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Peanut Butter and Jam Cake with Raspberries

peanutbutterjamcakeraspberriesPeanut butter and jam are great friends in a sandwich and are even better in this cake. Here, sweet and tart raspberry jam is swirled through a perfectly tender peanut butter and sour cream cake. 

¾ cup granulated sugar (150 g)
2 large eggs
¾ cup sour cream (173 g)
½ cup creamy conventional peanut butter (125 g)
8 Tbsp. butter, melted (113 g)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. fine sea salt
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (160 g)
⅓ cup raspberry jam (90 g)
½ cup fresh raspberries (70 g)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Coat an 8x8" baking pan with cooking spray or brush with butter. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla and salt and whisk until smooth and emulsified.

Whisk in the baking powder and baking soda. Fold in the flour with a spatula and mix until well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, then dot the top with the jam. Use a skewer or thin knife to swirl the jam through the batter. If desired, scatter the raspberries over the top.

Bake the cake until puffed and golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. This cake can be tricky to test for doneness, so try to choose a spot without jam to test.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out and onto the rack to cool completely. Store loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes one 8x8" cake.

Cook's Notes:

  • Raspberry Jam: I love using raspberry jam and some fresh raspberries here, but blackberries would be delicious, too, or even grapes when Concord grapes are in season (just seed the grapes first).
  • Peanut Butter: Use creamy conventional peanut butter like Skippy or Jif for the best texture.
  • Cake Size: If you’d like to bake a larger PBJ cake, make a double batch of the batter and double the fresh raspberries (if using). Bake in a 9x13" sheet pan until puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.