PB&J Dome Cake

Name: PB&J Dome Cake
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 8 large eggs, room temperature, separated; 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 1 tsp. cream of tartar; 2 cups (packed; 400 g) dark brown sugar, divided; ⅔ cup vegetable oil; 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract; 2 cups (250 g) cake flour; 1 tsp. baking powder; 1 cup (46 g) freeze-dried strawberries; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest; 2 oz. cream cheese, room temperature; 4 cups chilled heavy cream; 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract; 1¼ cups chilled heavy cream; 1 cup creamy peanut butter; ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract; ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 8 Tbsp. strawberry jam; 8 Tbsp. coarsely chopped honey-roasted peanuts; Food-safe flowers and leaves and freeze-dried strawberries (for decorating)

By Shilpa Uskokovic

February 7, 2023

A pink PBJflavored dome cake with decorative flowers and frosting squiggles sits on a blue glass cake stand

Photograph by Joe Lingeman, food styling by Shilpa Uskokovic, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua

The dome cake is the It girl of cakes; she’s completely unique and impeccably styled. You’ve likely seen one on your social feed, bedecked with flowers and seemingly shrouded in mystery. Though dome cakes are often shown off in their finished glory, the secrets of their making are seldom revealed. Consider them declassified now. It’s by no means a piece of cake, but if you like an artful project (this involves stacking layers of varying-size cake) and obsessing over details, follow along. It’s held together with a whipped peanut butter filling and finished with a strawberry cream; we promise it’s worth the elbow grease. You can always break up the project over a day or two to make it more manageable.

While most dome cakes are made in a specialty hemisphere cake pan, this one is assembled in a large mixing bowl for ease and accessibility. Choose the roundest one on your shelf for the most rotund dome. For a super smooth, professional-looking cake, finish the cake by running a strip of acetate over the curved surface (outlined below). Acetate sheets are easily found online and in craft supply stores and come in handy for building tall layer cakes.

Whatever flowers and foliage you use, check with your florist that they’re nontoxic. And always remove them before cutting and serving the cake.