Followers of my Instagram page will know I’ve been making a lot of nut butter loaf cakes lately – I find they make a really good breakfast item, especially with a lower amount of sugar (a half-cup or less). But they’re also tasty enough to be served at a tea party, especially if topped with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or a drizzle of simple chocolate icing (cocoa powder + maple syrup).

Below is a recipe for an all-American (lol) peanut butter version that can easily be adapted with a different type of nut or seed butter such as hazelnut, pistachio, cashew, sesame seed or sunflower seed. Take a look at my almond cake and sesame cake recipes for some ideas.

And if you’d like to fancy things up, you can always bake the batter in a round cake pan. For a layer cake, double the ingredients and divide the batter between two round cake pans, and use more of the nut butter, mixed with some powdered sugar, as the filling. Certain flavors also go well with fruit: try white sesame with slices of apple or pear on top. Scroll to the bottom of this post for some ideas.

Peanut cake

Dry ingredients:

• 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar (add up to ¼ cup more for a sweeter cake)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt

Liquid ingredients:

• 1 cup (236 ml) cold water
• ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral-tasting oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar or apple-cider vinegar
• 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 heaping tablespoons peanut butter

Optional garnish:

• salted peanuts and/or extra granulated sugar

 

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine all the dry ingredients except the salted peanut garnish in a large mixing bowl.

In a smaller container, combine the liquid ingredients, adding the peanut butter last.

Whisk everything together thoroughly until the peanut butter is completely blended into the rest. If you’re using a very thick peanut butter, you may need to add a bit more water.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth (be careful not to overstir).

Pour the batter into a loaf pan (oiled or lined with baking paper) and top with salted peanuts and a sprinkling of granulated sugar. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30 to 35 min.

When you take it out of the oven, stab the cake in the middle with a toothpick to make sure the inside is fully baked. If it comes out with batter on it, bake for an extra 5 minutes, then test again. When it’s done baking, allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it, or the slices may fall apart.

Enjoy as is or with some vanilla yogurt and/or fruit.

Some variations: black sesame topped with nectarine slices and toasted almond slivers (left), white sesame and walnut topped with apple slices and sesame seeds (top right) and white sesame and topped with apple slices, sesame seeds and powdered sugar (bottom right).

If you try one of these nut butter cakes and share a photo on Instagram, be sure to tag @rd.violet so I can see! 🙂