If you are looking for a themed dessert to celebrate the 4th of July with this year, why not try this gorgeous Peanut Butter Cookie Cake by Jessica from Sweetest Menu? Topped with red and blue M&M’s and tie dye buttercream frosting, it makes quite the statement. Peanut butter lovers will want to dive face first into the soft-baked cookie, with its golden crust and soft centre. Not only does it look fabulous, it’s so easy to throw together.

‘You all know that I love my cookie cakes. They are my total go-to dessert because not only do they taste incredible but they never fail! I could eat cookie cakes forever,’ says Jessica. This one has peanut butter so its extra fudgy in the middle, which makes me oh-so-happy. The Peanut M&M’s are not just for looks but also add a lovely crunch. If you are in America, you could even use Peanut Butter M&M’s if you want to go all out. Vanilla buttercream dyed red and blue is then piped on the edges for the ultimate Fourth of July dessert.

God bless America!DIY_Cook_PBCookieCake_03.jpg

TIME

1 hour

SUITABLE FOR

Ages 14+

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Peanut butter cookie cake: 115 g (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature | 140 grams (3/4 cup) brown sugar | 1 tsp vanilla extract | 1 large egg, room temperature | 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter | 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cup) plain flour | 1/2 tsp baking soda | 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) | 1/2 cup milk or dark chocolate chips | 1/2 cup red and blue peanut M&M’s Red and blue buttercream: 60 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature | 270 grams (2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar | 1/2 tsp vanilla extract | 2 tbsp milk | Blue food colouring | Red food colouring

WHAT TO DO

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 (360 F). Grease and line an 18cm (9 inch) round cake tin.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it is pale and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and egg and continue to beat until soft and creamy. Stir in the peanut butter.
  3. Sift in the flour, baking soda and cornflour. Gently fold until dough starts to come together. Throw in the chocolate chips and half of the M&M’s and fold through.
  4. Place all the dough into your prepared tin and press down and spread out as even as possible. Press the rest of the M&M’s onto the top of the cookie cake. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Try not to overcook as you want it to stay soft in the middle.
  5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
  6. To make the butter cream – In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy and smooth and then sift in half the icing sugar and add the vanilla.
  7. Add a tablespoon of milk to help loosen up the mixture. Add the rest of the icing sugar and continue to beat.
  8. Add a tablespoon of milk if needed. The icing should be nice and creamy but thick enough to hold its shape.
  9. Divide the buttercream into two bowls. Add the red food colouring to one and give it a good stir until the icing is evenly coloured. Add the blue food colouring to the other bowl and give it a good stir until you have blue icing.
  10. Grab your disposable piping bag and insert a large star tip into the end. Very gently add spoonfuls of one colour of icing and try keep it to one side of the piping bag. You don’t have to be exact, so do the best you can. Then gently spoon the second coloured icing on top.
  11. Gently press down to remove any air bubbles and force the icing down to the tip. Twist the top of the bag and then pipe the icing onto the cupcakes. The first one probably won’t have both colours so use that one as a test run.

AND THEN

Pipe the icing onto the cake and then cut and serve.

TIP

For tips on piping check out Jessica’s cupcake frosting post here.

Recipe + Photography Jessica Holmes, Sweetest Menu

Fourth of July Peanut Butter Cookie Cake