A deliciously easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. Two layers of soft, chocolate cake covered in creamy peanut butter frosting and topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Peanut butter for the win 💙
This gorgeous Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake consists of soft, cocoa-filled chocolate cakes, a generous slathering of creamy peanut butter buttercream and loads of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Altogether, it’s one over-the-top layer cake that’s dreamy, creamy and perfect for peanut butter lovers like you and me.
This cake needs to come with a warning. One that says the making of this cake may cause a dirty kitchen, including cocoa-covered benches and a butter-laden floor. BUT it is all worth it.
Layer cakes certainly do require more effort, but the results are extremely satisfying. And this pretty pb cake is sure to impress your family and friends.
This cake is a total showstopper.
Peanut butter and chocolate is an American favourite yes? I think it definitely deserves all the attention too. Whether it’s peanut butter brownies or peanut butter cookies, I can’t get enough PB in my life.
And this cake is my new peanut butter chocolate favourite. ❤️
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When I was designing this cake, I wanted to make sure it had a lovely thick layer of peanut butter frosting running right through the middle. And that’s exactly what we have here 👇🏻
And I promise you, this pb frosting is completely mouthwatering. Honestly, I could take a bowl of it and a spoon and simply go to town. It’s seriously buttery and smooth – it practically melts-in-your-mouth.
I just adore the look of crumb coated cakes, so I purposely left it with the layers shining through. To achieve this look, you just need a cake scraper. Do you have one?
The only way to make this cake ever better, was to finish it with a bundle of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. In fact, if I’m honest, this whole cake tastes like one giant peanut butter cup.
And I am SO ok with that.
If you’re looking for a gorgeous layer cake for your next birthday or celebration, this is YOUR cake.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Cake
Two layers of chocolate cake covered in peanut butter frosting.
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 80 grams (1 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 300 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 240 ml (1 cup) hot water
Peanut butter frosting
- 230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 250 grams (1 cup) smooth peanut butter
- 435 grams (3 and 1/2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons full fat or whole milk
- 150 grams (1 cup) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped in half
Instructions
- Chocolate cake
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with baking or parchment paper. - In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Then add the sugars. Whisk together.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs. Whisk together. Boil the kettle and pour out 1 cup of hot water and set aside.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Start to fold together, slowly pour in the hot water, and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Divide the mixture into two cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes before gently removing the cakes from their tins and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Peanut butter frosting
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and peanut butter on a medium speed until creamy and smooth. Sift in half the icing sugar. Add a tablespoon or two of milk to help loosen up the mixture. - Add the rest of the icing sugar and continue to beat until creamy. Add a tablespoon of milk as needed. You want a thick and creamy frosting. If it’s too thick, add a touch more milk.
- Trim the tops of your cakes using a serrated knife, so they are nice and flat. Cover the first cake layer with a generous amount of frosting on top and spread it out, going right to the edges.
- Place the remaining chocolate cake layer upside down on top. Then gently frost the sides and top of the cake using a spatula. Use a cake scraper to gently remove extra frosting from the sides. Top with Peanut Butter Cups.
This recipe was first published on Sweetest Menu in July 2015.
Lynn Morgan says
I don’t normally buy whole milk. Since the recipe calls for such a small amount, could I use oat milk instead?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Lynn, do you mean for the icing? I worry oat milk might taint the flavour slightly but it should be ok. Regular cream can also work.
Lynn Morgan says
Yes I meant for the icing. Thanks!
Ale says
Would this cake be sturdy enough to withstand 3 tiers of 10-8 -6 inches wide by about 4 inch tall per tier?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Ale, I haven’t tried making this cake into such large tiers, but my guess would be yes!
Martina says
One of the best cakes I’ve ever tried! The sponge is so moist and the icing is just heaven. Thank you for the recipe!
Jessica Holmes says
I love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed it Martina.
Tina says
Can I use heavy cream instead milk in the frosting?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes!
Kristie Shanahan says
Maybe the best cake I’ve ever made. The cake melts in your mouth. I added more sugar and milk to the frosting and whipped it to be so fluffy that it’s heaven.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Kristie!
Cyndi says
Do you think I could Color this icing as to decorate a grooms cake???
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Cyndi, yes I think it would work!
Alice says
Loved this recipe! The texture of this cake is just heavenly!
Jessica Holmes says
Aw so happy to hear that!
Kate says
Just made the cake for my husband’s birthday and it’s so delicious! It melts in your mouth. Couldn’t ask for more! Love your recipes! Thank you 😊
Jessica Holmes says
Yaaay! I’m so happy to hear that Kate!
Wendy says
Hi Jess, how long can I leave the cake with the peanut butter frosting in room temperature? Coz if I were to make it a day earlier and store it in the fridge, will the cake might become dense and the pb frosting harden ?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Wendy, I think it’s fine to leave it out as long as it’s covered and at a cool, room temperature. On the other hand, it’ll be ok in the fridge, you might just want to bring it back to room temperature before serving. The frosting will be fine, cakes can dry out a little bit in the fridge. Alternatively, you can make the cakes ahead of time, wrap them with plastic wrap at room temperature and then frost on the day of serving. It’s really up to you!
Wendy says
Thanks so much, Jess for all your replies…it definitely helps a lot…xoxo
Veronica says
The cake looks amazing!
Is it possible do make the cake in one pan or is it necessery to seperate it in two ?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Veronica, it would be quite a lot of cake batter for one cake tin – unless you are planning on using a very large cake tin.
Heather says
What is caster sugar?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Heather, caster sugar is a refined white sugar often used in baking here in Australia. You can swap it for granulated sugar. I wrote a whole post about it, you can read about it here.
Kattie says
I haven’t tried the cake yet, but as to the frosting…..
I cooked up 1 cup almond milk with 5 tbsp flour (whisking like a crazy person to keep it smooth), let that cool COMPLETELY and then mixed it into this frosting recipe – OH MY WORD, what have I been missing!?!? Smoothest, fluffiest, perfect amount of sweetness frosting that might last long enough to go on my son’s birthday cake! ☺️ Haha, I can’t wait to try the cake recipe next. Need to find someone with a birthday in April!
Jessica Holmes says
Amazing! Thanks for the feedback – I hope you enjoy the cake recipe too ☺️
Flor says
the chocolate cake is super yummy….i failed with the frosting though (any recommendation of the peanut butter to use?) …..i tried for choco ganache as frosting..it blended well
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Flor! So glad to hear you enjoyed the cake! ☺️ I use Bega peanut butter for the frosting, but most regular store bought peanut butters, like Jif or Skippy, should work. I just don’t recommend using a natural peanut butter that tends to separate or it may have that effect in your frosting. Hope that helps!
Josh says
Love this cake!