This chocolate peanut butter cake is a layered moist chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. It is topped with a chocolate drip and a peanut butter plus extra peanut butter cups.
This chocolate peanut butter cake is the best of soft and moist chocolate cake and the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Every part of this cake is carefully tested to make this the best chocolate peanut butter cake. This cake is a hit at any special occasions and makes the perfect birthday cake.
For other peanut butter recipes try, Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Banana Peanut Butter Cookies, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Moist chocolate cake- I have spent a lot of time perfecting this recipe to get layers of moist chocolate cake. You will love it.
- Peanut butter frosting- This fluffy peanut butter frosting is good enough to eat on its own. It brings the whole cake together to make the perfect cake.
- Peanut butter and chocolate drip- Having both peanut butter and chocolate drips makes this cake as beautiful as it is delicious.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder- I strongly recommend dutch process cocoa powder for a more rich chocolate flavor. This is the one I used.
- Oil- Use canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil.
- Eggs- Pull the large eggs out 2 hours before baking.
- Buttermilk- Use full fat or reduced fat buttermilk. Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
- Hot water- The water needs to be steaming. The hot water helps to bloom the chocolate. You can also use hot coffee instead.
- Unsalted butter- Pull this out 2 hours before using to reach room temperature.
- Powdered sugar- Make sure to sift the powdered sugar to avoid a gritty frosting.
- Chocolate chips- Use semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. I don't recommend milk chocolate chips because it will be too sweet.
- Peanut butter- Use creamy, not chunky, as it will be mixed into the frosting. I don't recommend natural peanut butter as it will have a different consistency than the regular peanut butter.
Step By Step Instructions- Cake
Here is how to make and bake the cake layers.
For the cake layers, you don't need an electric mixer, it can be made by hand. For the frosting, use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer.
STEP 1: Mix the dry ingredients. First, sift the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Then, add the white sugar.
STEP 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and buttermilk using a whisk. Heat the water in a small saucepan until steaming.
Then, slowly whisk in the hot water in.
STEP 3: Pour. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix otherwise the cake can become tough.
Then pour ⅓ of the cake batter evenly into your prepared pans with parchment paper and baking nonstick spray.
STEP 4: Bake cake. Bake the cakes for 24-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
Cool the cakes on a cooling rack completely before decorating.
Step By Step Instructions- Frosting and Drip
Here is how to make the frosting and drips.
STEP 1: Start the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Set that aside and use your mixer to beat the butter and peanut butter on high speed for 3 minutes.
STEP 2: Beat frosting. Add in just half of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until it starts to incorporate. Then add the rest of the powdered sugar. Follow with the vanilla and salt. Beat it on high speed until the frosting is creamy and smooth.
STEP 3: Chocolate drip. When you are ready to decorate, pour the chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat the heavy cream on the stove until steaming. Pour the hot cream over the chips and let it sit for 2 minutes.
Use a rubber spatula to mix it together. If there are chocolate chunks remaining, heat it in the microwave in 10 second intervals until they melt.
STEP 4: Peanut butter drip. Heat the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl until it is melted.
Assembling the Cake Tips
- Items that will be helpful in cake decoration: turntable, icing offset spatula, straight icing spatula, cake scraper, cake leveler (or a bread knife), and a cake carrier.
- Cut the cake domes off of the chocolate cake layers by using a serrated knife. It needs to be as flat as possible.
- Place the first cake layer down. Frost it with 1 cup of frosting.
- Repeat with the second layer.
- Place the last cake layer with the bottom facing up make the top of the cake as flat as possible.
- Freeze the cake for 10 minutes.
- Frost the outside of the cake, including the sides of the cake, in a thin layer of frosting and freeze for 10 more minutes. This will set the frosting a provide a crumb coat to give a cleaner finish.
- Use a piping bag to run chocolate drips down the sides of the cake. Top the cake with the remaining chocolate. Freeze for 10 more minutes before adding the peanut butter drip..
- Pour the peanut butter on top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the peanut butter down the edges of the cake. Freeze for 10 more minutes to set the drip.
- If you have peanut butter cups, decorate the top with them now. I used reese's peanut butter cups, but use your favorite!
FAQ
Yes it can! Halve the layer cake recipe to make 12 cupcakes. Bake in a muffin tin for 18-20 minutes.
You can also use two 9-inch cake pans, four 6-inch cake pans, or a 9X13-inch cake pan (half the frosting recipe for that one). Half the recipe to make three 6-inch cake pans, 8X8-inch square pan or 9X9-inch square pan.
Yes it can! Once the cake layers are done cooling, plastic tightly in cling wrap. Then, freeze up to 30 days. Pull it out 1 hour before decorating.
Storing and Freezing
Store this chocolate peanut butter cake in an airtight container like a cake carrier. Store in the fridge up to 5 days.
Freezing
You can freeze the chocolate peanut butter cake in individual cake slices. Place in an airtight container and freeze up to 30 days.
Other Layered Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups White granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Oil use canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 4 Large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup Buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup Hot water steaming
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 2 ½ cups Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Peanut butter creamy
- 5 cups Powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Chocolate Drip and Peanut Butter Drip
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup Heavy cream
- ¾ cup Peanut butter melted
- Peanut butter cups for decoration
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray three 8-inch cake pans with baking spray. Line the bottoms of the pan with 8-inch parchment paper and spray again.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 ½ cups All-purpose flour, 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ¾ cups White granulated sugar, 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Heat the water on the stove until steaming. In a medium bowl, mix the oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk. Slowly add in the hot water.¾ cup Oil, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 4 Large eggs, 1 cup Buttermilk, 1 cup Hot water
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix until just combined. The batter will be runny. Separate between the three cake pans.
- Bake for 24-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool the cake layers completely before using.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Using a mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter on high speed for 3 minutes.2 ½ cups Unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups Peanut butter, 5 cups Powdered sugar
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Add in the rest of the powdered sugar and mix. Add the vanilla and salt and mix on high speed until frosting is creamy and smooth.1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon Salt
Chocolate Drip and Peanut Butter Drip
- Start these right when you need them. Chocolate Drip: pour the chocolate chips into a bowl. Heat the heavy cream on the stove on medium-low heat until steaming.1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips, ¾ cup Heavy cream
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then, use a rubber spatula to mix until smooth. If any chocolate chip chunks remain, heat in the microwave for 10 second intervals until melted. Before applying the drip, make sure it isn't warm, if it is warm it will spill off the cake.
- Peanut butter drip: heat the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl until melted.¾ cup Peanut butter
Assembly
- Cut the domes off the cake layers using a serrated knife.
- Place the first cake layer down. Spread 1 cup of frosting over the cake. Repeat with the second cake layer. Place the last layer of cake with the bottom of the cake facing up.
- Freeze for 10 minutes. Frost the rest of the cake. Freeze for 10 minutes to set the cake.
- Use a piping bag to pipe the chocolate drips on the sides of the cake. Top the cake with the rest of the chocolate. Freeze for 10 minutes before adding the peanut butter drip.
- Pour the peanut butter on top of the cake, use an offset icing spatula to spread the peanut butter down the edge of the cake. Freeze for 10 minutes to set the drip.
- Optional: top the cake with peanut butter cups.Peanut butter cups
Gab Lib says
This cake was delicious! Mine turned out a little flatter than Stephanie's pictures, I am guessing I didn't put in the correct amount of baking powder or something. I also would like to formally request a better picture of the top of the cake ha! I am pretty good at the baking portion, but decorating has never been my strong suit. Overall, the cake was a hit with the family and I will definitely be making again. Thanks for yet another delicious recipe, Stephanie!