If you are looking for a bakery quality Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, then this is the cake recipe for you. A moist chocolate cake along with fluffy peanut butter frosting will have your guests wanting more.
Take it from me, Chef Sherry, that this peanut butter frosted chocolate cake has amazing layers of flavor and one of the top selling cakes in my bakery! I get requests time and time again to make this peanut butter chocolate cake recipe.
My chocolate cake, made with peanut butter frosting, and drizzled with chocolate ganache is my favorite cake ever!
Being a professional baker for almost 20 years with a licensed kitchen, this chocolate cake recipe decorated with homemade peanut butter frosting is a staple on the menu.
This chocolate peanut butter cake makes the perfect birthday cake, holiday cake, or just an anytime I am craving a delicious cake!
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Chef Sherry’s Cookbook
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Vegetable Oil
- Cold Water
- Vanilla Extract
- White Vinegar – Not Apple Cider Vinegar
- Creamy Peanut Butter, Jif (Natural Peanut Butter is not recommended)
- Softened Butter
- Powdered Sugar, Confectioners’ Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Heavy Cream, Heavy Whipping Cream, Whipping Cream
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
How To Make Chocolate Cake
Gather all the ingredients to make the homemade chocolate cake recipe. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Click here for a more in-depth explanation of my chocolate cake recipe.
In a KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with a flat paddle, add all the chocolate cake dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and baking soda) making sure to save the baking soda to place on the very top.
Pour the white vinegar on top of the baking soda in the mixing bowl to create a chemical reaction so that bubbles will form. Next, add all the rest of the cake ingredients to the mixing bowl.
With the flat paddle attachment, carefully mix together on the lowest setting by pulsing the lever a few times. It is best to gently pulse the mixer so none of the cake ingredients fly out of the bowl.
After mixing the chocolate cake batter for about one minute, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone rubber spatula to help combine all the ingredients.
Continue mixing on the low setting for about 2 minutes until the chocolate cake batter is smooth and lump free.
How to Prepare the Cake Baking Pans
In two 8-inch round pans, spread an even layer of pan grease on the inside of each pan. It’s important to spread a complete even layer on the inside of each baking pan.
If you don’t want to make your own pan grease, you can use flour cooking spray, aka Baker’s Joy cooking spray. When the pans are completely greased, pour equal amounts of homemade chocolate cake batter into them.
Don’t want to make a round double layer cake? Use a 9×13 baking sheet pan. Grease and flour the pan and pour all the chocolate cake batter into the pan.
How to Bake the Chocolate Cake
Place the prepared baking pans into the preheated hot oven. It is best to use the middle oven rack. Close the oven and bake for 25- 30 minutes.
Check for cake doneness by GENTLY, touching the top of the cake with your fingertips. The chocolate crazy cake will fall if it’s moved too much before it is baked all the way through.
If the chocolate crazy cake is still jiggly in the middle, bake longer. If the baking cake is firm to the touch, use a wooden toothpick to test the center.
Insert a clean wooden toothpick into the center of the cake and then pull out. If the toothpick is clean, the chocolate cake is done.
But, if the wooden toothpick has batter on it, bake the cake a little bit longer. Baking time will vary for each cake.
Use the wooden toothpick method to know exactly when the cake is done. Once the chocolate cake is done, remove from the oven using a hot pad or oven mitts.
Let the crazy cake cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before frosting the cake.
Choose one of the cakes to be the bottom layer. Use a knife, cake leveler, or piece of string to cut the hump off the top of the cake to create a level cake layer. If desired, you can level the second cake but it is not needed.
How To Make Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
Gather all the ingredients to make the fluffy peanut butter frosting. To get a step by step instruction of my creamy peanut butter frosting recipe, click here!
Use a KitchenAid stand mixer with a flat paddle attachment or a whisk attachment on the low setting to make the frosting.
Add the softened butter and the creamy peanut butter to the mixing bowl. Beat until the two ingredients are creamy and smooth.
Using a silicone spatula, scrape the sides of the mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the mixing bowl.
Mix until completely combined. Scrape the side of the mixing bowl with a spatula when needed.
The final step is adding the heavy whipping cream in a couple stages and whipping the peanut butter frosting until its fluffy. Scrape the side of the mixing bowl again.
Whipping the peanut butter frosting will take a few minutes. If needed, turn the mixer speed up a little bit to achieve a nice fluffy texture.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
Now that the chocolate cake and fluffy peanut butter frosting have been made, it’s time to make the chocolate ganache. Gather the heavy whipping cream and semi-sweet chocolate.
Warm the heavy whipping cream up until just before it starts to boil. Pour the warm heavy whipping cream into the chocolate pieces.
Using a whisk, gently stir the two ingredients together until the chocolate pieces are completely melted. Set aside until ready to use.
How to Frost a Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
Use a piping bag and a #1G large star tip, fill the bag with about 2 or 3 cups of the freshly made creamy peanut butter frosting. Add the bottom layer of cake to a serving plate or cake stand.
Pipe a layer of the peanut butter frosting on top of the chocolate cake. Carefully, place the top cake layer on the first peanut butter buttercream cake. Next, pipe a pretty layer on the top of the chocolate cake.
How to Garnish the Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Garnish the top of the decorated chocolate cake with peanut butter icing with the chocolate ganache. The chocolate ganache needs to be at the right temperature for drizzling it onto the top of the cake.
If the ganache is too cold, it will not “drizzle” correctly. But, if the ganache is too warm, it will just drip all over the cake.
You want the ganache to flow in string like streams across the top of the cake. It is best to use a whisk and test the flow in the bowl before drizzling it across the cake.
When the ganache has reached the right temperature, garnish the cake in the design that you would like. Is the ganache too stiff or is it set up? No problem, just warm it back up until the desired consistency is achieved.
Is the ganache too warm and runny? Just let it cool down a bit or place in the refrigerator for a minute or two.
If you would like to add an extra layer of flavor combinations, then sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups on top of the creamy peanut butter frosting.
How to Store a Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Store the fully assembled cake in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Cover with plastic wrap or store in an air tight container.
This cake also freezes very well. Freeze a whole cake or divide in pieces and freeze the pieces. Just make sure to cover in plastic wrap completely to prevent freezer burn.
Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting – FAQ
Yes, you can freeze a peanut butter frosted chocolate cake! Chill the cake, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, pull from the freezer, unwrap and let the cake come to room temperature. The whole cake should thaw in about 3-5 hours.
Yes, this chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting can be made ahead of time. Make the chocolate cake and store until ready to frost. Make the peanut butter frosting ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Remove from the fridge a few hours before frosting the cake. Whip the frosting before piping onto the cake. Or you can make the whole cake up ahead of time and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.
Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe
Get the full cake recipe and nutrition calories below!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
If you are looking for a bakery quality Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, then this is the cake recipe for you. A moist chocolate cake along with fluffy peanut butter frosting will have your guests wanting more.
Ingredients
- Flour, All Purpose 3 cups
- Sugar, Granulated 2 cups
- Cocoa Powder, Baking 1/2 cup
- Salt 1 teaspoon
- Baking Soda 2 teaspoons
- White Vinegar 2 tablespoons
- Vegetable Oil 3/4 cup
- Cold Water 2 cups
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons
- Peanut Butter, Creamy 2 cups
- Butter, Softened 10 tablespoons
- Powdered Sugar 2 cups
- Vanilla Extract 1 1/2 teaspoon
- Heavy Whipping Cream. 2/3 cups
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 8 ounces
- Heavy Whipping Cream 1 cup
Instructions
How To Make a Crazy Chocolate Cake
- Gather all the chocolate crazy cake ingredients.
- Next, preheat the kitchen oven to 325°F.
- In a KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with a flat paddle, add all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and baking soda) making sure to save the baking soda to place on the very top of the other dry ingredients.
- Next, pour the white vinegar on top of the baking soda to create a chemical reaction so that bubbles will form overtop the dry ingredients.
- Add the oil, water, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla to the mixing bowl. With the flat paddle, beat all the chocolate cake ingredients together on the lowest setting. You will have to gently pulse the stand mixer so none of the chocolate cake ingredients fly out of the bowl.
- After mixing for one minute, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula to help combine all the cake batter ingredients together.
- Continue beating on the low setting for about 2 minutes until the chocolate cake batter is smooth and lump free.
Prepare the Cake Pans
- Learning how to grease a pan can make or break the perfect chocolate cake recipe. Use two - 8-inch round baking pans. Split the cake batter into the 2 pans. It’s very important to spread an even layer on the bottom of the pans.
- If you don’t want to make your own homemade pan grease, you can use cooking spray with flour, aka Bakers Joy flour cooking spray.
How to Bake the Crazy Cake Recipe
- Place the prepared cake pans into the hot oven. Use the middle oven rack.
- Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes.
- Use a wooden toothpick to test the center each chocolate cake. Insert a clean toothpick into the cake center and then remove. If the wooden toothpick is clean, the chocolate crazy cake is done. But, if the toothpick has cake batter on it, bake the chocolate cake a little bit longer.
- Baking times will vary for every cake recipe. Use the wooden toothpick method every time to know exactly when the chocolate cake is done.
- Once the crazy chocolate cake is done, remove from the oven using a hot pad.
- Let the chocolate cake cool in the pan before removing.
How To Make Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
- Gather all the ingredients to make the creamy peanut butter frosting.
- Use a stand KitchenAid mixer fitted with a flat paddle attachment or a whisk attachment on the low setting.
- Add the creamy peanut butter and softened butter to the mixing bowl. Cream together until smooth. With a rubber silicone spatula, scrape the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the stand mixing bowl. Whip until completely combined. With a spatula, scrape the side of the mixing bowl when needed.
- The final frosting step is adding the heavy whipping cream in a two stages and whipping until its fluffy. This will take a several minutes. If desired, turn the stand mixer speed up to achieve a nice fluffy
texture.
Frosting a Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
- Use a piping bag and a #1G large star tip, fill the frosting bag with about 2 or 3 cups of the freshly made fluffy peanut butter frosting.
- Add the bottom layer of chocolate cake to a serving plate or cake stand.
- With the pipping bag, pipe a layer of the peanut butter frosting on top of the chocolate cake.
- Place the top cake layer on the first peanut butter icing cake.
- Next, pipe a pretty layer on the top of the chocolate crazy cake.
Garnish the Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Heat 1 cup of the heavy whipping cream to just boiling.
- Pour into 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips and whisk together until all of the chocolate chips have melted.
- Use the whisk and drizzle the chocolate ganache overtop the peanut butter chocolate cake.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I TRULY LOVE. Thank you for your support!
-
Wilton No.1G Drop Flower Decorating Tip, X-Large -
Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, 48 Ounce, 2 count by Jif
-
HOTEC Silicone Spatula Set Kitchen Utensils - Set of 9
-
Wilton Round Cake Pans, Aluminum, 4 Piece Set for 6-Inch, 8-Inch, 10-Inch and 12-Inch Cakes
-
KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - White
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 491Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 31mgSodium 340mgCarbohydrates 50gFiber 2gSugar 33gProtein 7g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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The frosting on this cake is amazing! The cake was great too, but I went a little crazy licking out the bowl. Everyone loved the cake and there was hardly a crumb left!
Thank you Jenn! My peanut butter frosting recipe is the bomb!!
This is an absolute showstopper! My favorite combo! Thanks!