finding time for cooking

for the time-starved or curious culinary adventurer

  • Recipes By Type
    • Appetizers, Dips, & Snacks
    • Bread Recipes
    • Breakfast Goodies
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes & Veggies
    • Sauces, Spices, & Other Basics
    • Snacks
    • Full Recipe Index
  • Drinks: Cocktails & More
    • Best Cocktail Gifts: For the At-Home Bartender or Mixologist
    • A Gift Guide for Coffee Lovers
  • Whatcha Need??
    • Foods I’m Obsessed With
    • 30 Minutes or Less…for the Time-Challenged Cook
    • What Bread To Make (Based on Your Time)
    • Gluten-Free Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Super Healthy
    • Cooking for One
    • Soup
    • Unleavened Bread Recipes
  • About Me & More
    • Get In Touch!
    • How-Tos
    • Kitchen Tools I’m Obsessed With
    • Food and Travel—Two of My Favorite Things
    • Bunion Surgery Recovery Tips
    • Tips for Liver Detox / Gut Health Protocol

Birthday Vanilla Spice Coke Cake with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

October 10, 2016

Every year (minus last year), I make myself a special birthday cake.  I try to pick something that’s really captured my imagination, that seems a bit fancy and more complex than I’d usually convince myself to tackle.  Something special.

This year, for reasons I can’t even quite explain to myself, I made a vanilla spice Coke cake with salted peanut frosting.

Vanilla Spice Coke Cake with Salted Peanut Frosting

Yes, you read that right.

It’s kind of conceptual…while I’m not a fan myself, boiled peanuts in Coke is considered a Southern delicacy.  Consider this the deconstructed cake version.  But without the weird texture issues.

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-sliced

It was really a gameday decision.  I’d pored over my whole Pinterest dessert board and nothing was really jumping out at me.  But then I finally got it into my head that this vanilla spice Coke cake was going to be my base.  I’ve never had a traditional Coca-Cola cake, but my understanding is that it’s almost always chocolate.  When I ran across this recipe from Local Milk, I was intrigued…the way the flavor profile was described so beautifully, and as an interesting transition into fall,I decided it had to happen.

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting

But the frosting that went along with it was just way too finicky for my exhausted and busy self to deal with.  I looked at tons of different recipes but nothing really felt right, until I saw this salted peanut frosting.  Since I love all things peanut butter, I was on board right away, and I thought that it would be a fun complement to the cake.  While this was a bit overly sweet for my tastes (or maybe that was because I also ate a gallon of queso, so I felt a bit ill), the flavor was bomb and the cake was insanely moist.

I’ll definitely be revisiting this recipe down the road, and not just for a special occasion—the cake base itself (minus frosting the layers) was super easy and fast.  As you can tell, frosting cakes is not my particular skill set.

So happy birthday to me, and cut yourself a huge slice of cake and pour a Coke!

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-butter-sugar

Preheat the oven to 350Β° F and place the rack in the center.  Grease two 9″ round cake pans (or others about that size if you prefer), line with parchment paper, and then grease again.  Set aside.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter together until very light and fluffy—for me this was about 5 minutes.  It made kind of weird squeaky sounds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, and keep repeating this through the entire process.

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-eggs

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing (on low) each time to incorporate, then add the vanilla.

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-dry-ingredients

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-coke

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-coke-batter

Add one cup of flour as well as the baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and mix to combine. Add a third of the Coke and mix. Repeat this with the other cups of flour and rest of the Coke in two batches, alternating and mixing each time.

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-batter

Use a rubber scraper to make sure everything is well mixed on the bottom and sides of the bowl before turning your mixer off for the final time.  I thought my batter was going to be too runny while I was mixing everything in, but it ended up feeling like a normal cake batter.

Divide the batter evenly between your two cake pans and smooth out the tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-layers-baked

Allow cakes to cool for at least ten minutes in the pan, then invert onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, beat the butter and peanut butter together until smooth.

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-frosting-done

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and the pinch of salt and beta everything together. Add as much cream as is necessary for the frosting to become the desired consistency (I had to use at least 2 tablespoons).

cake being frosted

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-frosted

Now, this is the point at which you’re going to panic because you don’t have enough frosting.  But everything will be fine.

Put a thin layer of frosting between the two cake layers (you don’t need much), and then frost the outside fully.  Let sit until the icing sets.

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-finished

vanilla-spice-coke-cake-with-salted-peanut-frosting-slice

I made this the night before and it was insanely moist the next day.  Cover in a cake carrier, and it should keep a few days.  If it will be longer than 2-3 days, I recommend putting it in the fridge.

Other birthday extravaganza delicious-ness:

  • Dark Chocolate Stout Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
  • Red Wine Chocolate Cake
  • “Elvis” Banana, Salted Honey, & Peanut Butter Cream Puffs
  • Lemon Elderflower Cake with Strawberry Jam
  • Chocolate Stout Cake with Ganache
  • Coffee Cardamom Cake with Bulletproof Frosting
  • Russian Burnt Honey Cake

Vanilla Spice Coke Cake with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

Cake

  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
  • A strong pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 cup of unsalted butter
  • 1 3/4 cups of sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups of Coke (Mexican if possible)
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Frosting

Note, if you like a really thick layer of frosting on the middle and sides, you may want to double this recipe

  • 2 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup of soft unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream (optional)
  • Sea salt for sprinkling
  1. Preheat oven to 350Β° F and make sure your rack is roughly in the center.  Grease two 9″ round cake pans (or others about that size if you prefer), line with parchment paper, and then grease again.
  2. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter together until very light and fluffy—for me this was about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, and keep repeating this through the entire process.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing (on low) each time to incorporate, then add the vanilla.
  4. Add one cup of flour as well as the baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and mix to combine. Add a third of the Coke and mix. Repeat this with the other cups of flour and rest of the Coke in two batches, alternating and mixing each time. Use a rubber scraper to make sure everything is well mixed on the bottom and sides of the bowl before turning your mixer off for the final time.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between your two cake pans and smooth out the tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Allow cakes to cool for at least ten minutes in the pan, then invert onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.
  7. For the frosting, beat the butter and peanut butter together until smooth, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and the pinch of salt. Add cream until the frosting is the desired consistency (I had to use at least 2 tablespoons).
  8. Put a thin layer of frosting between the two cake layers (you don’t need much), and then frost the outside fully. I was worried I wouldn’t have enough frosting, but it did end up being fine.

Cake recipe from Local Milk, frosting recipe from Nellie Bellie

2 Comments CATEGORIES // Desserts, Foods I'm Obsessed With

Β« Clean Eating Banana Muffins (gluten-free)
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Banana Bread Β»

Comments

  1. Carole from Carole's Chatter says

    March 14, 2020 at 9:29 pm

    Wow – fascinating

    Reply
    • poodster2002 says

      March 14, 2020 at 10:04 pm

      And so much better than Coke and boiled peanuts πŸ™‚

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Me

Welcome to my little corner of the internet! I created this blog for people who love cooking & baking but are challenged to find the time and energy to do it. Recipes run the gamut from super healthy to indulgent, but the focus is on using REAL food no matter what.

Affiliate Disclosure

Many posts contain affiliate links (including Amazon affiliate). I may earn a small commission from any qualifying purchases through clicks on these links (which I greatly appreciate, and at no extra cost to you). All opinions are, as always, completely my own. Learn more in my Disclosure Policy.

Follow Along!

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Recent IG Adventures!

**Gift guide alert!!** β˜• As a major coffee obses **Gift guide alert!!** β˜• As a major coffee obsessive, I'm always trying out new gadgets, methods of brewing, and ways to have delicious coffee even when on the go...maybe you have someone similar in your life?? If so, here are some of the best gift ideas for all types of coffee lovers!

To see the gift guide, tap on the link in my IG bio & choose this photo, or here's the full URL!
https://findingtimeforcooking.com/food-related-miscellany/best-gifts-for-coffee-lovers/

#giftideas2023 #coffeelovers #coffeegifts #holidaygiftguide
These sweet & spicy chicken thighs earned a spot i These sweet & spicy chicken thighs earned a spot in my weekly meal rotation on their first time out...they're super easy, healthy, & absolutely PACKED with flavor. No marinating, no special prep time--just a 15-20 minute meal!

To get the recipe, click the link in my bio & choose this photo!

https://findingtimeforcooking.com/main-dishes/spicy-honey-glazed-chicken-thighs/
#chickenrecipes #chickendinner #healthydinner #chickenthighs
These salted honey Parker House rolls are the ulti These salted honey Parker House rolls are the ultimate rolls for Thanksgiving or other holiday meals. They are the G.O.A.T. Soft, squishy, sweet & salty goodness. I know it's a bit last minute, but you need to find a way to have these at your Thanksgiving...you can thank me later!

To get the recipe, click on the link in my bio & tap this photo --> @findingtimeforcooking

#thanksgivingdinner #dinnerrolls #breadbaking #parkerhouserolls
Ever wonder how to get perfectly smooth, round din Ever wonder how to get perfectly smooth, round dinner rolls?? Watch this easy technique! Perfect for your Thanksgiving or holiday baking.

#thanksgivingbaking #holidaybaking #breadbaking #dinnerrolls #breadmaking #breadtips #bakingtip #bakingfromscratch #bakingclass #bakingtechniques #parkerhouserolls
I've been in LOVE with 𝘱𝘒𝘴𝘡𝘦π˜ͺ𝘴 π˜₯𝘦 𝘯𝘒𝘡𝘒 since my first trip to Lisbon almost a decade ago, so for my birthday this year I decided to try making them for myself!  And wow, these are pretty darn authentic...the result is a flaky, butter, creamy, sweet, slightly-scorched treat that's dreamy with a cup of coffee & some quiet time 😍⁣
⁣
To get my super detailed (but not difficult!) recipe & instructions, tap the link in my IG bio & choose this photo --> @findingtimeforcooking
It's that time of year! With Thanksgiving around It's that time of year!  With Thanksgiving around the corner, I wanted to provide some tips for first-time hosts to help things feel simpler & more manageable. ⁣
⁣
This isn't about being an Insta-perfect hostess, but rather about how you can prepare and simplify to work smarter, not harder and avoid being stressed out!
Bringing you this spiced cranberry whiskey sour ju Bringing you this spiced cranberry whiskey sour just in time for the weekend! It’s the perfect blend of tart & cozy, & just may be your new favorite festive cocktail. 

The key to this delicious drink is making a cinnamon cranberry simple syrup (so easy!) vs using weak, watery cranberry juice.

Get the recipe by clicking on the link in my IG bio & choosing this photo!
#whiskeysour #festivecocktails #cranberries #falldrinks
This easy, delicious spiced cranberry simple syrup This easy, delicious spiced cranberry simple syrup is the base for an awesome cinnamon cranberry whiskey sour recipe (coming soon!), but I've also been loving it in a unique fall-themed iced latte. It only takes a few minutes, and is totally worth the effort!

Tap the link in my IG bio & choose this photo to get the (fast, easy) recipe!
#cranberry #falldrinks #simplesyrup #wintercocktails
My sister's chicken salsa nachos are the perfect f My sister's chicken salsa nachos are the perfect fast, easy, delicious, fairly-healthy, kind-of-messy weeknight dinner that's perfect for meal prep and makes awesome leftovers...

To get the recipe, click the link in my IG bio & choose this photo!
#weeknightdinner #makeahead #ChickenNachos #easydinner
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Popular Posts

Grilled Gorgonzola Potatoes

Fresh Apricot Cherry Coffee Cake (a.k.a. Buckle)

My Family’s Absolute Go-To: Mexican Meat & Beans

Breaded Baked Okra: a.k.a Staying Healthy & Keeping My “Southerner” Card

Tahini Brownies (gluten-free, but adaptable)

Recent Posts

  • Spiced Roasted Chickpeas with Lemon-y Whipped Feta
  • A Gift Guide for Coffee Lovers
  • Spicy Honey-Glazed Chicken Thighs

Categories

  • Appetizers, Dips, & Snacks
  • Bread Recipes
  • Breakfast Goodies
  • Cooking for One
  • Desserts
  • Drinks: Cocktails & More
  • Eating Out
  • Family Secret Recipes
  • Food-Related Miscellany
  • Foods I'm Obsessed With
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Go-To Recipes
  • How-Tos
  • Kitchen Gear
  • Main Dishes
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Recipe Experimentation
  • Sauces, Spices, & Other Basics
  • Side Dishes & Veggies
  • Snacks
  • Soup
  • Super Healthy
  • Travel and Food
  • Uncategorized

Privacy Policy & Disclosures

Copyright & Terms of Use

Copyright 2023 Finding Time For Cooking

2 shares