This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake is rich, ultra-moist, and topped with a warm chocolate peanut butter icing that sets into a soft, fudgy finish. It’s an easy homemade dessert that’s sure to satisfy chocolate and peanut butter lovers.
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Table of Contents
A Note From My Kitchen
This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake bakes up nice and tall in a 13- x 9-inch pan, making it a great choice for birthdays, potlucks, and anytime you need a dessert to feed a crowd. With peanut butter in both the cake and the rich chocolate icing, it’s guaranteed to satisfy those chocolate-peanut butter cravings.
The icing is poured over the cake while it’s still warm and sets perfectly into a soft, fudgy layer. I always finish it with a sprinkle of chopped salted peanuts for a little crunch and the perfect balance to the sweet icing.
If you can’t wait for the cake to cool completely before slicing into it, I won’t judge! It’s delicious while still slightly warm, but letting the icing set for about 30 minutes makes it a little easier to slice.
Like my One Bowl Chocolate Cake, this recipe is wonderfully simple to make. You don’t even need an electric mixer. Just a saucepan, a mixing bowl, and a wooden spoon, and you’re good to go.
Check out the quick video in the recipe card below to see how it’s done. So easy!
Ingredient Notes
- Peanut Butter: Use a creamy peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy, for the best texture. Natural peanut butter isn’t recommended since the separated oils can affect the consistency of both the cake and the icing.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Regular unsweetened cocoa powder gives this cake its rich chocolate flavor. I don’t recommend substituting Dutch-process cocoa.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream adds moisture and richness, helping create a soft, tender cake. Use full-fat or light sour cream.
- Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Icing: The warm chocolate peanut butter icing is made with butter, peanut butter, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. It sets into a soft, fudgy layer as it cools.
- Salted Peanuts: Chopped salted peanuts add a delicious crunchy contrast and balance the sweetness of the icing.
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How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Melt the butter and peanut butter in a saucepan. Stir in the water and cocoa powder and bring the mixture just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour the warm chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Stir in the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until the batter is smooth.
- Transfer the batter to a greased 13- x 9-inch baking pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make the Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing
- While the cake bakes, prepare the icing by melting the butter and peanut butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar until the icing is smooth and thick but still pourable.
- Pour the warm icing evenly over the warm cake.
- Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread the icing to the edges of the cake and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. Allow the icing to set before slicing and serving.
Storage Tips
- Room Temperature: Store the cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate: For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Let slices sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving for the best texture.
- Freeze: Wrap individual slices or the entire cake well with plastic wrap and a layer of foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Video
Ingredients
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons milk, I use 2%
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 ½ to 4 cups powdered sugar, as needed to reach desired consistency
- ¼ cup chopped salted peanuts
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the peanut butter over LOW heat. Stir in the water and cocoa powder and increase heat to MEDIUM-LOW to bring just barely to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.
- Add the sour cream, lightly beaten eggs, and vanilla, stirring until completely incorporated. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Prepare icing while cake is baking.
For the Icing
- In a large saucepan over LOW heat, melt the butter with the peanut butter. Whisk in the cocoa powder, milk and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until you've reached the desired consistency. It should be thick but pourable. Continue whisking vigorously until the powdered sugar has dissolved and the icing is smooth.
- Remove from the heat and immediately pour the icing over the warm cake. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread it out evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
- Allow to set for at least 30 minutes or longer before slicing and serving the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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This post was originally published on February 6, 2018. It has been udpated with new text and images.
Here i am two years after your post…
I can attest to the fact that this is an amazing cake. I found your recipe yesterday and followed it to the T.
Well, except that u used pecans instead of peanuts as I had none. It was excellent!
I now look like an expert baker thanks to your GREAT-and very easy to follow recipe.
A friend that I gave some to , asked for seconds qnd says he could eat all of it in a day because of how delicious it was-and he usuallyavoids peanuts!.
So, thank you…excellent recipe. Keep sharing…you are saving the world…trust me! 😀
Saving the world, one piece of cake at a time 🙂 I’m so glad you loved it, Solo!
Great recipes,love the way the recipe shows different serving quantities.
Hello Valerie’s kitchen, my name is Ana. I’m a disabled 60 years old lady, who lives in Panama, Central America. Aldo, I cannot cook as easily as should be, I simply love to read your recipes. And really enjoy seeing the images of all of them.
Hello Ana and thank you so much! I’m so glad you are enjoying the site. 🙂
What a delightful way to end my day. I love to cook, my husband loves to eat so everything is a treat for both of us. I will try each recipe beginning tomorrow. Thanks for the idea and recipes.
Thank You. Your recipe is easy to print.