Such a fun treat today! This Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting is such a wonderful combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Rich frosting paired with a moist cake is a delight to the senses!
Peanut Butter Cake
There is nothing worse than a dry peanut butter cake and I have tested enough recipes to know that making a soft, moist peanut butter cake is not as easy as it sounds. This recipe is one that always works and always shines with amazing peanut butter flavor and the soft crumb that people demand.
Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Is there any better flavor combination than Chocolate and Peanut Butter? I think it has stood the test of time for a reason… it IS the best! Making this cake was a delight from beginning to end and the second this cake came out of the oven I knew I was in love. It was pure bliss.
For the top, I went to my go-to method for decorating a cake and that is the Ateco 846 tip.
I put 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup butter softened, 1 cup confectioners sugar, and 1-3 tablespoons of milk in the mixer and blended to a nice creamy consistency. (add more or less milk to reach your desired consistency)
Then simply just piped out little piles of peanut butter frosting bliss and covered in chocolate sprinkles.
Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (113g) butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk
Dark Chocolate Frosting
- 2¾ cups confectioners' sugar
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8 inch round cake pan.
Cake
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream together the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- With mixer on slow, beat in eggs and vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Slowly beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until just combined.
- Do not overmix. Batter will be thick.
- Bake for 32-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of a cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool before frosting.
Frosting
- Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder to assure there are no lumps. Set aside.
- With a stand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until fluffy - about 2 minutes.
- With mixer on low, gradually add the sifted sugar/cocoa powder alternately with the heavy cream and vanilla.
- Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too dark. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
Did you make this recipe?
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Some folks mentioned in the comment that their cake was dry. This is a HUGE no-no in baking and I remade the recipe (in the middle of December in Minnesota) just to see if I could replicate their results. I didn’t find the cake to be dry per say, but it was not as moist as when I first tested this recipe in 2014. I recommend adding an additional egg. When I tested the recipe with 3 LARGE eggs instead of 2, it was just as moist and scrumptious as the first time. I will test one more time to make sure it’s the best before switching the recipe!
I read all the comments and was a little skeptical about making it but my husband wanted it. I won’t make it again. Many said it was dry and she added one more egg. I baked it at the lowest time and toothpick came out clean but it was not done in the middle and it was dry. The icing is way too thick for it also. Need a gallon of milk for one piece.
I am really surprised that you don’t have sour cream in the listing of ingredients. That’s one of the bigger moist contributers. I’ve found that for peanut butter cakes are best,using a mix of half butter and half oil. Just a suggestion.
I will try that Sarah, thank you!
Followed the recipe for peanut butter cake exactly and baked it for the minimum time. It looked great but was very very dry! Unremarkable bland flavor as well. So disappointed. I won’t be making this cake again. The frosting was good but this recipe needs revamping.
What’s the lighter frosting that is the decoration on top
I made this twice with three eggs and it still is dry 😞I even u ser baked it a little and still dry good flavor though
This cake was very, very dry. I would not recommend this recipe.
I baked this two times because the first try was very dry.. I thought I over baked it. The second try I took it out at 32 minutes. It was raw in the middle and dry on the outside. I will be throwing that one away. Very dissapointing.
Been baking for 55 minutes now and it’s still raw in the middle.