School-Lunch Cake Recipe
Photo: Waterbury Publications
Makes one 8-inch, round 2-layer cake
For the cake:Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing the pans
All-purpose flour, for dusting the pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. table salt
3/4 cup full-fat, plain yogurt (preferably not Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, or 1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
For the blackberry syrup: 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. seedless blackberry jam
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For the malted vanilla frosting: 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup malted-milk powder
Pinch of salt
4 cups (one 16-ounce box) confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions
Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Butter the bottom and sides of two 8-inch, round cake pans. Dust with flour to coat, then invert and tap out any excess.
Place all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together well to combine.
Whisk together the yogurt, peanut butter and eggs in a small bowl. Add the peanut-butter mixture, butter and water to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened and no lumps remain (be careful not to overmix). Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
Bake until the layers are domed and a few moist crumbs cling to a skewer inserted in the center of the cake, 32 to 36 minutes.
While the cake bakes, prepare the syrup: Combine the sugar, water, jam and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and set aside to steep, covered, for at least 20 minutes. Strain the syrup.
After removing the cake layers from the oven, pierce them (still in the pans) at 1-inch intervals with a skewer or paring knife. Pour or brush the syrup over the layers, dividing it evenly. Set the layers aside, in the pans, on a wire rack to cool completely. (The syrup will soak into the cakes.)
When the cakes are cool and no longer wet to the touch, 1 to 2 hours, make the frosting: Combine the butter, malted-milk powder, salt and 2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar and beat on medium speed until the frosting is pale and no longer grainy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the frosting is very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Run a knife, or an offset spatula, around the edge of 1 of the cake layers to loosen it. (Turn the layers out of their pans 1 by 1, as you frost them.) Place the layer on a cake plate with strips of waxed, or parchment, paper underneath; these will catch any drips and keep your cake plate clean. Spread the layer with about a third of the frosting on top.
Frost the rest. Run a knife, or an offset spatula, around the edge of the remaining cake layer. Invert it onto the frosted layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting.
From Cake Magic!: Mix & Match Your Way to 100 Amazing Combinations (Workman) by Caroline Wright.
Ingredients
For the cake:
For the blackberry syrup:
For the malted vanilla frosting:
Directions
Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Butter the bottom and sides of two 8-inch, round cake pans. Dust with flour to coat, then invert and tap out any excess.
Place all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together well to combine.
Whisk together the yogurt, peanut butter and eggs in a small bowl. Add the peanut-butter mixture, butter and water to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened and no lumps remain (be careful not to overmix). Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
Bake until the layers are domed and a few moist crumbs cling to a skewer inserted in the center of the cake, 32 to 36 minutes.
While the cake bakes, prepare the syrup: Combine the sugar, water, jam and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and set aside to steep, covered, for at least 20 minutes. Strain the syrup.
After removing the cake layers from the oven, pierce them (still in the pans) at 1-inch intervals with a skewer or paring knife. Pour or brush the syrup over the layers, dividing it evenly. Set the layers aside, in the pans, on a wire rack to cool completely. (The syrup will soak into the cakes.)
When the cakes are cool and no longer wet to the touch, 1 to 2 hours, make the frosting: Combine the butter, malted-milk powder, salt and 2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar and beat on medium speed until the frosting is pale and no longer grainy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the frosting is very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Run a knife, or an offset spatula, around the edge of 1 of the cake layers to loosen it. (Turn the layers out of their pans 1 by 1, as you frost them.) Place the layer on a cake plate with strips of waxed, or parchment, paper underneath; these will catch any drips and keep your cake plate clean. Spread the layer with about a third of the frosting on top.
Frost the rest. Run a knife, or an offset spatula, around the edge of the remaining cake layer. Invert it onto the frosted layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting.
From Cake Magic!: Mix & Match Your Way to 100 Amazing Combinations (Workman) by Caroline Wright.
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