Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with swirls of peanut butter frosting and mini peanut butter cups on top of chocolate ganache.

5 from 6 votes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe

This triple-tiered Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with chocolate ganache drip and homemade peanut butter frosting is a celebration cake to remember! Made with deliciously moist chocolate cake layers, it's coated with my creamy peanut butter frosting, rich chocolate ganache, and topped with extra swirls of peanut butter frosting and mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. It's perfect for chocolate and peanut butter lovers everywhere!

Prep Time45

Cook Time25

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 900kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

Cake

⅓ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup salted butter
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (200g)
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2¼ cups all-purpose flour (281g)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, for decorating

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup salted butter
2 cups creamy peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Chocolate Ganache

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (1 cup chocolate chips)
½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans by cutting circles of parchment paper to line the bottoms, then lightly spray the insides of the pans with cooking spray.
Combine the cocoa powder and finely chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
Once cooled, add the buttermilk to the chocolate mixture.
In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and oil together for 1 minute. Add the dark brown and granulated sugars and beat for another 2-3 minutes, until light and creamy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add half of this to the batter and mix on low speed just until combined.
Pour in half of the chocolate-buttermilk mixture and mix again, just until combined.
Repeat with the flour and the remaining chocolate-buttermilk mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions, until everything is incorporated.
Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Be sure not to overbake.
Transfer each of the cakes to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before assembling the cake with frosting.

Frosting

Beat the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream.

Ganache

Heat cream. Pour over chocolate. Wait 5 minutes then stir until smooth. Wait 15 minutes for ganache to cool so it isn't as runny. Decorate. Let ganache firm up for at least 10 minutes in freezer before decorating with frosting swirls.

Assemble the Cake

Once the cake has completely cooled, it can be assembled. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate, and cover it generously with an even layer of peanut butter frosting.
Repeat with the second and third layers, then finish by frosting the sides. Make sure to reserve some of the frosting to make decorative swirls on top.
Once the cake is frosted and the ganache has cooled, pour it over the middle of the top of the cake, and around the edges, letting it make decorative drips down the sides of the cake. Chill the cake in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before adding the rest of the decorative frosting.
Use a decorative frosting tip (I used a Wilton 1M tip) to pipe swirls around the edges of the cake, and place mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups between each swirl.

Notes

Storage: A frosted and decorated cake should be covered and kept at room temperature for up to 12 hours. Then, store your frosted cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let the cake come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving it again.
Plain Cake: You can keep an unfrosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing Cake Layers: Wrap the cake layers after they have been baked and cooled in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 2 months! Just thaw and decorate to serve!
Freezing a whole cake: You can also make and decorate the cake, then freeze it whole or freeze individual leftover slices. To freeze it whole, freeze uncovered for about 1 hour to set the frosting, then wrap well with two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then let the cake sit out on the counter for 2 hours before serving. If freezing individual slices, wrap them in plastic wrap and transfer to an airtight container. Thaw individual slices at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.

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