PB&C Bakery Bites

By Lynn | October 3, 2023 |
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When I was a kid, my Dad owned a bakery called “Sugar and Spice.” It was a magical place for me. From the tinkling of the bell above the door, to the the waft of vanilla scented air, to the lit cases of delicate pastries, glossy ganache covered brownies, and giant sugar cookies with brightly colored sprinkles, being there made me feel like the proverbial kid in a candy store. To this day, I can’t enter an old-fashioned bakery without feeling immediately comforted and happy.

Every night, before my Dad would come home from work, he would call us and take requests for the special treats we wanted him to bring home. Hands down, these cakes were the #1 requested treat. They were an homage to “Tastykakes” Kandy Cakes, but at Sugar and Spice they were HUGE and would fill a dessert plate.

It is so joyful to recreate some of the special treats and happy memories from “Sugar and Spice Bakery.”

The PB&C Bakery Bites cake base is a firm vanilla sponge that isn’t too sweet and serves as a perfect canvas for the peanut butter layer. The cakes are then enrobed in melted chocolate with added coconut oil to help the chocolate firm up.

The recipe is flexible, in that it can simply be cut into squares to maximize every delicious bite. And that approach provides a much faster finish line to enjoying them.

However, I tend to prefer the nostalgic circular shape, achieved by cutting them out individually with a biscuit cutter. I have definitely made large ones, completely enrobed in chocolate – reminiscent of Sugar and Spice Bakery’s OG vibe. But since, I tend to prefer just about anything in miniature, I have found that the rich chocolate and peanut butter flavors are delightful in bite-sized portions. It elevates them from rustic to refined and makes a wonderfully sweet bite for parties and events. They can also be stored in the freezer in an airtight container or vacuum sealed bag for a convenient and decadent weeknight dessert treat.

Ingredients

Supplies and Equipment

  • 10×15 baking / jelly roll pan
  • Stand Mixer (or hand mixer)
  • 2 medium size bowls (one heat resistant for double boiler)
  • Medium size saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Rubber Spatula
  • Small round biscuit cutter
  • Disposable pastry bag (optional)
  • Parchment paper
  • Baking Spray

How to Make PB&C Bakery Bites

  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2. Prep a 10 x 15 baking pan/ jelly roll pan by lining with parchment paper and spray with flour based baking spray.

3. Add flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl together and whisk to mix.

4. In a standing mixer, mix sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil for two minutes or until fully incorporated and creamy.

5. Alternate mixing the flour mixture and the milk on low speed until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.

6. At the end, use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl and ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

7. Pour batter into prepared pan and place in pre-heated oven for about 18-20 minutes. Halfway through rotate the pan for even baking.

8. Check the cake at 18 minutes and use a cake tester to ensure that it is baked in the center. If not, continue to bake for two minutes and recheck doneness.

9. Let cake cool completely.

Assembly

  • Invert cake onto a parchment lined cutting board. Peel up the parchment layer from the top of the cake.
  • Using an offset spatula, frost the entire cake with creamy peanut butter. Be sure to spread the peanut butter in an even layer that goes all the way to the edges.
  • Freeze the cake for 30-40 minutes to set the peanut butter. (It makes it SO much easier to cut the mini cakes.)
  • Pull the chilled cake out of the freezer and place on a work surface. Using a small biscuit cutter, cut and remove cakes and set aside. To maximize how many cakes you can cut, be sure to get as close the edges as possible.
  • Once you are done, put the mini cake bites on a baking tray back in the freezer until you are ready to coat them in chocolate.

Prepare Melted Chocolate

  • While cakes are chilling, fill a sauce pot 1/3 high with water and use a heat safe metal or glass bowl to create a double boiler. Add chocolate chips and coconut oil. Stir with a rubber spatula until melted and smooth.
  • At this point, you can smooth the melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer of the cakes with a small spreader. Or, for extra chocolatey cakes, you can submerge them in the chocolate to completely enrobe them.
  • My preferred method is to put the melted chocolate in a plastic pastry bag. You won’t need a pastry tip – just snip a tiny bit off of the edge of the pastry bag as the chocolate flows pretty quickly. Using the bag, trace a circle around the perimeter of the cake and fill in the center with chocolate. If it isn’t as smooth as you would like, use a small knife to smooth it over quickly.
  • The chocolate will begin to set in a minute or two, so if you would like to add sprinkles, crushed peanuts, mini chocolate chips or any other elements to the top, do it right away before the chocolate sets. (I also like to create a quick peanut butter frosting with 4 TBSP peanut butter, 2 TBSP butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar to decorate the tops).
  • Refrigerate cakes for at least 30 minutes until ready to serve. They are extra delicious when they are slightly chilled. Cakes can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days in the refrigerator or for a month in the freezer.
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PB&C Bakery Bites

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  • Author: Family Tree Foodie (Inspired by Sugar and Spice Bakery)
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Description

These diminutive nostalgic cakes are a nod to one of the most beloved baked goods at my Dad’s bakery when I was a kid. They start with a not too sweet vanilla sponge, layered with creamy peanut butter and a crowned with melted chocolate. They are pure bite-sized bliss. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (250 g) of all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cups of granulated sugar (400 g)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 TBSP neutral oil (grapeseed or vegetable)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup whole milk (200g)
  • 2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 TBSP coconut oil
  • OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup of toppings to decorate the PB&C Bites (crushed peanuts, mini chocolate chips, or  sprinkles) 

Instructions

  1.  Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  2. Prep a 10 x 15 baking pan/ jelly roll pan by lining with parchment paper and spray with flour based baking spray.
  3. Add flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl together and whisk to mix.
  4. In a standing mixer, mix sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil for two minutes or until fully incorporated and creamy.
  5. Alternate mixing the flour mixture and the milk on low speed until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
  6. At the end, use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl and ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and place in pre-heated oven for about 18-20 minutes. Halfway through rotate the pan for even baking.
  8. Check the cake at 18 minutes and use a cake tester to ensure that it is baked in the center. If not, continue to bake for two minutes and recheck doneness.
  9. Let cake cool completely.
  10. Invert cake onto a parchment lined cutting board. Peel up the parchment layer from the top of the cake.
  11. Using an offset spatula, frost the entire cake with peanut butter. Be sure to that you have an even layer that goes all the way to the edges.
  12. Freeze the cake for 40 minutes to set the peanut butter.
  13. Pull the cake out of the freezer and place on a work surface. If you want to make circular cakes, use a biscuit cutter to cut individual cakes. Make sure you cut as close to each other as you can to ensure that you use every bit of cake possible. Place the cake circles on a baking pan and put them back in the freezer until you are ready to dip them in chocolate.

Preparing Melted Chocolate

  1. While cakes are chilling, fill a sauce pot 1/3 high with water and use a heat safe metal or glass bowl to create a double boiler. Add chocolate chips and coconut oil. Stir with a rubber spatula until melted and smooth.
  2. At this point, you can smooth the melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer of the cakes with a small spreader. (Or, for extra chocolatey cakes, you can submerge them in the chocolate to completely enrobe them.)
  3. My preferred method is to put the melted chocolate in a plastic pastry bag. You won’t need a pastry tip – just snip a tiny bit off of the edge of the pastry bag as the chocolate flows pretty quickly. Using the bag, trace a circle around the perimeter of the cake and fill in the center with chocolate. If it isn’t as smooth as you would like, use a small knife to smooth it over quickly.
  4. The chocolate will begin to set in a minute or two, so if you would like to add sprinkles, crushed peanuts, mini chocolate chips or any other elements to the top, do it right away before the chocolate sets.
  5. Refrigerate cakes for at least 30 minutes until ready to serve. Cakes can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days in the refrigerator or for a month in the freezer.

Notes

*If you prefer to serve this cake in rectangular pieces, you can skip instruction #10 and not invert the cake. While the individual round cake bites are adorable, this is a much faster way to prepare them and there is no wasted cake from the cutters. Just keep your cake in the pan, frost it with peanut butter and freeze it. And then put the melted chocolate on top of that and freeze again. Cut the cake into squares and use a spatula to remove from them pan onto your serving platter.

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