James McNair’s Peanut Cake

My good friend James McNair, prolific and brilliant cookbook author, grew up in Louisiana and is the author of James McNair’s Cakes. Ever generous, he shared this fabulous creation with me, as well as the story behind it:

“Many miles and years away from our Louisiana hometown, my sister’s enormous blue eyes still sparkle when she recalls the peanut cake that we made as an after-school treat in the 1950s. I added peanut butter to a batter made from a yellow ca