This is the BEST chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting you'll ever eat! It's made with layers of soft and fudgy brownie-like chocolate cake with silky and creamy peanut butter frosting. Rich, decadent, and delicious!
Jump to:
I say this all the time about new recipes but this chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting has to be one of my favourite decadent cakes I've made. It's definitely a rich and indulgent cake with both fudgy chocolate cake and rich peanut butter frosting but sometimes that's exactly what you need.
One of the reasons I love it is because it comes together so effortlessly. The chocolate cake recipe is my go-to chocolate cake recipe that comes out soft, moist, and incredibly chocolatey every time. The cake also becomes fudgy and brownie-like when chilled in the fridge. The natural oils in peanut butter make the frosting so creamy and spreadable with extra no effort.
This is a naked-style cake with no frosting on the sides of the cake and very simple decorations. You don't need a crumb coat, piping bags, piping tips, or a cake turntable unless you want to!
Why you'll love this recipe
- This chocolate peanut butter cake is rich, fudgy, and so delicious! It tastes exactly like a chocolate peanut butter cup!
- The recipe is easy to follow, with step-by-step photos in the instructions.
- This cake is easy to make and low maintenance - only 2 layers and simple decorations.
- It's the perfect cake for any occasion or just for yourself (it freezes well!)
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder - Use natural cocoa powder, not dutch-processed cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder is the most common kind you can find so it's likely what you already have or will pick up at the grocery store.
- Baking soda
- Baking powder - The baking soda and baking powder helps the cake rise when baked.
- Salt
- Unsalted butter - The butter you use for the cake will be melted but the butter you use for the peanut butter frosting needs to be softened to room temperature. Don't forget to take the butter out of the fridge ahead of time (at least a few hours beforehand!).
- Oil - We're using oil in addition to butter in this cake to help it stay softer. Butter in cakes hardens when stored in the fridge but oil doesn't.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar - We're using a combination of both granulated sugar and brown sugar for a better balance of texture and flavour.
- Eggs - These should be at room temperature so that they don't cause the melted butter to harden on contact.
- Milk - This should also be at room temperature so that the butter doesn't harden into little bits in your cake batter.
- Powdered sugar - For the frosting!
- Natural peanut butter - You'll want to use natural peanut butter that's made only from peanuts, not fake peanut butter with added sugar and other things.
- Vanilla extract - I always add this to frosting for more flavour.
- Roasted peanuts - Optional, for decorating the top of the cake.
- Chocolate shavings - Optional, for decorating the top of the cake.
How to make a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting
For the chocolate cake
Prep - Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottom of two 8" round cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients - In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Mix wet ingredients (except milk) - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs until combined and smooth.
Alternate adding dry mixture and milk - Add in half of the flour mixture and whisk until just barely combined with some flour bits left. Pour in half of the milk and whisk again until just combined. Repeat with the rest of the flour mixture and milk, whisking in between each addition until just combined.
Fill cake pans - Divide the cake batter into your two lined cake pans until they're about ¾ full.
Bake - Bake cakes for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean with a few crumbs.
Cool cakes - Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15-30 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the edges of the cakes to release them and invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the peanut butter frosting
Cream butter & sugar - In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat softened butter until very creamy and pale in colour, about 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat again until fluffy, another 5 minutes.
Mix in peanut butter - Add peanut butter and vanilla extract. Beat again until thoroughly mixed, scraping down the bowl if needed.
Assemble the cake
Lay down cake layer - Level your cake layers if needed. Place down one layer of chocolate cake onto a cake turntable, cake stand, or plate.
Spread frosting - Use an offset spatula to spread an even layer of peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer, being careful not to push the frosting over the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top. Add all the remaining frosting on top of the cake. Spread it into an even layer and then use your spatula to make a swoopy design in the frosting.
Decorate cake - Sprinkle with roasted peanuts and chocolate shavings, if desired.
Storage
This chocolate peanut butter cake can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let it come back to room temperature before serving.
Freezing
Leftover slices of this cake can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and/or aluminium foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature before eating.
Tips & tricks
Use room temperature ingredients.
Your butter, eggs, and milk should be a room temperature to ensure they mix together homogenously. Melted or softened butter can solidify into small pieces if it comes in contact with cold ingredients, leading to lumpy and uneven cakes.
Don't overmix the cake batter.
After adding the flour, mix the batter until the ingredients are just combined and no dry flour patches remain. Overmixing can increase gluten formation and lead to dense cakes.
Use cake strips or spin the cake pan for flat cake tops.
When the outer edges of cakes cook faster than the middle, it causes a domed top that you have to cut off later. To reduce doming, moisten cake strips in cold water and wrap them around the sides of your cake pans before baking.
For an easy trick without cake strips, you can try spinning your cake pans before baking to force the batter to move away from the middle towards the sides of the pan. You can also manually push the batter to the edges with a spatula. After baking, cool the cakes upside down to help flatten the top.
Beat the frosting for a long time.
For silky smooth buttercream frosting, beat your softened butter for at least 5 minutes and again after you've added the powdered sugar and other ingredients. Sometimes I beat it for 10 minutes to make it extra fluffy. To get rid of air bubbles that you've beat in, run the mixer on low speed at the end or smush the frosting around the bowl with a spatula.
Let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
Cakes should be stored in the fridge to keep them fresh and food safe. Remember to take the cake out ahead of time and let it come back to room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving for the best soft texture.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use store-bought frosting instead of homemade. You might have to add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too soft and runny.
Yes! I almost always make my cake layers ahead of time and frost the cake the next day. Baked cake layers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for 1-2 days before use or frozen for up to 2 weeks. Once you've assembled and frosted the cake, it can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days before serving.
Peanut butter frosting can separate if the butter or peanut butter used were too warm or too cold. Your butter should be at room temperature but not melting. To fix the separated peanut butter frosting, chill the frosting in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour and beat again until smooth.
More chocolate cake recipes to try
Recipe
Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 340 g all-purpose flour
- 130 g cocoa powder, sifted if clumpy
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 200 g unsalted butter, melted
- 170 g oil
- 170 g granulated sugar
- 170 g brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 590 g milk, room temperature
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 230 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 200 g natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- chocolate shavings
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottom of two 8" round cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs until combined and smooth.
- Add in half of the flour mixture and whisk until just barely combined with some flour bits left. Pour in half of the milk and whisk again until just combined. Repeat with the rest of the flour mixture and milk, whisking in between each addition until just combined.
- Divide the cake batter into your two lined cake pans until they're about ¾ full.
- Bake cakes for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean with a few crumbs.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15-30 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the edges of the cakes to release them and invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat softened butter until very creamy and pale in colour, about 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat again until fluffy, another 5 minutes.
- Add peanut butter and vanilla extract. Beat again until thoroughly mixed, scraping down the bowl if needed.
Assemble the cake
- Level your cake layers if needed. Place down one layer of chocolate cake onto a cake turntable, cake stand, or plate.
- Use an offset spatula to spread an even layer of peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer, being careful not to push the frosting over the edge of the cake.
- Place the second cake layer on top. Add all the remaining frosting on top of the cake. Spread it into an even layer and then use your spatula to make a swoopy design in the frosting. Sprinkle with roasted peanuts and chocolate shavings, if desired.
Leave a comment or review