Meet the ultimate Peanut Butter Cake. A Milk Bar-inspired cake with three layers of peanut butter cake, peanut butter cream cheese frosting and homemade chocolate cookie crumbs.
Say hello to my seriously good Peanut Butter Cake ❤️
A three layer pb cake filled with melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese frosting and plenty of cocoa-laden chocolate cookie crumbs. This Milk Bar-inspired Peanut Butter Cake is as delicious as it is p-r-e-t-t-y.
If you can eat peanut butter with a spoon and adore all things cake AND cookie, this is the perfect dessert for you.
Last month, my husband and I went on holiday to Los Angeles and New York. And one of the BEST things we did on the trip was a cooking class at Milk Bar in Los Angeles.
We had so much fun making one of their classic birthday cakes and their birthday cake truffles. I got to wear a pink headband, play with frosting and sprinkles, and eat cake for days. It was the BEST.
I was so inspired after learning how they make their famous naked cakes, and I knew the minute I got home I wanted to create my own version. And here she is 👇🏻
My perfect Peanut Butter Cake. The cake itself has a boatload of peanut butter baked right into the batter, so it’s moist, soft and sweet (but not too sweet). But let’s be real – the star of the show is that peanut butter cream cheese frosting.
You’ll want to face plant into the bowl of frosting alone. The cream cheese makes it extra luscious and there’s a heap of peanut butter in the frosting as well. Ya know, because this is a serious Peanut Butter Cake.
One thing that Milk Bar does so well, is adding texture to their cakes. So instead of your cake being soft with soft frosting, they add a crunchy element by making their own cookie crumbs. I’ve used cookie crumbs in many of my cakes before, including my Hummingbird Cake and my Death By Chocolate Cake.
They’re the best. I can (and do) eat them by the handful.
So this is how it goes – peanut butter cake, a little peanut butter frosting, a handful of chocolate cookie crumbs, more peanut butter frosting. Repeat.
HOW TO MAKE A THREE LAYER PEANUT BUTTER CAKE
Milk Bar bake their cakes in a quarter sheet pan and then cut out the three layers. This means your cake bakes very evenly and quickly. You also don’t have to clean three baking pans – win win.
You will need:
- One quarter sheet pan (9 by 13 inch)
- 6-inch cake ring
- A sheet of acetate (at least 6 inches high)
What size is a quarter sheet pan?
9 inch by 13 inch.
So how do you get three layers out of one quarter sheet cake?
You cut out two perfect 6 inch cake layers. You can use a 6 inch cake cutter or do it by hand. For the final layer, you can cut two semi-circles out with the leftover cake and then join them together when you assemble the cake. Let me show you >
What if I don’t have a quarter sheet pan?
If you don’t have a quarter sheet pan and you don’t want to buy one, you can make this cake as a regular three layer 6 inch cake or a two layer 8 inch cake.
How do I assemble the cake?
You will need a cake board, a 6 inch cake ring and a sheet of acetate. You need to place the acetate inside the cake ring and then build the layers. Once the cake is set and stable, you can remove the cake ring and the acetate sheet.
What order are the layers?
- Peanut butter cake (the two halves)
- Cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate cookie crumbs
- Cream cheese frosting
- Peanut butter cake
- Cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate cookie crumbs
- Cream cheese frosting
- Peanut butter cake
- Cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate cookie crumbs
MORE LAYER CAKE RECIPES TO TRY:
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Let’s Bake
Peanut Butter Cake
A tall three layer 6-inch Peanut Butter Cake with cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Peanut butter cake
- 230 grams (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 180 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 250 grams (1 cup) smooth peanut butter*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) full fat or whole milk
Peanut butter cream cheese frosting
- 250 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) full fat block cream cheese, room temperature
- 115 grams (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 125 grams (1/2 cup) smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 435 grams (3 and 1/2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons full fat or whole milk
Chocolate cookie crumbs
- 105 grams (3/4 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornflour or corn starch
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
Instructions
- Peanut butter cake
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line a quarter sheet pan with baking or parchment paper. - Place butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix together until smooth and combined.
- Next, add eggs, one at a time. Beat on a low speed to combine. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled – this is normal.
- Add baking powder, salt and half of the flour, followed by all of the milk. Beat on a low speed to combine, then add remaining flour. The cake batter should be thick and smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave in pan to cool completely.
- Chocolate crumbs
Next, make your chocolate crumbs. In a large mixing bowl, add plain flour, sugar, cornflour and cocoa powder. Whisk together. Melt your butter and add it to the mixture, stirring until it forms wet crumbs. - Pour this mixture out onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread out into one layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then leave to cool completely.
- Peanut butter cream cheese frosting
To make the cream cheese frosting, add butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add peanut butter and vanilla and beat briefly. - Then, add sugar, 1 cup at a time, along with 2 tablespoons of milk, and continue to beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk.
- Assemble the cake
Gently remove cooled cake from pan and remove baking paper. Cut out three 6-inch layers using a 6-inch cake ring. Note the diagram above – you’ll get two whole layers and then two halves. - Place a 6-inch cake ring on a cake board or plate. Line the inside of the cake ring with a sheet of acetate. Place two half pieces of cake at the bottom. Press down the cake firmly. If there are any gaps, use extra cake scraps to fill in the holes and press down very firmly to make one even layer.
- Next, add a thin layer of cream cheese frosting. Scatter over 1/3 of the cookie crumbs. Add more cream cheese frosting on top.
- Add another layer of peanut butter cake on top and press down firmly. Add more cream cheese frosting. Add another 1/3 of cookie crumbs. Add more creamy cheese frosting on top.
- Add final layer of peanut butter cake on top and press down firmly. Add the remaining cream cheese frosting and scatter over the final chocolate cookie crumbs.
- Place cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set. Cut and serve.
Notes
*Peanut butter: I recommend using a processed full fat peanut butter like Bega, Jif or Skippy.
Celeste says
Can’t wait to make this (for my son’s birthday this week)! Have you tried putting in some chopped up peanut butter cups into the cake batter? Wondered if it would help/hinder or change anything. Thanks so much for posting!!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Celeste, I haven’t tried that myself but sounds pretty delish!
Linda McCallum says
This cake sounds delicious! I have all the ingredients out ready to bake and then I realized it needs a cake ring and acetate sheet which I don’t have! Are there alternative ways to put this together?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Linda, yes you can put it together without that equipment. You can trace around something to cut out the 6 inch cakes and build it like a normal layer cake it just won’t have the striking edges. But it’ll still be delicious!!
Marie says
Hi Jessica,
This sounds delicious!
My husband and I went to Vegas the beginning of the year and tasted milk bar’s exclusive Elvis cake and fell in love with it. Its a banana, peanut butter, and chocolate cake. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can integrate banana in the recipe to be able to make a similar cake?
Thanks for this PB cake recipe! Can’t wait to make it this weekend!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Marie, oh boy, that combo sounds magical! You could make a layer of banana cake and squeeze it in there haha – or decorate with fresh bananas? Love the idea of that combo! X
April says
This is such a great recipe! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked it April!
Nicole says
To make two 9″ cakes how should I modify recipe?
★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Nicole, you could use the recipe as is and just divide the cake batter into two. You might just need to adjust the cooking time.
Ania says
Yet again another wonderful cake. An absolute dream for anybody that loves peanut butter. It was very rich and went down a treat. I love trying to make cakes from this website, it’s my favourite go to for cakes
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Aw thank you so much Ania! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this cake!
Samantha E says
Hi Jess, if I want to frost the outside of the cake should I double the frosting? Or does it make enough
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Samantha, yes you might want to double it or make 1.5 x batch if you want to cover the whole cake.
Natalie says
HI Jessica! Is the amount of powdered sugar right in the recepie? It’s almost 1:1 with butter, peanut butter and cheese mixed up. Will not be too sweet?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Natalie, yes the measurements are correct.
Wendy says
Hi Jess, I’d love to try out the peanut butter frosting but I am afraid the texture might turn out grainy.
I have experienced the grainy texture when I did the buttercream frosting. Any advice?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Wendy! Hmm I haven’t had trouble with grainy buttercream before, but it should help if you sift the icing sugar (even twice if you can) before adding it the softened butter. Adding a little liquid will also helps smooth the buttercream, eg. Milk, so perhaps an extra tablespoon might help you achieve the texture you’re looking for. Let me know if you have any other thoughts/questions.
Ashley says
I’m just realizing I don’t have castor sugar, can I sub for granulated sugar?
Jessica Holmes says
Absolutely! That would be fine!
Jackie Drydbe says
Recipe has baking powder, but directions say baking soda. Which is it?? Am i missing something?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jackie! Sorry it’s definitely baking powder – just a typo!
Natalie says
I love peanut butter cakes! This one is so fancy and impressive! I love those layers – so tempting ♥
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Thanks Natalie!
Sarah says
If I want to use two 9 inch rounds, any idea how I would need to alter the recipe and bake time? Definitely need to make this!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sarah, this cake would be fine baked in two 9 inch baking pan and the bake time would be around the same – I recommend checking from about 30 minutes onwards, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Melissa Western says
Could I make this a day before? Would it keep in fridge or should I make it a few days before and freeze?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Melissa, I prefer not to keep cake in the fridge for days as it tends to dry out – although this cake holds up pretty well. If I were you, I would recommend freezing the cake ahead of time and assembling on the day if you can. Or you can freeze the whole cake and bring it to room temperature before serving – up to you!! ☺️
Josh says
This cake was delicious – especially that frosting.
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked it Josh!