Peanut Butter Smith Island Cake is a variation of the official Maryland dessert featuring 9 thin layers of moist peanut butter cake layered with chocolate fudge icing.

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No that it not a big stack of pancakes. Although now I am dreaming of a cake made of layers of pancakes but that will have to wait for another time because today it about this Peanut Butter Smith Island Cake for #PBchocSat!

What is a Peanut Butter Smith Island Cake? Well first I have to mention that it is the official Maryland state dessert since 2008 but dates back much further. The official origins are unknown but the story is that this 8-10 layer cake was made by wives of oystermen and fishermen in the 1800s to feed their husbands as they traveled along the Chesapeake Bay – where Smith Island resides. While vanilla is the classic version, you can find many other flavors including lemon, coconut, carrot cake, strawberry, and now peanut butter!

As you might suspect Ohio State plays Maryland today, hence the peanut butter action on their state dessert. While I am sharing the recipe for this moist peanut butter cake covered in chocolate fudge icing for the football game later today, I actually enjoyed it while celebrating a friend’s passing of her veterinary boards exam. Thankfully she loves peanut butter and chocolate so this peanut butter Smith Island cake was able to do double duty.

• Eight years ago: Chipotle Turkey Club Stromboli
• Ten years ago: Ultimate Pumpkin Spice Cookie & Oreo Brownies
• Twelve years ago: Spinach and Feta Chicken Rollatini
• Thirteen years ago: Lighter Chicken Parmesan
• Fourteen years ago: Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Fifteen years ago: Apple Butter Granola

PEANUT BUTTER SMITH ISLAND CAKE

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Yield: 12 Servings Prep Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE ICING

• 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 6 oz. (170g) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped*
• 1-2/3 cups (335g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
• 2 tsp corn syrup**
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt, to taste

PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

• 3-3/4 cups (443g) all-purpose flour***
• 1/4 cup powdered peanut butter
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (277g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 1-3/4 cups (420ml) buttermilk, room temperature
• Sprinkles for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Make the icing: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, chocolate, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup, stirring constantly until the butter and chocolate are melted. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, bringing the icing to a boil and continuing to cook for another 2 minutes (or until it reaches 220°F). Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Add salt to taste. Set aside, uncovered, to cool for at least 2 hours.
2. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and three 9-inch cake pans and line with greased parchment paper rounds; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, powdered peanut butter, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
4. In a second large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and beat another 2 minutes. On medium-high speed, add vanilla then 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with two additions of buttermilk (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients) and mix each addition until just combined.
6. Pour less than 1 cup (200–210g) of batter into each of the three prepared cake pans and spread evenly (cover rest of batter loosely at room temperature). Bake for 11–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for a couple minutes before inverting onto parchment paper. Peel off the parchment and place back in the pan with more grease. Repeat with the remaining batter until you have 9 layers. Allow cake to cool completely, about 1 hour.
7. Assemble the cake: On a large flat surface or serving platter, place one layer of cake. Top with1/4 cup of icing, spreading evenly to the edges, then repeat with the rest of the cake layers and icing. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired, then set aside for at least 1 hour to let the icing set before slicing and serving.

Notes

*You ca use semisweet if preferred but do not use chocolate chips as they do not melt as smoothly. **Corn syrup makes the icing shiny but can be omitted if preferred. ***Floursshould be sifted, spooned and leveled if measuring by volumes instead of weight for better accuracy.

Source: Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction and slightly from my Peanut Butter Sheet Cake with Chocolate Icing.

Swap the strawberry for peanut butter in the classic Neapolitan trio and you get Peanut Butter Chocolate Neapolitan Cookies!

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Neapolitan ice cream is 2/3 good – I dislike the 1/3 that is chocolate. I know that’s a polarizing opinion, but I am picky about my chocolate. I don’t dislike it, but it has to be done right. The only time I’ve liked Neapolitan ice cream was actually when my brother convinced me to get the Neapolitan milkshake from In-N-Out.

With that lead in, you’d think that I would be introducing you to a version of Neapolitan ice cream that doesn’t involve chocolate. Au contraire, I kept the chocolate and instead replaced the strawberry component with the best chocolate pairing there is – peanut butter! Enter Peanut Butter Chocolate Neapolitan Cookies.

Using the base of my chewy sugar cookie recipe I divided the dough into thirds, adding cocoa powder to one 1/3, peanut butter powder to another 1/3, and keeping the final 1/3 plain vanilla. Then you scoop small tablespoons of each dough into balls, then combine one of each into a larger trio dough ball. Roll in sugar as per usual and chill until ready to bake.

Even though the raw peanut butter dough was significantly darker than the plain sugar cookie dough, when these Peanut Butter Chocolate Neapolitan Cookies baked up they were difficult to tell apart. Which made me worried that the peanut butter wouldn’t shine enough but I forget how much punch a little peanut butter powder packs. You might not be able to see the differences, but you can definitely taste it!

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE NEAPOLITAN COOKIES

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Yield: Approximately 2 dozen Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 Tbsp, divided
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to almost room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp powdered peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp chocolate extract (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, Whisk together 2 cups of flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
3. Divide dough into 3 equal portions in separate bowls. Add extra tablespoon of flour to one, powdered peanut butter to the second, and cocoa powder (and chocolate extract if using) to the third. Mix each until just combined.
4. Place extra sugar in a bowl; set aside.
5. Using a small cookie scoop, roll a scant tablespoon of each dough into balls. Combine a ball of each three doughs together by rolling in your hands to form one large cookie dough ball. Roll in the sugar, shake off any excess, place on a wax paper lined plate or tray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges of cookies are just starting to brown and centers are set. Let cool on sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from my Chewy Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Sugar Cookies, and Butternut Bakery.