Insane Peanut Butter Cup Cake – a fudgy chocolate cake with creamy peanut butter filling and a rich chocolate frosting…then I topped it with tons of peanut butter cups and melted chocolate! This chocolate peanut butter cake recipe is so delicious, you’ll have your family begging for more!
The BEST Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Dessert Recipe
Today is not for the faint of heart…
If you’re not in it to win it with dessert, this might not be the one for you. If you’re one of those people who use the phrase, “too rich”, or “too sweet” the door is to the left. I’ll see you tomorrow.
BUT if you’re down for some C.A.K.E. let’s talk…
This one is pretty intense…the rich chocolate cake…the creamy peanut butter filling…the buttery chocolate frosting…can you handle it? It’s man against cake.
Not only is this cake over the top delicious, it’s also quite a stunner, if I do say so myself.
The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cup Cake With Chocolate Frosting
I feel like I should probably skip all the words right now and just get down to business.
I am sure you agree.
The cake is an EXTRA simple chocolate cake recipe. I have never had anything but fantastic results.
The filling is my version of the center of a peanut butter cup…
And the frosting is my tried and true chocolate frosting…the same recipe I use ALL the time. It’s in my book too!
And then why not top it off with some chopped peanut butter cups and melted chocolate? Not only does this up the “INSANE” factor, but it does wonders for an imperfect frosting job!
Then step back and take in the gorgeousness that you have just created…
And then eat it, of course!
This is THE perfect special occasion cake!
Enjoy!
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Insane Peanut Butter Cup Cake
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves 16 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Insane Peanut Butter Cup Cake – a fudgy chocolate cake with creamy peanut butter filling and a rich chocolate frosting…then I topped it with tons of peanut butter cups and melted chocolate! This chocolate peanut butter cake recipe is so delicious, you’ll have your family begging for more!
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup very warm water
Peanut Butter Filling
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup milk
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup very warm water
Garnish
- 10–12 full sized peanut butter cups chopped
- 2 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2, 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray. Cut 2, 9-inch rounds of parchment paper and place in the bottoms of the pans. Spray again with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined.
- With the mixer still on low, add in the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Turn mixer up to medium and mix for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Turn the mixer back down to low and slowly add in the hot water. Mix for an additional minutes until combined.
- Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Peanut Butter Filling
- In the clean bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and peanut butter together on medium speed until smooth. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Turn the mixer to medium and mix for 1 minute until combined.
- Turn mixer back to low and add in 1/4 cup milk. Mix for an additional minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until creamy and combined. If desired, add additional milk to achieve desired result.
- Transfer one of the cooled cakes to a plate or cake stand. Spread the peanut butter filling on top of the cake. Place the other cake on top of the peanut butter filling.
Chocolate Frosting
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, and warm water and mix on low speed, until the mixture just comes together.
- Slowly increase the speed to medium and beat the frosting for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Let the frosting cool for 15 minutes before covering the cake.
Garnish
- Once you have the cake covered in the chocolate frosting, pile the chopped peanut butter cups on top. Next, sprinkle 2 cup of the milk chocolate chips on top and around the bottom of the cake.
- Place the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 1 1/2 milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 15 second increments, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is smooth. Place the melted chocolate into a small zip-top bag and snip the corner off. Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the cake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 971
- Sugar: 120.7 g
- Sodium: 631.6 mg
- Fat: 44.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 143.5 g
- Protein: 14.3 g
- Cholesterol: 24.5 mg
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This cake turned out beautiful! Very easy!
There was far too much chocolate and peanut butter frosting so I used the PB frosting as a crumb coat and then the chocolate frosting. I froze the leftover frosting for later because it was soo good. I think it’s a great recipe!
Agreed! Way too much frosting and filling!
Can I make this recipe without a stand mixer?
I do have an electric mixer…
Yes, You can use a hand mixer 🙂
Do you have a different option instead of using milk? I’m making this for my fiance and he can’t have milk he’s lactose intolerant.
Use a lactose free milk!
I used Lactaid milk and it worked perfectly.
I didn’t have a good result with this cake. Quantities seem all wrong. Peanut butter and chocolate frostings both far too much and too runny. Batter also too runny and leaked through my spring base cake tins. I won’t make this again.
Sorry you had this experience! The chocolate cake recipe is a thinner batter and I wouldn’t recommend baking in a spring-sided pan!
Only the second cake I’ve ever made and it turned out amazing 10/10
I love hearing this!! So glad you enjoyed!
I would like to make this for my daughter’s birthday next week. Do you really use 8 cups of icing sugar for the chocolate frosting?
Yes 🙂
Is the photo real?
I like that!
Thanks, shelly
I love cupcakes
Just made this cake for my sister’s birthday tomorrow!! I was concerned about the sweetness level (as a few have addressed) and so I made my frosting and cake with dark chocolate instead. I, too, wound up with WAY too much frosting, especially the peanut butter frosting. I actually had to throw a good bunch away even after decorating with it… The extra chocolate frosting will not go to waste.. It will soon be in my belly. Also, the peanut butter frosting needed some extra water for some reason. It just had a mind of it’s own, I guess!
The cake took longer than 30 minutes to bake, but I just chocked that up to my oven being a different temperature. The batter wasn’t too runny for me, but I knew to slowly incorporate the warm water until the batter was just right. I also forgot to adjust for the dark chocolate cocoa powder (you need acid to help make the cake rise to its full potential), but it seemed to turn out just fine. A little flatter than I had hoped, but still delicious upon taste testing!
Also, I didn’t use the chocolate chips.. I had no room for them on the cake after adding the extra peanut butter frosting decor and the Reese cups.
All-in-all, I think this was a solid recipe. I would cut down the peanut butter and chocolate frosting recipes, but other than that, it seemed to make a beautiful product! I wish I could share a picture of my results.. Oh well!
Post a picture on instagram or facebook!!
After I bake the cake do I need to refrigerate it?
No, you can store it airtight at room temp!