Hallelujah, this peanut butter cake has less sugar than most breakfast muffins! This isn’t difficult, of course, because who decided it was a good idea to stir a bunch of sugar, corn syrup, and white flour together and call it “breakfast?” My apologies to all the donuts, poptarts, and poofy-puffs out there who just got their feelings hurt. It’s really not your fault.
Indeed, not only do I serve this for desserts or snacks, I have been known to serve it for breakfast.
Now I know what you’re thinking. “This girl makes cake for breakfast all the time!” Okay fine. You caught me. (Other breakfast cake recipes: My Original Breakfast Cake and Pumpkin Breakfast Cake)
We do quite a few breakfast cakes around here, and I keep inventing more ideas. This is because breakfast cakes are easy and filling. My current favorite way to make breakfast is to bake a cake the night before, frost it with stevia sweetened frosting, then wake up to a ready-made meal. Pull out applesauce and fresh berries, and breakfast is served.
Here’s a little known secret about muffin and quick bread recipes: The batter can usually be spread into a 9×13 inch pan and baked into a cake. If you sub out white flour with whole wheat, replace the large amount of white sugar for a smaller amount of sucanat or honey, you have yourself a delicious and fun breakfast.
Serve meat or eggs with your cake if you need additional protein to start your day. Always serve fruit with your breakfast. (Sometimes I’m bossy.)
Low Sugar Peanut Butter Cake
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup sucanat
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- In a small saucepan, melt together the butter and peanut butter.
- Stir melted mixture into the sucanat.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla.
- Mix well, then stir in flour and mix until smooth.
- Pour batter into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Bake in a 350° oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool before frosting.
Peanut Butter Cream Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup natural peanut butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Liquid stevia
Whip together all ingredients until thick and smooth, sweetening with stevia to taste. Spread over cooled cake.
Before anyone else can say it, I’m going to. “Did you see how much fat is in that frosting?!?!”
Mm-hmm. If it isn’t obvious to you by now by reading posts from this butter and coconut oil loving girl, it should be very clear to you how important I believe it is to eat plenty of healthy, real fats. Our brains need fat to thrive! (Why yes I have researched this for hours and hours.) It just so happens I’m nourishing my brain by eating this cake with a thick layer of frosting.
The low amount of sugar in this cake (which I cut into 24 pieces, by the way) combined with whole grains and healthy fats makes for a very nourishing treat. In case you’re wondering, the reason I use cream cheese and cream in my stevia sweetened frosting recipes is because when whipped together, those cream products provide bulk (taking the place of three cups of powdered sugar). Also – it’s cream cheese and cream! Does life get any yummier?
So there you go. If you haven’t served cake for breakfast yet, do this. Tell your kids I said, “You’re welcome.”
What’s your breakfast cake status? Tried it yet?
I make your regular breakfast cake all the time! Can’t wait to try this!
As I was walking past my kitchen, I saw my 8 year old son on my laptop. After closer examination, I realized he was pinning your Peanut Butter Cake recipe to one of my boards on Pinterest. When I asked him what he was doing, he replied with “Mom, this lady says we should have cake for breakfast!”… Well, it’s made with healthy ingredients, so of course we can!
This sounds delicious! We’ve made your breakfast cake and cookies before and thought they were great. I have been known to make muffin recipes in the donut-shaped tin. Healthy donuts!
I can’t wait to try the frosting recipe. I have really missed frosting since we’ve cut way back on sugar. I am sure it will be a winner!
Breakfast cake is a winner. Definitely. Unfortunately my son is anti-peanut butter (I know. It’s embarrassing. I don’t discuss it in public.) so we won’t be trying this one anytime soon. But I licked my screen and imagined it tasted delicious. :)
This looks yummy! I’m going to make it tonight and surprise the kids for breakfast. Quick question though. I’m guessing you put it in the fridge since it has the cream cheese and cream?
I cannot wait to try it! I usually pass on the recipes that call for heavy cream, but I will have to make an exception. We have loved your breakfast cake for years. And my family loves p.b.
Already made it for the morning. I added chocolate chips, juse in case I run out of time to make the frosting!:)
I usually leave it un-refrigerated overnight so it will taste fresher (less hard) for breakfast the next morning. After breakfast, if there is any left, I put it in the fridge. :)
Sounds delicious! Is this recipe for a 9×9 pan instead? I would not think that 1 1/2 cups of flour would be enough for a 9×13 pan.
I could be wrong though. : )
You could definitely use a 9×9 pan instead. I like the 9×13 for this so that it makes a thinner cake because I like thick frosting! :)
Any wisdom/thoughts on what frosting I could use that would be yummy and dairy-free? I too, am all for healthy cakes for breakfast.
I don’t know how to do do low sugar and dairy free. For dairy free, I would just use coconut milk, but I would think you’d have to use powdered sugar with that to give it bulk. :)
This sounds so yummy! Any hints on how much stevia to begin with? I’ve never used the liquid variation and I don’t know how much sweetness a tablespoon provides. Thanks!
I would say I use 1-2 teaspoons in this frosting??
I love cake for breakfast! And cookies, which made up a portion of our breakfast today, but they were oatmeal so that works, right?
You’re a nice bossy! :)
I’ve been on a pb kick lately, so this sounds wonderful to me right now. I never use the full amount of powdered sugar called for in recipes. I use just enough to sweeten my cream cheese and call it good.
Thanks for the recipe. Pinning and trying soon.
I haven’t tried this yet, but I thought there was way too much frosting when I made this cake and that it was way too rich. I shared the recipe with a friend who is dairy free and suggested that she skip the cream cheese completely and use coconut cream (the canned kind, with the liquid dumped out) and palm shortening instead of heavy cream and butter. I also made it without stevia and it was sweet enough for me. But do what tastes best for you :)
If I get around to making the dairy free version I will let you know how it turns out.
Hoping to make this tomorrow, for my son’s birthday. Not able to find sucunat sugar. Can you suggest a substitute?
I an trying honey because sucanat is not something I keep on hand. It is in the oven now. I use honey in place of sugar in many recipes.
Honey is a great sub, or brown or white sugar will work as well. :)
How much liquid stevia do you use in this frosting?
Wanted to report back about the dairy-free frosting. Here is the recipe that I used, loosely based on the original one.
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 cup palm shortening
1/8 c honey
1 can coconut cream (without the liquid)
The result is super creamy and delicious! It is VERY rich, but I think a thin layer on a small piece of cake would be delicious. And it might not be too rich for you, so maybe a thick layer would taste good to some.
I hope that helps those with allergies.
I love this cake so much, made it twice this week :)
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk? Buttermilk is nearly $5 for a small amount around here!
Yes, that will work!