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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 35 minutes
Chill Time 40 minutes
Yield: 14 servings
Chocolate peanut butter cake is perfect for Reese's lovers! Moist dark chocolate cake, creamy peanut butter frosting, chocolate ganache drip, and Reese's peanut butter cups make this decadent and delicious dessert. 

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
  • 3 7-inch round cake pans

Ingredients 

Chocolate Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup milk or buttermilk room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 2 tsp espresso powder

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

  • 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp salt or to taste
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache

  • ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Additional Ingredients

  • 8 Reese's peanut butter cups chopped, for cake filling
  • 10 Reese's peanut butter cups for decoration

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans using cooking spray and parchment circles.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add in room temperature eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the dry and wet ingredients are combined.
  • All espresso to boiling water. Pour boiling water into the cake batter and gently whisk until the water and cake batter are combined and smooth.
  • Divide cake batter between the three prepared 7-inch cake pans. Use a kitchen scale to create even layers.
  • Bake cakes for approximately 30 minutes in the oven until the cakes spring back when gently touched or toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove pans from the oven and allow the cake layers to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

  • In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, add in room temperature unsalted butter. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally. The butter will be light, fluffy, and pale in color.
  • Add in the creamy peanut butter and continue to mix until well combined.
  • Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
  • Add vanilla extract and salt and mix on low until combined.
  • Drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
  • Once the heavy cream is added, turn the speed on the mixer to medium and whip for an additional 3 minutes scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.

Chocolate Ganache

  • Add chocolate chips to a heat-safe bowl.
  • Heat heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-60 seconds until bubbling.
  • Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips and allow the mixture to sit for two minutes to melt the chocolate.
  • Stir until the chocolate ganache is smooth and shiny. Cool slightly and transfer to a squeeze bottle or piping bag to create the chocolate ganache drip.

Assembling the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

  • Level the cooled chocolate cake layers with a serrated knife.
  • Place one chocolate cake layer on a round cake board. Add desired amount of frosting to the top of the layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. I like to use a large cookie scoop to portion the buttercream for even layers of frosting between cake layers. Add on half of the chopped Reese's peanut butter cups. Add additional frosting and smooth with an offset spatula.
  • Add the second cake layer, more peanut butter frosting, the remaining chopped peanut butter cups, a bit more frosting, and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
  • Add the final cake layer to the top of the cake. Be sure the bottom of the cake layer is facing up.
  • With an offset spatula, add a crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting, to the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper to remove excess buttercream and to smooth the sides. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to firm the buttercream.
  • Add a generous layer of frosting to the chilled cake with an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting and smooth the sides of the cake. Chill for an additional 20 minutes.
  • Use a piping bag or squeeze bottle to add a chocolate ganache drip around the sides of the cake. Pour additional chocolate ganache on the top of the cake an use an offset spatula to spread evenly.
  • Use a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip to create swirls of peanut butter buttercream around the top edges of the cake. Add peanut butter cups for decoration on the top of the cake.

Notes

Chocolate peanut butter cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To serve, bring the cake to room temperature.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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