought some more. I read recipes on blogs, Pinterest, Foodgawker, and more. Cooking for an event where fellow bloggers, cookbook authors, and a Food Network TV show host may eat it was adding just a wee bit of pressure. I opted to go with peanut butter and chocolate. Shocking, I know. Since my cookbook is about peanut butter, I thought that I may as well represent. The cake isn’t in my book, but I wish it was.
It’s a fast and easy cake to make, and only one bowl is dirtied. There’s no long creaming of ingredients, or separating eggs, or anything fussy or complicated. The batter comes together in 5 minutes, it bakes for about 25 minutes, so it’s literally a 30 minute cake.
There’s no granulated or brown sugar in the cake layer, and instead it’s sweetened with honey. I love honey and had never made a cake exclusively sweetened with it until now. It’s a more delicate and mellow sweetness, rendering the cake just sweet enough, and it won’t leave you with a toothache.
The other bonus to this cake is that it doesn’t need to be frosted because of the streusel. I love eating frosting, but I don’t like the act of frosting cakes or cupcakes. I prefer glazes, drizzles, or ganaches that can be poured over without much fuss. Even better is streusel. It was a miracle I didn’t pick it all off, but wanted to.
The photo shoot was so hard because I wanted to tear into the cake so badly, but refrained. It was worth the wait when I was finally able to eat a piece of my own cake at the potluck. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of my own cake. I was too busy with wine.
The cake itself is soft, tender, and springy. It loosely reminds me a yellow cake mix cake, but better. Anything spiked with buttermilk, honey, and peanut butter is destined to be moist and bouncy. It’s surprisingly lighter than you’d imagine given the list of ingredients. Buttermilk has a way of moisturizing and tenderizing anything it touches, while also keeping things lighter and fluffier.
The streusel topping with brown sugar, peanut butter, and chocolate chips is so tempting. I wanted to pluck those golden crumbs right off the cake and into my mouth. Chocolate and peanut butter are always a match made in heaven, and those big nuggets add a boost of bold peanut butter and chocolate flavor.
Streusel topping with peanut butter and chocolate in a one-bowl fast and easy cake. It’s my idea of a good cake and a good time, for sure.
Related Recipes: Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Blueberry and Jam Buttermilk Coffee Cake with Buttery Vanilla Glaze
Cookie Butter Brown Sugar Streusel Bars
Honey Dinner Rolls
Cinnamon Bun Pie
Mango and Sour Cream Muffins with Streusel Topping
Spiced Apple Banana Bundt Cake with Vanilla Caramel Glaze – One of my favorite glazes of all time
French Almond Cookie Cake with Apricot Cream Cheese Glaze
Thanks for the entries in the Kitchen Aid 5-Quart Stand Mixer Giveaway! Since my blog makeover, I’ve been told that my comment replies are going into spam. Please check your spam folder and un-spam them if necessary. Thanks! Do you have a favorite cake recipe? What’s your go-to recipe to bring to a potluck?
