Spice Cake With Peanut Buttercream

From the cookbook: Rose's Heavenly Cakes, here is a amazing recipe for a delicious spice cake with HEAVENLY peanut buttercream:

For The Spice Cake:

Ingredients

2 large eggs

2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour (or cake flour)

1 cup of sugar

1 1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

   Prepare a nine by two inch pan with a cake strip, bottom coated with shortening, topped with parchment, and coated in baking spray (you DO NOT want this cake to stick).  In a medium bowl whisk the eggs, 3 tablespoons of buttermilk, and the vanilla until lightly combined.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves for about 30 seconds.  Add the butter and the remaining buttermilk.  Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened.  Beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Gradually add in the wet ingredients, in two parts, beating for 30 second after each addition.  Bake from 30 to 40 minutes.

For the Buttercream:

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter (preferably Jif) at room temperature

1/2 cup minus one tablespoon cream cheese

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter

1/4 cup of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, combine the peanut butter, cream cheese, butter, sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Process, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary until buttercream is smooth and uniform in color.

When the cake is completely cool, frost it and don't be sparse with the buttercream.

Note: This buttercream goes great on other cakes as well as cupcakes.  

Beranbaum, Rose. Rose's Heavenly Cakes. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2009. Print.