Eat Skinny: Light Peanut Butter Cake, y’all!
PIN IT!Although I like to pretend I”m from the South (3 years counts, right, right?!) the y’all isn’t in the title for that reason. In fact, it’s more of a tell tale sign of what this cake was SUPPOSED to be.
Now, let me first state that this cake is effing amazing, pardon my French. I mean, how can anything with peanut butter and whole wheat flour not be? It’s delicious and looks really darn pretty too, don’t you think?
Well, the reason for the y’all so strategically thrown into my title is because this is supposed to be a Texas sheet cake, but because I am lacking in the kitchen baking equipment, it just became a regular o’l cake. Can you believe I only have 2 size square cake pans (8 x 8 and 32 x 33) and not one single round cake pan? Plus, I’m also lacking in a food processor. [Kitchen Aid or Cuisinart, send help!] Despite not being what it’s supposed to be, this “imposter” if you will, makes up for it, and more, in taste.
It’s SO moist, so fluffy and the peanut butter icing? Guys? I would spoon to mouth this any day of the week.
The reason for this cake is simple. While I was spoon deep in a jar of peanut butter last night (reduced fat, that’s something, right?) I decided I wanted to make a dessert with it. Because in my demented mind, eating a dessert made with peanut butter is far less shameful than just eating it straight from the jar. So, I did a little bit of digging on the interwebs and stumbled across this recipe for PB Texas sheet cake. I immediately saw the 2 cups of sugar and 2 sticks of butter and got excited. A new recipe to play Frankenstein with!
Cut the butter by a 4th, added 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, subbed out more than half the white sugar for brown and swapped in some whole wheat flour. I don’t know what the regular cake tastes like but I know what this cake does and it tastes like sweet, sweet heaven. Here’s hoping all the lone rangers and cowboys in Texas approve of it too.
Adapted from the Gooseberry Patch.
Light Peanut Butter Cake
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 16
Prep time: >10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- dash of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 organic eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup 1% milk
For the icing:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- about 6 – 8 ounces powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Chopped peanuts for garnish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8 (or 15 x 13 if you have it) with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flours, sugars, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a medium size sauce pan, bring butter, peanut butter and water to a boil, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the flour mixture, stir well. Add in applesauce, eggs, vanilla and milk, stir well.
- Pour mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25 – 28 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.
- While cake cools, prepare frosting by bring butter, milk and peanut butter to a boil in the same saucepan (about 4 minutes). Gradually add in powdered sugar until mixture has thickened and is spreadable. Stir in vanilla.
- Once cake has completely cooled, frost with frosting and garnish with chopped peanuts.
This is the perfect cake for Mother’s Day too, especially if your mom is a peanut butter freak!
Nutritional information per slice:
Calories: 255
Fat: 9.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 31.3 grams
Fiber: 5.5 grams
Protein: 4.75 grams
Weight Watchers Points Plus Points: 6
Moving on. Love this. Also, girl, get yourself a food processor! I got one on the cheap at Target and it was probably one of the best purchases I've ever made. That and my cheap slow cooker. (I'll try for expensive ones when I get married, haha)