Peanut Butter Cup Cake
Today, I turn 34 years young, and I have the most serious of serious questions to ask. Does this mean I’m now in my mid-30’s? If the answer is yes, don’t tell me. It dumbfounds me to think that at 34 years old, my mom already had a 9-year-old and a 7-year-old. I barely feel like a grown-up, save for the mortgage payments and general responsibilities that come with not being 18 anymore.
If time is going to keep on moving, we might as well welcome it with open arms and some phenomenal cake, right? I have had this cake on the brain for months, but decided to shelve it and save it for my birthday. I couldn’t think of anything more perfect for me than an overdose of chocolate and peanut butter to the highest degree.
I basically took my favorite chocolate cake, my favorite peanut butter frosting, tons of peanut butter cups, and smooshed it all together into one of the most fabulous cakes I have made to date.
For someone who could eat chocolate and peanut butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this cake is a dream come true.
The cake is the same one I used for my Snickers cake last year; do you remember how much I went on and on about how it’s the best chocolate cake ever?
Well, it’s still the best chocolate cake ever.
Case closed.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
The peanut butter frosting is a double batch from my chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes, and I love it because it’s silky smooth, super peanut butter-y and not at all too sugar-y. I would love to just eat it from a bowl with a spoon. However, I’ll settle for it on this cake along with tons of chopped peanut butter cups, because, of course, there needs to be peanut butter cups.
I plan to spend my birthday relaxing, going to a hockey game, and eating a ridiculous amount of dessert.
That’s what birthdays are for, right?
One year ago: Italian Easter Pie
Three years ago: Tiramisu Cupcakes
Four years ago: Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Six years ago: Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy
Watch How to Make the Peanut Butter Cup Cake:
Peanut Butter Cup Overload Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2½ cups (312.5 g) + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (86 g) + 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) salt
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1½ cups (355.5 ml) strong black coffee, hot
- ¾ cup (163.5 ml) vegetable oil
- 4½ teaspoons (4.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 2 cups (516 g) creamy peanut butter
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- ⅔ cup (158.67 ml) heavy cream
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¾ cup (178.5 ml) heavy cream
- 30 miniature peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped, divided
Instructions
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (or large mixing bowl if you’re using a hand mixer), sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).
- Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
- Make the Peanut Butter Frosting: Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the heavy cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth (do not overbeat).
- Assemble the Cake: If your cakes baked up uneven or have domed on top, level off the tops. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Cover with 1 cup of the peanut butter frosting and sprinkle 10 of the chopped peanut butter cups over the frosting. Top with a second cake layer and cover with another 1 cup of the peanut butter frosting, and top with another 10 chopped peanut butter cups. Place the final cake layer on top face-down. Frost the cake with the remaining peanut butter frosting, finishing it as smoothly as possible. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour, until the frosting is set.
- Make the Chocolate Ganache: While the cake chills, make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a 4-cup measuring cup; set aside. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Begin whisking the mixture in the center, gradually working your way outward until the ganache is completely smooth. Set aside to cool, whisking occasionally, until it has thickened slightly, yet still a pourable consistency.
- Garnish the Cake: If the ganache was mixed in a bowl, transfer it to a 2-cup measuring cup. Slowly pour the chocolate ganache into the center of the cake, letting it push itself outward and flow over the sides of the cake. Top with the remaining 10 chopped peanut butter cups. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes, giving the ganache a chance to set up. Keep the cake refrigerated, removing it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!! I made this last year for my husbands birthday and he talks about it so much I decided to make him another one!!!! Definitely have some fans of this cake!!!!
Wow! This turned out so incredibly delicious. I actually made it in cupcake form, filled w/the ganache, frosted, drizzled w/ganache & melted pb, & topped w/a peice of a Reese’s. Bakery quality in both taste & presentation. Thank you so much for sharing this which I will use over and over again! :)
Finally made this cake (after bookmarking it when it was posted) for a friend’s birthday. First off, it turned out so pretty that she took a picture and started sharing it with everyone. Second, it was SOOOOO good. I gave a piece to another woman in the office who promptly abandoned her JUST purchased lunch in favor of cake…because of course… My husband claimed that he could eat just the cake part with no frosting or anything because it’s so yummy. 10 stars out of 5. If you love chocolate and peanut butter then MAKE. THIS. NOW. And if you don’t love chocolate and peanut butter (?!) then I think your tastebuds are broken…
I just made this cake today for my brother’s birthday! It was absolutely fantastic! Everyone loved it and surprisingly it looked almost exactly like the gorgeous pictures. I used Valrhona cocoa powder that I bought online. The cake itself was incredibly moist and rich! I will definitely be making this again in the future and I especially love that you can freeze this cake. Thank you for an unbelievable recipe!
I want to make this tomorrow for my sister’s birthday. I’m nervous about adding hot coffee to the eggs in the mixer. Won’t this scramble the eggs? Or its itfine once the other ingredients are mixed in? Has this happened to anyone ?
Hi Regina, I’ve made this cake many times and have never had an issue with the hot coffee.
Thanks! I made it and added the coffee in last, gradually, mixing. There were no problems. The cake was so rich and sooooo delicious. I followed the recipe exactly except I used bittersweet chocoate for the ganache, expecting it to balance out the sweet cake. It was perfect! Everyone was impressed!
Hi. how much is cup, same 100 grams?thanks
Oh which ingredient? All ingredients have different volume, so there is no standard gram measurement for 1 cup, it depends on what you’re measuring.
This cake looks amazing but I don’t drink coffee. Is there something I can substitute for the coffee?
Thank you,
Julianne
Hi Julianne, I don’t drink coffee either, but I definitely use it in chocolate recipes that call for it – it really helps to enhance the chocolate flavor, and you can’t taste the coffee. I really urge you to use it here, even if you just grab a cup from a local coffee shop. Otherwise, you can use water, but know that the flavor will be diluted.
I’ve made it with and without hot coffee and its DEFINITELY better with!!
Does this chocolate peanut butter cake freeze well? It looks delicious.
Yes! :)
I made this cake, it was amazing. Sadly, I did have some difficulty with sticking in certain spots and crumbling. It was so moist I managed to salvage it by piecing it together! (hahaha) My question is do you have any tips on how I can prevent this in the future?
Thank you,
Elaine
Hi Elaine, Do you mean that it stuck to the pan? I always grease my pans with shortening, then flour as directed above. I typically have great success with the greasing/flouring of cake pans and haven’t really had any sticking issues since doing that consistently. I hope that helps!
Hello michelle
I just want to say that I have tried several of your recipes and they all have been fantastic. I have been meaning to try this cake, but I’m wondering which dutch process cocoa powder do you use ?
Hi Michelle, I use Valrhona Dutch process cocoa powder (I order online).
Michelle! Michelle! Michelle! I want to first say that I love your recipes and website. I made this cake last night for my family and literally all you could hear was “mmmm, yum, oh my gosh” . I have this one cake I make for my family all the time, one of those family favorites and last night everyone said they have found their favorite new cake. Now, I have another amazing family favorite to make. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I will never use another chocolate cake recipe. This will be my go to recipe for chocolate cake from now on. It is just THAT delicious!!! Going to look through your recipes again and pick another one to make. Keep the deliciousness coming!!!!
This cake looks dreamy!! I want to make it for my husbands birthday this weekend and you have probably already answered this, but did you use natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt) or the sugary processed kind??
Thanks for the awesome recipe :)))
Hi Morgan, I never use natural peanut butter for baking, it’s much too oily unless a recipe is specifically formulated for using it.
Hi! I love this cake! It’s so fabulous I want to convert it into cupcakes. Do you think it would work?
Hi Emma, I haven’t tried it, but I don’t think it should be an issue. Let me know how they turn out if you make them!
I made this cake the other day and it was delicious! I used expresso instead of coffee and, I made my own buttermilk (by substituting 1 Tbsp. of lemon per cup of whole milk ). I made a thicker 2 layers instead of 3 and used the rest of the batter for cupcakes. This is a great recipe, very moist, came out wonderfully.
tgat is seriously the best icing. Made a giant peanut butter cup cake and used this for the filling. It tastes like the real thing.
Sound delicious except for the coffee, can it be substituted with something else?
Hi Paula, I highly recommend using the coffee unless you can’t due to a dietary restriction. You can’t taste the coffee in the cake, but it really enhances the chocolate flavor. If you cannot use coffee, substitute hot water.
Can you use 9inch cake pans? If so, is there a recipe portion adjustment?
Hi Ronnie, Yes, just reduce the baking time a bit so the cake doesn’t dry out.
Hi Michelle,
I am just trying to figure out how to make this for my Hubby’s birthday on Tuesday. I work that day and won’t have time to make it until after I get home. Should I prep the batter the night before? Or just bake the cakes this weekend and leave it iced in the fridge until Tuesday? In other words, how would you make this cake ahead of time?
Thanks!
Hi Megan, You do not want to prepare the batter ahead of time, as leaving it to sit overnight will affect how the cakes rise. You can bake the cakes a few days ahead of time, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate, then frost and assemble the cake the day before you want to serve it.
would this batter be enough for 2 10″ cakes? waiting for your reply. thx
Hi Sadaf, Yes, I think so!
I’m definitely going to have a go at making this for my fiancé birthday looks great he loves peanut butter and chocolate :)
Oh my lanta. I made this cake for my dad for Father’s Day and it was SO GOOD. It was my first time making a 3 layer cake but it turned out PERFECTLY. I couldn’t find Dutch process cocoa powder anywhere so I used Hershey’s special dark. The flavor was good but not amazing. It was, however, extremely moist and baked perfectly even accross the top. The frosting…OH MY GOODNESS. BEST PB FROSTING EVER. I will be stashing this away for my go-to for the rest of my life. To me, it’s what made the cake so good. I made this cake a second time for a work party but made a milk chocolate cake and only did 2 layers. My husband said he liked it better with the milk chocolate so I think that’s how I’ll make it from now on. I’m sure if I would have followed the recipe exactly and used Dutch process, it would have been excellent. Unfortunatley, it’s not an easy ingredient to find so I think I’ll be making milk chocolate from now on.
Hey! I need to make two of these (2-layer) cakes for a birthday party. Would I one-and-a-half this or double it? Any help would be super awesome thanks!!:)
Hi Destiny, I haven’t cut this down to layers, but you would probably be okay with 1.5. If you only want two layers, then doubling it would be too much.
Doing the cake right now for my peanut butter chocolate obsessed husband’s birthday…wish me luck!!
Hi there! I know this is an older posting, but I’m hoping you still check these! I was wondering if you thought this recipe would hold up okay to being carved for a sculpted cake? I have to make a car cake this coming weekend for a peanut butter cup fanatic. Thanks for posting this! I might make it anyhow, for my own enjoyment!
Hi Nicky, Unfortunately, I’ve never made a sculpted cake, so I’m not sure how dense or sturdy the actual cake needs to be. This cake is rather dense, but I just can’t say with certainty if it would be okay for sculpting.
Hello! This looks absolutely delicious, and I’m hoping to make it for my s.o’s birthday. However, I would probably need to make something smaller as it will just be the two of us. Any ideas on how I could make this in a mini cake form or something more tart sized? I’m not really sure how to adjust the cooking times. Thank you! Your recipes never fail to please!
Hi Catherine, You could totally scale this down, just decide what size pan you want to use and scale down accordingly from the three-8″ pans. This is a helpful site for that: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
This cake sounds amazing! My son requested a chocolate and peanut butter cake for his birthday. I love other recipes of yours, so I have no doubt this will be delicious too. Question, I want to make this as a sheet cake? Is it enough batter for two 9×13 pans or one 9×13 and one 8×8? Also, any recommendations on time? Thank you so much!
Hi Kristin, I haven’t tried using this batter for other size pans, so unfortunately I couldn’t say for sure how much you would need for the sheet cakes.
I want to try this cake so bad but I don’t drink coffee. What can I substitute it with? Hot water? Or hot chocolate? Any suggestions? (No alcohol please)
Thanks.
Also, I LOVE this blog!!!
Hi Kristine, Thank you! I don’t drink coffee either, but you can’t taste the flavor and it really does enhance the chocolate. If you still don’t want to use it, you can substitute hot water, but the flavor might be changed slightly.
Made this cake for my son’s birthday this past weekend, and it was delicious. The chocolate cake was very moist (I’ll be using this recipe for other chocolate cakes in the future) and the peanut butter frosting had great peanut butter taste without being overly sweet. I found several other Peanut Butter Cup Cake recipes online, but I was glad I went with this one.
It is very rich, so I would save this recipe for a special occasion celebration cake.
My son asked me for a peanut butter cup cake for his birthday. I didn’t even know where to start. So glad I find your blog. This cake is amazing. Thank you for sharing. I shared your link on my Facebook.
I found your recepie just browsing around. I have now made four of these cakes. They are a big hit. It was requested that I make one for a Bake Sale/Auction at church. It made 100.00!!!! Everyone is requesting it for their birthdays! :D Thank you so much for sharing your recepie. I love your site!