So I guess I should mention that I won in the cake category for the Earth Balance Bake-off...

Why yes, I did...

I was waiting to post about my cake until the contest was over, cause I didn't want to somehow jinx my chance of winning. It was hard, because I spent so much time concocting this thing and went through many cakes trying to perfect the recipe and I was so excited when I unmolded and bit into the last one to find that I had gotten it just right...I just wanted to share with everyone!

So how did the peanut butter tunnel cake come about? Well, I've always been intrigued by the tunnel of fudge cake that won the original Pillsbury Bake-off and launched the bundt pan to stardom in the 60s. Looking at it simply, a tunnel cake is just an undercooked bundt cake..but when you make the filling something different than the rest of the cake, that's more of a challenge. (More challenge=more reward.) So I thought..I've never seen a peanut butter tunnel in a chocolate bundt, and for good reason...seriously, google it. They don't exist. But I thought they should..and they should be vegan too.

classic 60s recipe: 800million eggs and a frosting box mix

I won't go through the process I spent trying to perfect this thing, cause that would be a novel. I'll just give you the recipe which is on the Earth Balance website too, but hey it's my recipe, so it's gotta go on my blog (particularly since I'm so proud of it.)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tunnel Cake

Peanut Butter Filling

3/4 cup Earth Balance Creamy Peanut Butter

3 tablespoons Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread

1 1/2 teaspoons molasses

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup Earth Balance Unsweetened Soymilk

1 1/4 cups vegan powdered sugar

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/2 tablespoon corn starch

Chocolate Cake 

2 cups Earth Balance Unsweetened Soymilk (one or both cups cold)

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla

3/4 cup Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread

2 cups + 2 tablespoons vegan granulated sugar

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional ganache and peanut butter glaze toppings

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

1/2 cup Earth Balance Unsweetened Soymilk

1/4 cup Earth Balance Creamy Peanut Butter

1-2 tablespoons Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread

1 tablespoon agave nectar

superoptional: extra chocolate chips

First make the chocolate slurry for the cake so it can be cooling while you make the rest of the recipe. In a small saucepan, whisk 1 cup Earth Balance Unsweetened soymilk (save the cold cup for later) with cocoa powder and instant coffee crystals until smooth. Turn on the heat to medium and whisk occasionally until mixture begins to boil, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool while you make the peanut butter filling.

For filling: In a medium bowl, cream together Earth Balance Creamy Peanut Butter and Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread until smooth. Beat in molasses, vanilla and Earth Balance Unsweetened Soymilk until well incorporated. Beat in powdered sugar, flour and cornstarch until smooth and creamy. Spoon filling into a large zipper bag. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and generously grease and flour a heavy duty fluted tube cake pan. (To grease a fluted tube pan, rub 1 tablespoon Earth Balance shortening all over inside of pan, taking care to apply well to the crevices in the design. Mix together 1/2 tablespoon each of cocoa powder and flour and dust all greased surfaces. Using just flour will leave white marks on the outside of your cake.) 

Continue making the cake: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. 

To the chocolate slurry, add the cold cup of soymilk, vinegar and vanilla and whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar. Alternate beating in the dry mix and the wet mixture a little at a time. Reserve 1 cup of batter and pour the rest into the prepared pan. 

Snip a corner off of the zipper bag (about an inch) and pipe filling in a circle on top of the batter. Gently cover filling with reserved cup of batter. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool in pan for 2 hours. Gently run a small thin spatula or knife around all edges of the pan. Shake the pan from side to side so you can feel that the cake has loosened from the pan. Invert a plate or platter on the pan and quickly flip over to unmold cake. If the pan was well greased and floured, the cake should unmold perfectly. If not, the toppings can cover imperfections.

For optional ganache topping: Heat Earth Balance Unsweetened Soymilk over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips.  Set aside to make peanut butter glaze.

For peanut butter glaze: Heat Earth Balance Creamy Peanut Butter, Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread, agave nectar and agave nectar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth and melted. 

Spoon toppings over cake. Let toppings cool. Slice into cake for a tunnel of gooey peanut butter goodness! Enjoy!