This cake has become quite, dare I say, legendary around these parts. I shared it a long time ago, and actually have it in my newest cookbook, I’ll Bring the Cake (the photos of this cake in that book are some of my favorite I’ve ever taken – I cannot wait for you to see them!!!). But I figured they needed a permanent spot here on Baking with Blondie. With the thick delicious chocolate cake layers and the most addicting peanut butter buttercream, this cake is one that I (and so many of you) have had requested over and over and over and over again from your family, friends, and clients.

It really is something tremendously delicious. I know so many of you have already tried my recipe, but if you haven’t it’s time for you to taste the magic that is this cake!

The best chocolate peanut butter cake

It’s finally here! I have been wanting to do this “6 Essential Cake Recipes for Every Baker” series for a while and it’s finally time to share everything with you! It’s something special that I think will help so many bakers immensely. First up was my red velvet, and now it’s time for chocolate peanut butter! Before we get into that, let’s get a little intro to the series for those who are just tuning in:

SIX ESSENTIAL CAKE RECIPES FOR EVERY BAKER SERIES

I know we all love the new flavors with different textures and flavors, but there’s always a few cakes I come back to. We will always need a few classic flavors that our clients, family, friends, and even kiddos will request for their gatherings. It’s always nice to have a handful of classic cake recipes in your back pocket that you know will work each and every time. You want them to be easy to make, you want them to taste delicious, and you need them to be a winner that you come back to each and every time.

You guys, I have you covered!!! Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be sharing SIX of my go-to-classic cakes that I know will up your baking game, improve your business (if that’s what you’re here in cake land for – your clients will go crazy over these cakes!) and become your new favorite recipes. They’re easy, fool-proof, and have been proven over the YEARS to be the best of the best. They’ve won blind taste-tests, sold hundreds of thousands of cookbooks, and earned so many bakers increased revenue because their customers LOVE the way these cakes taste.

Let’s dive right in with the best chocolate peanut butter cake!

CLASSIC chocolate peanut butter CAKE

When I was creating this series, I knew this needed to be top of the list. I can’t tell you how many people love this cake. My recipe is incredibly moist, decadent, easy to make, and a recipe you’ll never forget. It’s just that good. Thankfully, the ingredients are pretty easy to put together, too.

Ingredients for chocolate peanut butter cake

Most of these you’ll already have around for your cake layers, except for the chocolate cake mix. I know cake mixes aren’t for everyone, but hear me out – we’ve done blind taste tests with this doctored cake mix (meaning, we add in different ingredients other than the usual oil, water, egg) recipe against some of the most famous baker’s scratch recipes and guess who won…. yep. You’re looking at it right here! So trust me, give it a try, and tell me what you think. I know you’re going to just love it!

  • BUTTERMILK – Use room temperature. If you don’t have any, you can make some! Simply add in lemon juice or white vinegar to whole milk and let it curdle for an hour or so into buttermilk.
  • SOUR CREAM – Room temperature is best. I love the huge Costco tub of sour cream. You can also sub in plain greek yogurt.
  • EGGS – Room temperature (notice a pattern here?). And I always use large eggs, not extra large.
  • VANILLA – There’s plenty of flavor in the cake, but this adds in a little something extra.
  • VEGETABLE OIL – You can also use melted butter, but vegetable oil is pretty inexpensive these days, so I usually stick with it. I would not sub in canola oil or anything else.
  • COCOA – There’s enough chocolate in the cake mix, but this adds something a little extra.
  • FLOUR – All purpose flour works perfectly here.
  • DUNCAN HINES DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE OR ANY CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX– I prefer the taste and texture of Duncan Hines Brand, but whatever you can find will be fine.

Mix everything together in a bowl with a whisk (yep, no mixer needed for these cake rounds!), and then sift in the cake mix. Bake them up and let them cool on a wire rack. Detailed directions are below.

I LOVE using my favorite mixing bowls (the bottoms have a good grip so they stay in one place).

how to make Peanut butter BUTTERCREAM

This buttercream is what makes this cake that much more special. The key to this buttercream, though, is that you need to make sure to use Skippy CREAMY peanut butter. Using regular healthy/natural/crunchy/etc will not work well with this cake. It’s a dessert, jump into the whole sugary experience, will ya? 😉

  • UNSALTED BUTTER – I used unsalted and then add in a little salt later. This helps me control how much salt is in it to balance out the sweet. Leave your sticks of butter out at room temperature for about 10 minutes before using it. This makes it so you don’t have to fight with the colder texture and temperature while whipping it up.
  • SALT – Gotta balance out that sweet!
  • VANILLA – I love this brand, but also the one from Costco is a frequent pick in my kitchen.
  • SKIPPY PEANUT BUTTER – You’re going to need about 2/3 cup, but you can always add more. There’s wiggle room.
  • HEAVY CREAM – You may not need all of it. This is already a pretty soft buttercream.
  • POWDERED SUGAR – Sifted or unsifted. I don’t care, haha. You’re going to need a lot of it!

The directions are below for the peanut butter buttercream. So you’ll find everything you need typed out below.

How to get clean edges on your cake

How to make chocolate ganache drip

Ganache is all about consistency, and is only made with two ingredients: heavy cream, and chocolate (I prefer chocolate candy melts for my drip).

  1. Combine them both in a bowl (microwave safe)
  2. Heat for only 30 seconds and stir. Repeat.
  3. Stir until all the melts have gone away and you have a silky ganache.
  4. Add the ganache to a drip bottle if you are satisfied with the consistency, and add the drip to your cake if it’s slightly cooled and your cake is cold.

Here’s a little video of the ganache drip:

How to control ganache consistency:

If the ganache is too runny, you need to add more melts. If it’s too thick, you need more heavy cream. Temperature is also an important factor. Heating up the ganache will thin the consistency, as well as the thickness will increase as you let it cool. But you’re in control, so you can make it be whatever thickness/thinness you’d like it to be.

That’s it! Here’s a couple videos of the process:

FULL VIDEO:

As always, I LOVE to see what you’re baking! If you make my cake, make sure to tag me @bakingwithblondie or #bakingwithblondie on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Youtube so I can join in on all the fun!

Happy Baking,

xo, Mandy

Get the Recipe: The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

3 from 2 votes
Rich Chocolate Cake Layers, the most heavenly peanut butter buttercream, chocolate ganache drips, and peanut butter cups!
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Ingredients
 

Chocolate Cake Layers

  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sour cream , room temperature
  • 3 whole eggs , room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 15.25oz Dark Chocolate or Chocolate Cake Mix, I prefer the taste and texture of Duncan Hines, but you can use anything similar.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 cups (or three sticks) unsalted butter, left out at room temperature for 10 minutes
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
  • 2/3 cup Skippy creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 7-8 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Ganache Drip

  • 2 cups chocolate candy melts
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Extras

  • 12 whole peanut butter cups, chopped

Instructions
 

For the chocolate cake layers:

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and prep 2 8" cake rounds (or three 6" cake rounds) with a swipe of shortening and dust of flour. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the cake mix. Sift in the cake mix (don't overmix! This is a thick batter), and gently fold in until it's combined. Split the batter between the prepared cake rounds.
  • Bake for 27-32 minutes, or until the cake is finished baking in the center. Flip the cake rounds onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap the rounds up in plastic wrap and freeze until assembly. Frosting a cold/chilled/frozen cake is so much easier.

For the peanut butter buttercream:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy. Add in the salt, vanilla, creamy peanut butter, and whip it up until everything is thoroughly combined. With the mixer on low speed, add in the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time. If the buttercream is looking too thick, add in another two tablespoons or so of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
  • Flip the mixer on the highest speed and let it whip up for at least 1-2 minutes until the texture is light and fluffy.

For the ganache:

  • Add the ganache and heavy cream into a medium bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then repeat. Stir again until it's smooth and creamy. Add to a squeeze bottle, then set side to slightly cool before adding to the cake. If the drip is too thick, stir in some more heavy cream. If it's too thin, toss in a couple more chocolate candy melts to help with consistency.

Assembly

  • With a cake turntable and cardboard cake round, add on a little bit of buttercream in the center of the round to act as glue. Place down the first cake layer, then spread on a generous layer of buttercream. Add on the next cake layer and then crumb coat the entire cake by adding on a thin layer of buttercream. Smooth the sides and top with a cake spatula and cake scraper.
  • Freeze the crumb coated cake for 5 minutes to set the cake. While the cake is chilling, hand-stir the buttercream with a wooden spoon to beat out any air bubbles and create a more smooth buttercream.
  • Slather on a final layer of buttercream and smooth out the sides with a cake scraper. Place the cake back into the freezer for 5 minutes to set the buttercream. Add on the ganache drip, then place on the peanut butter cups. Enjoy!
Author: Mandy Merriman