Recipe: Coke 'n' Peanuts Sheet Cake

Coke 'n' Peanuts Cake

This luscious Coke 'n' Peanuts Sheet Cake is a nostalgic combination of southern flavors with the perfect mix of salty and sweet. 
 
We paired the rich dark chocolate cake recipe from Our State Magazine (subbing Classic Coke for Pepsi :) with the pillowy peanut butter frosting recipe from Food52 and topped it all off with the crunchy salted peanuts blister-fried by the Peanut Crew of the First United Methodist Church in Mount Olive for a next-level dessert with serious wow factor. 
 
Coke 'n' Peanuts Sheet Cake

Cake:
2 cups Coke
1 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
½ cup unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
vegetable shortening for greasing the pan

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp salt
2 T heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with vegetable shortening. In a large saucepan, whisk together the Coke, cocoa, and butter over moderate heat until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and whisk until melted and smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl and let stand until cooled to room temperature. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until beaten, then whisk the beaten eggs into the Coke mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until combined. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool slightly while you prepare the frosting.

For the frosting: Mix together the peanut butter and butter in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Once well combined, slowly add in the powdered sugar at a low speed. Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, carefully add in the salt, cream and vanilla extract. Once the ingredients have come together, turn the mixer on high and beat for 20 seconds just to incorporate a little air and to "fluff" the frosting. Frost the cake, then garnish the top with crushed Mount Olive FUMC blister-fried salted peanuts. Slice into generous squares and serve!

 
You can find the extremely popular blister-fried peanuts from Mount Olive FUMC inside our Cross Creek Gift BoxPine State Snack Box, the Large Pine State Snack Box, our Original Live Oak Gift CratePine State Snack Crate, and of course, straight up times three in our North Carolina Peanuts Box.

Interested in other NC-inspired recipes? Try our Smoky Pimento Cheese or our Peanut Butter + Jelly Thumbprint Cookies.


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