Peanut Butter Cake

To celebrate Kevin's return from his Wisconsin RNA Society Conference as well as the youth group's getting back together after what seemed like forever apart, I tried a new cake recipe from my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook. This recipe is originally meant to be a Yellow Cake but by substituting 1/2 cup peanut butter in for the 1/2 cup butter or margarine, voila! Peanut Butter Cake! (Feel free to use the butter or margarine if you love a classic yellow cake...or as Betty Crocker calls it a "Starlight Yellow Cake." Fancy, eh?)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 1/4 cup milk

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 large eggs

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of one 9x13 inch pan, two 9 inch round pans or three 8 inch round pans with shortening; lightly flour.

In large bowl, beat all ingredients with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s).

Bake 9x13 inch pan 35 to 40 minutes,

9 inch rounds 25-30 minutes,

8 inch rounds 30-35 minutes,

or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. (I kept having to check mine as it wasn't getting cooked...granted I have a tricky oven...but I think I ended up letting it cook 2 or 3 minutes too long resulting in a slightly dry cake. So keep an eye on things!) Cool 9x13 on wire rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely--about one hour.

Frost with chocolate frosting of choice. (I admit to using Meijer brand Chocolate Fudge frosting and putting it in the mixer to fluff it up--this allows the frosting to spread further and easier.)