For more amazing chocolate cake ideas, check out my German Chocolate Cake, Raspberry Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake, and my Devil’s Food Cake with Chocolate Frosting! Peanut butter and dark chocolate are two flavors that were just made for each other. I made this cake for Paul to take into the office one day for some birthday celebrations and he came home to report that multiple people said it was the best cake they have ever had. This was actually my first attempt at a drip cake where you decorate the sides of the cake by letting ganache drip down for an intentionally messy effect. It’s a really fun technique and easier to do that you might think! Plus, it’s a crowd-pleaser that makes every think you are a professional baker. This special occasion cake is over-the-top rich with a rich homemade chocolate ganache and mini Reese’s peanut butter cups. Plus, this chocolate peanut butter cake recipe has the BEST layers of moist chocolate cake sandwiched together with the creamiest peanut butter frosting. If you want more treats with that delicious peanut butter and chocolate flavor combination, try my Levain Copycat Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies, Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars, this No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie, Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, or my Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars!
Why We Love This Recipe
You can decorate the cake any way you like to make it your own creation. It’s the ultimate of all peanut butter chocolate desserts, and it’s perfect for all your special occasions. It can be made ahead and keeps well in the fridge for a few days or can even be frozen whole and served later!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Chocolate Cake & Chocolate Ganache
Cocoa Powder – Use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for a milder chocolate flavor of the cake. Chocolate – Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, to be mixed with cocoa powder and boiling water to make a chocolate paste for a rich chocolate-flavored cake! Buttermilk – Helps the cake to be fluffy and moist, but also adds depth and tang that balances the sweet flavors. Butter – Salted butter is best for this cake to enhance the flavors. If you only have unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the cake mix. Oil – I’ve used vegetable oil for the cake batter to help it be super moist, but canola oil or even olive oil will work. Brown Sugar – Firmly packed brown sugar adds complexity to the flavor of the cake. White Sugar – White granulated sugar sweetens the cake layers. Eggs – These are important to baking because they help keep the cake moist and contribute to the texture of the crumb. Vanilla Extract – I use vanilla in basically all my cakes to add that classic, subtle warm flavor. Flour – I’ve used all-purpose flour for this cake, but cake flour will also work. Rising Agents – Use both baking soda and baking powder to ensure the cake is fluffy! Salt – To enhance the flavors and balance the sweetness in this decadent cake. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – Use as many or as few as you’d like to decorate the cake. I’ve used 12 for my design, but you could use less in a cluster in the middle or chop them up and sprinkle them on top if you prefer. Chocolate Chips – Use semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate for the chocolate base for the ganache. Heavy Cream – Heavy whipping cream is best for giving chocolate ganache that creamy consistency.
Peanut Butter Frosting
Butter – Use salted butter to enhance the flavor of the frosting, or add ¼ teaspoon of salt if you’re using unsalted butter. Peanut Butter – Creamy peanut butter will work better than natural peanut butter where you have to stir to combine the ground peanuts and oil. Powdered Sugar – Makes the frosting sweet and gives it extra substance. Vanilla Extract – Adds a subtle sweet flavor that works well with the peanut butter flavor. Heavy Cream – You can use heavy whipping cream or even milk to get the frosting to the right consistency.
How to Make This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe
Tips for Success
Use parchment paper. When baking any layer cake, I always line the bottom of each cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. It can be a little annoying to trace the pans and cut out the circles every time, but it’s totally worth it because your layers of chocolate cake will come out of the pans perfectly! Room temperature ingredients. Having your ingredients at room temperature before you start mixing will help your cake have the best texture, and it will also help it not fall in the middle. If you forget, you can cheat! Simply stick the eggs in a bowl of hot tap water for 5 minutes, microwave the butter for 10 seconds, and microwave the buttermilk for 30 seconds. Cupcakes. Easily use this recipe to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes! Fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full and decrease the baking time to around 20-22 minutes at a lowered temperature of 325 degrees °F. This recipe will make around 36 cupcakes. Even layers. You can a kitchen scale to divide the batter between the three 9-inch cake pans (but I tend to just eyeball it because I don’t care enough about perfection).
Substitutions and Variations
Flour. I’ve made this with both all-purpose and cake flour. I recommend all-purpose flour because I feel like the lighter cake flour doesn’t hold up quite as well to the heavier peanut butter frosting, but it’s great either way. Buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, my favorite substitutes are: 1 cup of whole milk and ½ cup of sour cream in place of the buttermilk OR to add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 ½ cups of whole milk and let that sit for 5 minutes to curdle. Frosting. Instead of Peanut Butter Frosting, you can use Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, Chocolate Frosting, or Salted Caramel Frosting for a different flavor. Topping. Add some Reese’s Pieces, peanut butter M&Ms, chocolate chunks, or chocolate curls on top for extra sweetness.
More Amazing Celebration Cake Recipes
Homemade Funfetti Cake Black Forest Chocolate Cake Fresh Strawberry Cake Lucious Lemon Layer Cake Vintage Cherry Cake Amazing Carrot Cake 3-Layer S’mores Cake
Marble Cake
Easy Coconut Cake From Scratch
Oreo Cookies & Cream Cake
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