All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [139]
¼ cup crunchy peanut butter
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
1. Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 13 by 9–inch pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.
2. Place the cake mix, water, 1/3 cup of peanut butter, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should be well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.
3. Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 32 to 37 minutes. Transfer the cake pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool while you assemble the topping.
4. Make the topping: Place the brown sugar, cream, ¼ cup of peanut butter, and butter in a medium-size mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Spread the topping over the hot cake with a long metal spatula. Scatter the peanuts over the top.
5. Move the oven rack to the second position from the top and preheat the broiler to medium.
6. Place the cake under the broiler until the topping is bubbly and browned, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Do not let it overcook. Transfer the cake pan from the oven to a wire rack to cool. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Keep It Fresh! Store this cake, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to three days or for up to one week in the refrigerator. Freeze the cake in the pan, covered with aluminum foil, for up to three months. Let the cake thaw overnight on the counter before serving.
Recipe Reminders
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MINDY’S JACK CAKE WITH TENNESSEE DRIZZLE
serves:
16 to 20
prep:
25 minutes
bake:
35 to 40 minutes
cool:
30 minutes
MY COOKING FRIEND Mindy Merrell knows how to turn out great food for crowds. She threw a Christmas party one year, and I couldn’t stop eating the cake she had made with Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Dense and moist, the cake contained pecans and chocolate chips and was drizzled with a glaze that was like a hard sauce. Bake this and see what I mean . . . it’s irresistible!
For the cake
Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pan
Flour, for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) yellow or vanilla cake mix with pudding
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) butter, melted
¾ cup milk
½ cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey
3 large eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
For the drizzle
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted
2 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey
1 tablespoon milk
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1. Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly mist a 13 by 9–inch metal cake pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.
2. Place the cake mix, 12 tablespoons of butter, ¾ cup of milk, ½ cup of whiskey, and the eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated,