Food blogging isn’t always pretty…not everything I make comes out in the nice little package I envision when starting a new recipe.
Take this Peanut Butter Bundt Cake with Jelly Glaze. I make bundt cakes all the time and think they are one of the most beautiful cakes around. I don’t always blog the cakes I make, but this cake… this cake I had big plans for. My friend Cindy over at Once Upon a Loaf is hosting Project PB&J where she has challenged bloggers to create a baked good of some sort representing the classic PB&J.
Over the weeks I’ve been envisioning a peanut butter bundt cake with a beautiful jelly glaze drizzled over it. What I got was…
This…
Turned this…
What my kids got was an earful of curse words as I swore at the stupid bundt cake pan that held on to huge chunks of my delicious peanut butter cake!
Not so pretty, right?
When life hands you chunked up bundt cake and jelly glaze that has cooled because you’ve been sitting around cussing for to long, what do you do?
You make a parfait, of course! So now, instead of a beautiful Peanut Butter Bundt Cake with Blackberry Jelly Glaze, I give you Peanut Butter Bundt Cake & Blackberry Jelly parfaits. Yummy idea turned failure turned rebound success.
Either way you make it, this bundt cake is a PB&J Lover’s Dream. If you are a big PB&J fan make sure to check out the details and prizes surrounding Project PB&J over on Cindy’s blog. I hope you’ll join in on the fun!
Recipe: Peanut Butter Bundt Cake with Blackberry Jelly Glaze
Equipment
- bundt pan
- stand mixer
- saucepan
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste can sub vanilla extract
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
For the glaze:
- 1 cup blackberry jelly or flavor of your choice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 10 inch bundt cake pan. (Take it from me... do this really thoroughly)
- In large mixing bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla paste; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Slowly add flour, baking powder, and salt; mix until well incorporated. Add milk, increase speed, mixing until batter is smooth and incorporated.
- Bake at 350 F until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Cool in pan 15 minutes on wire rack. Carefully remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
- For glaze, simmer jelly in a saucepan until liquified. Drizzle warm glaze over cooled cake. Serve.
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
I love it when you can turn failures into success. I’ll bet those parfaits are delicious!
Kristen says
It certainly helps when you can salvage something you’ve worked hard on, that’s for sure! Thanks for the kind words 🙂
Laurie Jesch-Kulseth @ Relishing It says
I love reading posts like this — it’s so comforting knowing that I’m not the only imperfect one. 🙂 Your parfaits look delicious! I think I’ll give the cake a try — I’ve been craving peanut butter this week. Thanks.
Kristen says
Whenever you need imperfection, just holler. I have plenty of examples to share 🙂
Kristy says
It still looks incredibly delicious! Wonderful idea!
Kristen says
Thanks so much, Kristy! After a little recovery time, it all turned out just fine.
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
HA! You are so right! It definitely isn’t always pretty… but I love these happy accidents. So delicious, Kristen!
Kristen says
Happy accidents are always a great thing, right? Someone on twitter said they won a contest because of a happy baking fail turned recipe success. Gotta love that!
theurbanbaker says
you cuss? oh my! I do too (and so does Levi – sadly). regardless, love your honesty and humility!!!
Kristen says
Oh girl… I never would have pictured you as being a cusser either! It takes a lot, but bundt cakes stuck in their pan can apparently turn me into a swearing sailor 😉
theurbanbaker says
cuss….like a sailor!!!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
I’m sorry your bundt cake ended up like that but once you sliced it and slathered that blackberry jelly glaze, you could never know that that happened! It’s still so goddang gorgeous!
Kristen says
It tasted great both ways… I guess that’s all that matters, right? Thanks for the kind comment 🙂
Shaina says
Snort. I have so been there. It was Christmas. My stubborn self made another one right there in the middle of a full-on family celebration. Perfectionist much?
Peanut butter and jelly cake sounds like a divine treat.
Kristen says
For some reason, that totally does not surprise me, Shaina! 🙂
Jesica @ Pencil Kitchen says
ohh! that sucks! that really sucks! I hate it when that happens, and trust me, i’m sure it happens to me more than you… a lot more! Indeed, it’s never easy when you’ve placed such high hopes on one cake.. Nevertheless, the pictures you take are amazing! Amazing! I am so adoring you right now!
Kristen says
Thanks so much, Jesica! It’s always good to know we aren’t alone in our bundt cake fall apart stories 🙂
bhavani/ameanderingmango says
I totally know what you mean! You bake all the time and then when you decided to blog it something annoying happens! That said, it still looks and sounds delicious – great photos too : )
Kristen says
That is so the truth… it’s like when you have a good hair day and no one sees it!
Kathryn says
This is one reason that I’m always very wary of bundt cakes, the potential for them to mess up is just too high! I love how you managed to save this recipe though, the parfait looks just wonderful!
Kristen says
There has to be some product out there that can save our Bundt’s. Just don’t know what it is! Maybe we should invent something 🙂
Cassie says
Awesome rebound, Kristen! This sounds so amazing too. Wish I had a slice for breakfast. Love this!
Kristen says
There was plenty… would have loved to share 🙂
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
I hate to say it but I’m kind of glad that I’m not the only one who curses at her food 🙂
Kristen says
Hehehe… it’s so gratifying.
Julia says
I’m sorry about your cake 🙁
However, the little parfait, yaaaaa, that little guy looks DANG good! I’m going to have to make this cake, HOPE it sticks to the pan, and then make a little parfait out of it!
Kristen says
I’ll loan you my pan for a sure fire bundt cake stick fest.
Natalie @ Cooking for My Kids says
Oh, Kristen, I adore you….because you turn lemons into lemonade, because you are so humble and kind, and because you are real and genuine in every single way.
Kristen says
Feeling is mutual, my friend 🙂
TidyMom says
oh I love that you turned you fail into something fabulous!!
and PB&J bundt cake sounds delicious!
Kristen says
It was pretty fab… not as fab as your awesome coffee cake, but fab nonetheless.
brandi says
i think those parfaits look gorgeous 🙂 i’ve had my fair share of cakes sticking to the pan – as long as it still tastes good, it’s a success!
Kristen says
The taste is really all that matters, and this tasted so good!
Laura @ SuperGlueMom says
they look so good! although the cake didn’t turn out; i love what you made with what you had!
Pat Wogan says
I am just wondering where you learned the curse words……surely it wasn’t when you were growing up in my house, was it???? Believe it or not, I had an angelfood cake do the same thing the week before you were here. And yes, it was one I was taking somewhere for a dessert for a dinner we were invited to attend. I just stuck the broken part together and went on. (I may have used a few bad words at that time.)
Kristen says
I’ve never heard you cuss a day in my life, mom. Ever.
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
Love that you posted this. I think everyone’s dealt with a bundt that sticks. It sounds like a fabulous combination.
Kristen says
I’m attracted to messes… especially pictures of them!
Ben says
What a great way to save a cake! I don’t have kids, so I don’t have to worry about cursing after something didn’t come out right from the oven, but I’m afraid for my neighbors’ kids. I bet they can hear me through the walls, hehe.
Yenta Mary says
Good save! It’s gorgeous!!! 🙂
Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine) says
Way to be creative with a near-disaster 🙂 My mom used to tell me she loved when her grandma made “mistake cakes”–cakes that came out ugly or broken. She’d slather them with extra icing to make up for it, then give them to my mom and her brothers. I think sometimes mistakes are better in that way
Kristen says
Oh my gosh – I love that… “mistake cakes” That is brilliant! Thanks for sharing that story 🙂
*Just Fran* says
Mmm. Peanut butter cake. I tried a sheet cake recipe from Tasty Kitchen that had a peanut butter frosting. I added chocolate drizzles. *IF* my bundt would work for your recipe, I could glaze with a lightened up version of the peanut butter frosting and then drizzle with your jelly glaze. Too much peanut butter? Is there such a thing? LOL Thanks for sharing and letting me know that I am not the only one that fights with and cusses at my bundt pan.
Kristen says
We need to talk… is there such a thing as too much peanut butter? I think not 🙂
Lisa says
The moral of this story is when life hands you misbehaving bundts, make parfaits! : )
I think I actually prefer how it turned out, as it just seems more creative and fun; you get a blue ribbon in my book! : )
(Of course I feel for you — I’m sorry it didn’t turn out the way you’d planned, but really, it’s still awesome!)
Kristen says
I think I’m going to have that printed on a poster… when life hands you misbehaving bundts….
NanaBread (Jeanne) says
Of all the potential kitchen failures, a bundt cake that won’t release from the pan is one of the most heartbreaking. I don’t blame you one bit for unleashing obscenities. I’m sure I would have done the same thing. I love that you turned a failure into a success with a little imagination. And as Donkey so eloquently put it to Shrek, “Everyone loves a pah-fay!”
Kristen says
Donkey is one wise fella!
Amy says
A delicious recovery I’d say! Looks perfect to me and I bet the kids liked it just as good.
Kristen says
We all dug in and didn’t mind one bit that it was ugly. Made it easier to just grab by the handful 🙂
Shumaila says
I would have this over a perfect cake any day! That looks gorgeous! As I like to think, its good to have things not turn out your way from time to time, because with time you realize the alternate is in fact better.
Jessica D. Bennett says
I love reading posts like this. Do not be afraid to do wrong in making cake..Remember the cleanliness of the work should always be first.
Russell at Chasing Delicious says
Oh no! I can’t tell you how often I have unpanning disasters! Looks like you created something beautiful out of it – although cake in any shape or form is beautiful in my mind! By the way I love those first two shots!
Kristen says
Thanks so much, Russell. That first picture was a happy accident and is one of my favorites too!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
Oh yeah, I’ve been there more than a few times. That’s what trifles and parfaits are for right? 😉
naomi says
I love the recovery here, Kristen! It’s still delicious and now you’ve served your bundt up with a twist!
Jimi says
Way to recover! It looks delicious.
I have a buttermilk bundt cake with caramel icing that turns out perfectly every time I make it…except that one time I was supposed to be taking a nice dessert to a wedding reception. Then, it fell in the oven, and only about half of it came out of the pan. Complete disaster! Threw together a quick chocolate sheetcake as a back up. 🙂
Mrs. L says
Since I too, have had bundt cakes that just didn’t want to leave the nest so to speak, I love this idea of making a parfait with the glaze!
Roxana GreenGirl { A little bit of everything} says
I hate when things like this happen. I was crying most of the day after a cheesecake and you made me realize we don’t have to blog about perfect dishes. We blog about our success as well as our mistakes. Without them I may not be the baker I’m today 🙂
Lora says
I just made this cake without the blackberry glaze and we loved the Peanut Butter pound cake …very moist . Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Anne says
Oh my goodness, this sounds amazing!
Julie Larson says
I made your Peanut Butter Bundt cake today. I did not disappoint! It is super moist and yet dense…but fluffy. The peanut butter flavor is just right. Not to subtle, not to overpowering. I ate a slice of it before I put the jelly glaze on. I liked it plain. I liked it with the jelly glaze. And I am pretty sure I would like it with a ganache glaze too!!
I give your cake a “two thumbs up”