The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake! Â – Â This easy to make incredibly delicious treat will become your favorite cake everrrrr! Â The peanut butter layer is just that…plain peanut butter slathered onto of delicious chocolate cake!
I have been waiting for this cake my entire life…. period.  Drop the mic.  Walk away.  Boom and Booyah!   Chocolaty cake, smothered in peanut butter and topped with chocolate ganache frosting.  I am speechless, (which could be from the peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth…I am a spoon licker).
I used our easy one bowl Best Chocolate Cake recipe, topped it with peanut butter straight from the jar…which is how peanut butter is best.  Then covered it with a two ingredient ganache that you make in your microwave in 2 minutes!
Birds sang, the skies parted and there was cake! Â The Best Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake ever!
My favorite part of making this cake is spreading the peanut butter, right from the jar, onto the cooled cake! Â I make this for everyone I love….I just like to watch them eat it and smile through their chocolate and peanut butter coated teeth! Â Heaven!
Chill in the fridge for a bit. Â Then top with this 5 minute microwave Chocolate Ganache!
Slip this beauty back in the fridge for 30-60 minutes before slicing, and everybody is your friend!
The cake and frosting are not overly sweet, which makes the peanut butter the star of the show.  If you have a peanut butter lover in your life, this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake will be their forever favorite!
Have I mentioned how much I love this cake? Â I love this cake!
 NOTE:  THERE ARE TWO RECIPE CARDS BELOW.  8 X 8 size for a small PB binge or a 9 x 13 for when a small cake just won’t do! Â
To the best cake in the world!
Clink!
Kathi
8 x 8 SIZE PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE CAKE
Ingredients
For Ganache - make this so it can cool while your cake is baking
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cake
- 1 egg
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt do not use fat free
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee, cooled you can not taste the coffee, it simply enhances the chocolate flavor
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Peanut Butter Layer
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare ganache frosting.
- For Ganache Frosting
- Pour chocolate chips in large microwave save bowl and microwave for one minute until just soft.
- In another microwave safe bowl heat cream until it just begins to simmer around the edges. About 2 minutes.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Using a wire whisk, mix well. Chocolate will melt and will become a creamy consistency. Be patient, it takes a bit of stirring.
- Add vanilla. Cool in fridge for while cake is baking to thicken the ganache.
- Cake
- Spray an 8 x 8 pan with non stick spray.
- In large mixing bowl combine egg, sugar, sour cream, vegetable oil and vanilla until well blended.
- Add cocoa powder and coffee. Mix until no lumps are evident.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Completely cool cake. Spread peanut butter on top with a spatula.
- Chill cake in refrigerator until peanut butter is firm to the touch, about 15 minutes.
- Top with cooled chocolate ganache. If your ganache is to firm, microwave for 10 seconds at a time stirring until spreadable but not heated through.
- Chill 30-60 minutes, slice and serve!
Nutrition
9 x 13 Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Ingredients
Ganache Chocolate Frosting - make this first so it can chill while your cake cooks
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup sour cream or greek yogurt do not use fat free
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup brewed coffee, cooled you can not taste the coffee, it simply enhances the taste of the chocolate
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Peanut Butter Layer
- 2 cups smooth peanut butter not the unstirred oil on top kind. Jif or Skippy works great
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 cake pan with non stick spray.
- For Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Pour chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl and microwave for one minute until just soft.
- In another microwave safe bowl heat cream until it just begins to simmer around the edges. About 2 minutes. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 2-3 minutes
- Using a wire whisk, mix well. Chocolate will melt and will become a creamy consistency. Be patient, it takes a bit of stirring
- Add vanilla. Coo ganache l in fridge while cake is baking, this will thicken it up.
Cake
- In large mixing bowl combine egg, sugar, sour cream, vegetable oil and vanilla until well blended.
- Add cocoa powder and coffee. Mix until no lumps are evident.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into he center comes out clean.
- Completely cool cake. Spread peanut butter on top of cooled cake with spatula. Chill until peanut butter is firm to the touch.
- Top with cooled chocolate ganache. If your ganache is to firm, microwave for 10 seconds at a time stirring until spreadable but not heated through.
- Chill for 30- 60 minutes, slice and serve!
Cathy says
Could you put this in 2 round cake pans. How long would you bake for?
Kathi & Rachel says
Yes it will make two round 8 or 9 inch cake pans. Bake about 30-35 minutes.
Saba says
Hi, I’d like to know if I can make this into a layered cake. 2,3 or more layers. Will it hold the layers or will the cakes layers slip given there are two frostings i between (peanut butter and ganache) ??
Kathi & Rachel says
Hi Saba – what if you put just the peanut butter between the layers and then cover in ganache. The peanut butter is super sticky and will hold the cake in place.
Angela says
Any tips or suggestions on how I can decorate it for a birthday party? I’m guessing that sprinkles or decorations would just bounce off the ganache. Could it be altered to cupcakes?
Kathi & Rachel says
Hi Angela – The ganache is pretty soft, much like frosting so decorations should stick just fine. Especially after it’s just put on and before it gets a little more firm. Cupcakes – this recipe would make 24 and be delicous!
Jamie says
Made your Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake today for the first time. DELICIOUS Thank you!
Kathi & Rachel says
Thank you Jamie! It’s my most fave cake everrrrr! So easy too!
Cathy says
We have made this cake several times. A couple without the ganache, once with spiced chocolate and a couple with crunchy peanut butter. Every time it was amazing. My husband, who doesn’t really like dessert all that much (except peanut butter and chocolate) loves this. I tried making it similarly with a more dense, rich (Flourless) cake, but it wasn’t as good as the one in this recipe.
Ella says
I’m worried about the peanut butter hardening enough. I used normal Jif Creamy peanut butter and put it on about 10 min after the cake came out as the recipe suggests. How long does it usually take to harden?
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Hi Ella – the peanut butter won’t ‘harden’. It will firm up in the fridge. The ganache will keep it in place. Chill good after the ganache is poured on before slicing!
Jen says
Any tips on dyeing the chocolate ganache red and black? I’m trying to turn it into a ladybug design for my daughters birthday. I have little experience with food dye.
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
You can use dark chocolate for a blacker ganache. But red? Don’t think you can turn chocolate red :). Maybe use a piping tool with red frosting and do an outline of a lady bug?