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This Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Cake recipe is made with layers of moist chocolate cake, peanut butter frosting and chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups! It’s rich, delicious and so fun!
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Layer Cake
While taking some photos yesterday of a cake, I was reminded of something that the hubs regularly tells me and demonstrates through fearful looks my way – I am one photo away from seriously injuring myself. One of the tables, counters or chairs I stand on to get just the right angle will one day not cooperate the way I want and I will fall and either break the camera I’m holding or some part of my body. It’s bound to happen.
I have a three step stool that I use all the time for overhead shots or something that’s at a more dramatic angle than I can achieve just by standing. Yesterday, I was standing on that stool taking photos and teetered and tottered a bit while stepping down from the top stair. Then I was in the kitchen taking some photos and didn’t feel like walking to the other room to grab the step stool so I grabbed a chair. I stood on the seat and started to sit back on the back rest to get the angle I wanted and suddenly realized I was starting to tip backwards. Luckily I realized it before it was too late and caught my balance. I was dangerously close to falling back into the wall and onto the dog bowl stand (with sharp corners).
Who knew food blogging carried such job hazards?! Not to mention the extra calories that come along with it. 😉 I suppose it’s worth it when I share cakes like this one. I’m so in love with it!
How to Make Peanut Butter & Chocolate Layer Cake
The cake starts with moist, delicious layers of chocolate cake. I used my Easy Moist Chocolate Cake from a couple weeks ago in layered cake form. It truly is such a moist cake and so easy! You basically mix the dry ingredients, then wet ingredients, add them together, then add the hot water at the end. One of the quickest cake batters to make and hard to mess up.
Between the layers and covering the outside of the cake is a peanut butter frosting. On top of the frosting between the cake layers are also chopped Reese’s – every peanut butter and chocolate lovers favorite, am I right? They take the peanut butter flavor up a notch and I’m a fan.
After the cake is covered with frosting, ganache is drizzled down the sides and covers the top. The stripe pattern on the sides of the frosting creates a neat ripple effect in the drizzled ganache. Then I added more Reese’s and frosting – for good measure. 🙂 The final cake is not only delicious, it’s SO fun! I was in love with the look of it! If you’d like to recreate the same thing, check out the video just above the recipe to watch what I did.
You might also like:
Peanut Butter Chocolate Buckeye Cupcakes
Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecakes
Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Icebox Cake
Peanut Butter Truffle Chocolate Cake
Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Cake
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownie Layer Cake
Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Cake recipe is made with layers of moist chocolate cake, peanut butter frosting and chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups! It’s rich, delicious and so fun!
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 1 3/4 cups (228g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) hot water
Peanut butter frosting
- 2 cups (448g) salted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (350g) peanut butter
- 9 cups (1035g) powdered sugar
- 6–7 tbsp (90-105ml) water or milk
- 6 reeses, chopped
Chocolate ganache and topping
- 6 oz (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
- 8 reeses, cut in half
- Crumbled reeses
Instructions
For the chocolate cake layers
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray and parchment paper in the bottom.
- Add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.
- Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
- Slowly add the hot water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
To make the frosting
- Combine the butter and peanut butter in a large mixer bowl and mix until well combined.
- Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add 3 tablespoons of water or milk and mix until smooth.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add remaining water or milk and mix until smooth, keeping an eye on the consistency of the frosting so it doesn’t get too thin.
To build the cake
- Use a large serrated knife to remove the tops of the cake layers so that they’re flat. See my tips on how to level a cake and how to stack a cake.
- Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cardboard cake circle and top with about 1 cup of frosting. Smooth frosting into an even layer.
- Add about half of the chopped Reese’s on top of the frosting and press into the frosting. Spread a small amount of frosting on top of the Reese’s so that it’s sticky on top for the next cake layer.
- Add the next cake layer and top with about 1 cup of frosting. Smooth frosting into an even layer.
- Add remaining half of the chopped Reese’s on top of the frosting and press into the frosting. Spread a small amount of frosting on top of the Reese’s so that it’s sticky on top for the next cake layer.
- Add the final cake layer to the top of the cake.
- Smooth out the frosting on the sides of the cake, creating a thin crumb coat.
- Add about 1 cup of frosting to the top of the cake and smooth into an even layer.
- Frost the cake using my tutorial for a smooth cake. Stop just before using the paper towel, which won’t be necessary with the pattern on the sides of this cake.
- Use an offset spatula to create the stripes around the cake. For guidance, see the video above starting at about 1:40.
- Set the cake aside and make the chocolate ganache (see my tips for making chocolate ganache).
Make the ganache and decorate
- Put the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.
- Microwave the heavy whipping cream until it just begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- Use a squeeze bottle or a spoon to drizzle the chocolate around the edges of the cake, then fill in the top of the cake and smooth it with an offset spatula. See my tips for making a chocolate drip cake.
- Allow the ganache to firm a bit, about 10 minutes, then top with remaining frosting, additional Reese’s chopped in half, and Reese’s crumbles.
- Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature. Cake is best for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 1097
- Sugar: 112.1 g
- Sodium: 774 mg
- Fat: 61.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 133.4 g
- Protein: 13.9 g
- Cholesterol: 109.8 mg
Filed Under:
Enjoy!
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hi!! how long can these cakes be frozen for? i want to bake them but don’t plan on decorating them until next week, will they still be fresh enough to use or will the freezer dry them out before i want to decorate them? thanks!!
The cake layers should be fine frozen for up to three months. Just flash freeze them for about a hour, then wrap them well before fully freezing them, and then thaw them in the fridge before using them.
Is it possible to use gluten free powder for this recipe?
I haven’t tried gluten-free flour, but I imagine gluten free all purpose flour would be fine.
Can you make and frost it and freeze for an event at a later date?
I don’t typically freeze full cakes. I just feel like you can end up with condensation issues that affect it. But it should be fine. Just be sure to thaw it in the fridge when you’re ready to avoid too much condensation forming.
Have you made this recipe using a 6 inch pan? And how do the ingredient amounts change?
Not this one in particular. But I would cut the recipe in half for a 6 inch cake that’s about the same height as this 8 inch.
Hello! I don’t use seed oils in my cooking. Do you think the cake will turn out well replacing the oil with butter?
I don’t think you’ll get the same result. I’m sorry.
My son just turned 12 and this is the only birthday cake he has ever wanted. Going on like 7 years now! It’s so good and a family favorite for sure!
So glad to hear that!
The cake looks amazing! What brand of cocoa do you use?
Usually Hersheys.
Can this cake be frozen if fully decorated?
I haven’t actually tried freezing the fully decorated cake, but it would probably be ok. I would just thaw it in the fridge, so that you don’t get condensation forming on the cake and causing issues.
Love this recipe! I’ve been making it for years! How would I be able to make it into a larger cake like a 10 inch? Would I just double the recipe?
I’m so glad you enjoy it! Yes, I’d double the cake part for a 10 inch. You probably won’t need to double the frosting though, depending on how much you typically use.
This cake is so moist and full of flavor. However, my three 8″ cake layers did not rise at all. Does anyone have any idea what I could have done wrong?
Did you check to make sure your baking soda and baking powder were still good?
My son Loves Reese peanut butter cups and for his 16th birthday I’m going to make this cake. What kinda of peanut butter did you use?
I use creamy JIF. I hope he enjoys it!
We made this for a friend who loves super-sweet classic American desserts, and he loved it so much he asked for us to make it as his birthday present again this year!
This is a REALLY sweet cake. We made a version for ourselves with 1/4 of the sugar in the frosting and no-sugar-added peanut butter, and it still had a nice sweetness and a stronger peanut butter flavor.
If you’re concerned about the amount of sugar or don’t care for “American-sweet” cakes, try cutting back the sugar and whipping the frosting and adding little by little until you’re happy with the sweetness.
It’s Nov 20, 2023. I made it for thanksgiving 3 days in Advance. I am traveling for 4 hours. Can I freeze the whole cake first so it doesn’t get damaged. Hopefully you can answer soon.
That should be fine. It should hold up well to being frozen.
I’ve made this cake 4 years in a row for our school’s fundraiser auction. This year it sold for $250!! It’s so delicious and the instructions make it so easy to make! Thank you!!
How awesome is that?! I’m so glad it’s a hit!
Can any remaining frosting be froze? If so for how long?
Yes, buttercream can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Most requested birthday cake! We love this. It is incredibly sweet and thus serves 16 people. Pairs well with vanilla ice cream and coffee. I usually use two 9 inch cake pans…and could probably halve the frosting recipe. Or I make cupcakes the next day and can frost those! 🤣
I’m so glad it’s been a hit!
I was wondering if anyone can tell me how to make this cake gluten free. Thanks in advance!
Made this recipe gluten free by substituting cup4cup flour That you Can find at whole foods or most grocery stores nowadays! Came out awesome!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I have made this cake multiple times and it is a hit every time. I struggle a bit with the frosting as it almost always is too dry. I am going to try adding more milk or perhaps use heavy whipping cream. I also struggle a bit with the ganache drizzle. Any suggestions for getting the consistency right while still controlling how far it goes down the sides?
You can always add more milk/cream to the frosting. Peanut butter buttercream does have a tendency towards being dry.
Here’s my post on drip cakes and it includes a video of me showing you how I do it, which is hopefully helpful.
This looks amazing! I was looking for a chocolate peanut butter cake for my son’s 2nd birthday and love your recipes. I would like to try and cut the cake into a dinosaur shape. If I freeze the cake for 30 minutes do you think it would be an acceptable texture to cut into shapes? I was also going to make this a cream cheese peanut butter frosting. Do you think that would work? Thank you!!
Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoy the recipes! While I haven’t carved this cake into a shape before, I do think that would be fine. And yes, a peanut butter cream cheese frosting sounds delicious! Just keep in mind that cream cheese frosting isn’t as stiff as a regular buttercream. I’m not sure what your dinosaur will look like exactly, but that could make it a little less stable.
Ooooo too sweet!! The frosting had way too much powdered sugar. We kept having to add more and more milk till it was anywhere near spreadable. It’s an ok cake. Probably won’t make again 🫤
Hi!!!
For the peanut butter frosting… it says 6 Reese’s chopped.. and looks like there are some in the frosting between the cake layers.
Did you mix the Reese cups in the pb frosting for the frosting layers between the cake? It doesn’t state in the instructions… thanks!!! So excited to make this for my 4 kids and husband this weekend🥰💕
The Reese’s are added when layering the cake. They are mentioned in step 3 and 5 under building the cake.
I’m wanting to make a version of this cake for my sons birthday. I assume it’s ok to do the buttercream the day before his party, store in the fridge that night then do the ganache and the decorating the day of his party? I want to add an ice cream sundae scoop of buttercream on top of the ganache as well sprinkles etc. Thanks
Yes, you can make the buttercream the day before and store it in the fridge. Just be sure to bring it back to room temperature before using it. It sounds like a fun cake!
My family loves this recipe! It’s requested for almost every event. Is there a way this could be made into cupcakes for ease? How would you recommend decorating with the ganache?
I’m so glad it’s a hit. You can certainly turn it into cupcakes. It would make about 24 cupcakes. You could probably reduce the frosting a bit depending on how much you like to add. For the chocolate ganache, I might do a drizzle, kind of like on these cupcakes. You could also check out my peanut butter chocolate buckeye cupcakes and just leave off the buckeyes.
Made this cake for our neighbor for his 85th birthday, and it was a HIT! I didn’t have the cake decorating items you did to make it look pretty but it turned out okay. I wish I could send you a picture!
So glad to hear it was a hit!
This cake recipe was so moist and flavourful however the buttercream was incredibly sweet and I had already reduced it to 8 cups of sugar instead of 9.
Could this be made as a 9×13 cake?
Sure, that would be fine. You can find the 9×13 cake/instructions in this chocolate cake recipe.
Thank you for the instructions for a 9×13. Would I still use the same amount of frosting above for the layer cake or would I need to reduce it?
You’d probably want to reduce it. It would depend a little on how much frosting you like to use, but I’d probably cut it in half or so.
I love this recipe ! I use it all the time. I also use it for just chocolate cake as well! I wanted to know could I make this in a sheet cake and if so how much batter would I need ? Thanks
I’m so glad you enjoy it! A sheet cake should be fine. I’m not sure if you’re talking about a 9×13 or larger, but you could use the recipe as is. I also have my chocolate cake recipe, which makes a touch bigger cake (more batter) I think and works great as a 9×13.
This recipe looks amazing. I followed it to a t, my batter is super runny though after slowly adding the hot water. Will it firm up while baking?
Yes, sounds like it’s just fine. It’s a very thin cake batter.
My absolute favorite cake recipe and a staple in my dessert menu. I use a little less confectionery sugar in the frosting
I’m so glad you enjoy it!
This recipe was easy to follow and turned out amazing.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this cake last weekend! It was great and a crowd pleaser, even for those who are not big peanut butter fans. The chocolate crumb was very moist and the peanut butter frosting was great but not overpower. Great cake!
So glad it was a hit!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it for my niece and my mother in law, both very successful cakes! How could I convert this to a cupcake recipe?
Glad to hear it! Sometimes I have a little trouble with these baking well as cupcakes, but you could try it. These homemade chocolate cupcakes are also very similar and my favorite.
Hey! I’m about to try this in the UK, is this a fan or conventional oven temperature please?
I have a convection oven that I use the bake setting on.
I only have two 9 inch pans. How can I make that work?
You could bake two cake layers, or you could make 1 1/2 recipes worth and do 3 layers.
Is it better to make the cake and frosting all in one day? Or make the cake and stick in the freezer over night than do the frosting?
It’s a very moist cake, so it would hold up well to baking it one day and frosting it the next. But you don’t need to freeze it.
I made this for my son’s 17th birthday and everyone loved it however, I only used around 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and that was almost too sweet. I couldn’t imagine using 9 cups as the recipes says.
I’m glad you enjoyed it and that the frosting worked for you that way. I can’t imagine how you had enough, but glad you did.
Just in case anyone wants to know..a single cake batter recipe makes the perfect amount for a 10x10x1.5″ layer. Double for a beautiful 2 layer cake. Also double the ganache and frosting! Amazing cake!!
Thanks for sharing! Glad you enjoyed it!
I need to use 10″ square pans. Will this recipe yeild enough batter be enough for two 10″ layers instead of three 8″ layers?
No, I’d probably double the recipe or so.
I have made this cake for my bestie who is obsessed with pb chocolate. I am going to try and make this cake on a rectangle baking sheet instead of round. Do you know what the best temp and time would be?
For a 9×13? It’s about 30 minutes.
I have made this recipe twice now. I used whole milk the 2nd time vs 1% and my guests “died and went to heaven”. I use 8 cups of powdered sugar vs 9 and it doesn’t make the frosting overly sweet-but still super buttery and delicious. This recipe is now in the books for every birthday celebration!
Awesome! So glad it’s a hit!
I’ve made this cake multiple times & it’s PERFECT every time! I love all your recipes-you’re my go-to for any special cake.
That’s so great to hear! Glad you enjoy everything!
Delicious!!!! This cake was perfect! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Am I the only one who had issues with the frosting? I followed recipe to a T but my frosting is super runny.
Hmm, that seems strange. Peanut butter frosting often is thicker than regular vanilla buttercream. Did you use a natural peanut butter that separates?
I’ve made this cake before and can’t remember if I kept it in the fridge or not. Will it be okay in a cake plate left out or should it be refrigerated?
It would be fine at room temperature for about 24 hours, after that you could refrigerate it. Just bring it back to room temperature to serve it.
This is my absolute favorite chocolate cake recipe for both layer cakes and cupcakes! I have tried the other chocolate cake and cupcake recipes on this site, but this one continues to be my favorite paired with all different frosting flavors. It has a delicious, rich, chocolatey flavor and perfectly soft texture. It is moist without being gummy. For anyone wondering about cupcakes with this batter recipe, I filled standard liners about 3/4 full and baked them at 350 F for 15-17 minutes until toothpick came out clean. This recipe yielded 25-26 standard-sized cupcakes. Lindsey, thank you for sharing your passion; I have learned a lot about cake baking from your site and it has inspired a new creative outlet for me. This was the first recipe of yours that I tried over 4 years ago and I keep coming back to it!
Awesome! So glad to hear that! Glad you enjoy this recipe!
This recipe is AMAZING!!! I have made it numerous times and every time I have had people go crazy over it!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Has anyone made with 3 9” pans instead of 8”
You would probably want to do 1 1/2 recipes worth to have enough batter for the cake layers.
This cake was absolutely wonderful! I made it for our granddaughter’s birthday and everyone loved it. All of our kids and grandchildren are now asking for it for their birthdays as well. Cake was moist and delicious and the frosting had perfect texture with just the right amount of peanut butter. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad it was a hit!
The cake was delicious. I would love to make these in cupcake form. Do you have a recipe to follow for making regular-sized cupcakes?
I don’t have this exact recipe in cupcake form, but I do have these Buckeye Cupcakes which have all the same flavors and the cupcake base is my favorite.
I just made cupcakes with this recipe and they turned out perfectly! It made 25-26 standard sized cupcakes. Baked at 350 F for 15-17 minutes, toothpick came out clean, and the cooled cupcake was soft and moist without being gummy. Delicious!
I’ve made this cake a couple of times and it’s delicious. I also use this chocolate cake as a base for other cakes, with a Oreo buttercream for example. Would you recommend using this batter and peanut butter frosting for cupcakes as well, perhaps with a peanut butter cup inside the cupcake?
This recipe should be fine for cupcakes, but this one is my favorite. They are similar. Keep in mind that if you add a peanut butter cup to the inside, it’ll fall to the bottom, since the batter is thin. These chocolate cupcakes are a little different and have a thicker batter, so those might work well too.
Can I just buy the chocolate cake mixes and only do a 2 layer?
Sure. You could use a cake mix.
Hi Lindsay! I am trying to use this recipe and make it into a 3 layer 10 inch cake. I have made this many times as an 8 and 6 inch and it turns out beautiful and delicious and everyone loves it but I’m really struggling with getting the measurements and baking times correct on the 10 inch. I’ve had 3 failed attempts so far and it’s very discouraging. It isn’t getting completely done in the middle. I keep getting inconsistent answers on how to convert cake pan sizes and oven temps and bake times. Do you have any tips and recommended bake times? I’m trying to make this for a close friend who asked for the larger sized cake.
Hmm, I don’t really make cakes that size but I’m surprised you’re having so much trouble. How tall are the layers that you are baking? A couple options to try would be using some bake even cake strips around the outside of your pan. They are typically used to give you flat cake layers, but that’s done by helping the cake bake more evenly throughout, which might help you. There’s also something called a heating core that looks a little like a metal toothpick with a metal circle on top. It’s designed to distribute heat into the center of your cake to help it bake in the center. You could also try reducing the oven temperature a little bit. I hope that helps!
I made this cake for my son’s birthday about a year and a half ago. It is one of, if not the best cake I have ever made. I’m making it again but I put 100% cocoa dutch-process in my dry ingredients. I just saw your comment to another reader whose cake came out flat. I can’t remember what I used last time. Should I start the process over using 100% natural unsweetened cacao? How much will it change the cake if I don’t start over?
The cake may just end up a little more dense. If that’s OK with you, then you don’t have to change it. If you want it more light and fluffy, you may want to stick with the regular cocoa.
This cake is so moist! I was worried about the batter because it seemed so runny but it came out perfectly.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Everything tastes good, and I followed it to a tee, but the cakes came out flat and not enough batter for 3 cake pans. There’s needs to be more baking powder forsure.
There does not need to be more baking powder. In fact, you could leave out the baking powder entirely and just use baking soda in chocolate cakes. It all depends on the recipe. And too much of either baking soda or baking powder can actually cause your cake to fall. If your cake didn’t rise properly, you may have missed measured an ingredient. Also, did you use regular cocoa powder or dark/dutched cocoa powder?
If I half the recipe do you think I can make this using two 6 inch pans?
Yes, that should be fine.
What frosting tip did you use for the rosettes on top?
Ateco 844
Made this cake for my daughters birthday. Everyone loved the cake! They thought I had bought it from the store.
I’m so glad you were happy with it!
Can you use a chocolate cake mixes
Sure.
Hi, Lindsay!
After reading all the great reviews, I’m super excited to make this cake this weekend.
Just out of curiosity, if I wanted to do 2 layers instead of 3, would I halve the ingredients or is that not really recommended?
You would have a much smaller cake if you cut the recipe in half. You can make the recipe as is and just use two pans though. You’ll just need to bake the two layers a little bit longer.
Do you need a mixer for the frosting?
I’d recommend either a stand mixer or hand held mixer.
Can you double the recipe for a large cake?
Sure!
I made this cake yesterday ! It looks and tastes amazing 😊
I am making this cake this weekend for my dad’s birthday. Do you have to do the design on the side or is it just for decoration? I prefer a smoother look but will this mess it up?
You can have it smooth on the sides. That was just for decoration sake.
I’ve made this cake last year for my boyfriend’s birthday. I’ve been requested to do it again for his birthday again, it seems like it became a new tradition. 🙂 Thank you for your YouTube video full of instructions, my cake turned exactly like yours and it stole the show 🙂
Wonderful! So glad it’s been a hit!
Thank you for this perfect cake recipe. I’ve made it for several parties now and it’s always been impressive and enjoyed by all kids & adults! Trust the measurements, everyone. They work just as is 🙂
So glad it’s a hit!
This was a good cake. I chose to omit the ganache as I felt the cake was rich enough and everyone loved it. The batter was quite runny and took an extra 15 minutes to bake but was exceptionally moist with good crumb. Easy to put together and ice for the final finished product.
My daughter made it for our birthdays and Mother’s Day—OMG—unbelievably delicious and decadent. I’m still thinking about it!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m not certain how you could say this recipe makes 3 layers when it truthfully only makes 2? I seriously believe if you meant 3 layers, you might have wanted to increase the flour, sugar, egg ratios. Not to mention how watery the batter is. Seriously… Flavour is pretty good but recipe needs reconstruction to get it to be good enough to fill 3 cake pans.
I’ve made this two years in a row for my son’s birthday and it’s always a hit. Not only is is beautiful, it’s delicious. The batter being runny doesn’t have any bearing on the incredible flavor or moisture. The only thing I change is half the water is replaced with coffee— it really brings out the flavor!
So glad it’s been a hit!
I just made this for my son-in-law’s birthday and his comment was “I think this is the best cake I’ve ever tasted!” Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I had to tweak a bit as I didn’t have 8 inch pans. The batter filled two 9 inch pans and because I wanted a taller cake I cut each in half and made a four layer cake. I then flipped the cake on its side in a kind of “cake top forward” fashion. It looked beautiful (as does yours)!
This is definitely my favorite peanut butter chocolate cake recipe! I just reduce the sugar by a cup or 2, and it’s plenty sweet!
Glad you’ve enjoyed it!
This cake is seriously AMAZING!!! It’s very rich, so not one to have often, but it is a special treat that everyone enjoyed for 13yo’s birthday! So moist and delicious. I halved the amount of powdered sugar in the icing, as many had suggested. Wouldn’t change a thing otherwise! AND, for this baking novice, the directions were clear and relatively easy! Thank you for this incredible recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe came out fabulous! I followed all the tutorials on frosting! I can’t thank you enough! My grandson loved his birthday cake!
So glad you enjoyed it!
The frosting didn’t have nearly enough peanut butter flavor for me. I ended up doubling the amount of peanut butter and also decreased the powdered sugar by half.
I had so much frosting that, before adding too much milk, I saved half of the frosting for truffles (forming the thick frosting into balls and dipping the balls in tempered dark chocolate). Then for the frosting half, I added enough milk for spreading consistency.
Next time, I’ll use half the butter and the full amount of peanut butter. I’d need to increase this ratio enough to make enough to frost the entire cake – increase by one fourth.
I am getting ready to make this for my daughter’s birthday. This will be the first time I’ve ever tried making this cake – but it looks wonderful! I just want to make sure that 9 cups of powdered sugar is correct for the frosting.
It is correct, but people often reduce it. I prefer thicker, decorators-style buttercream. But if you don’t mind it being thinner and having less frosting, then you can certainly reduce it or just reduce the overall amount of frosting.
Very delicious and my family loved it!
So glad to hear that!
Hi I just made this cake for my daughter’s birthday, we both love chocolate and peanut butter. I wanted to know if the leftover frosting can be frozen? Thanks for this great cake recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
Yes, it should be able to be frozen for up to three months.
Thank you! This is my first cake from scratch made for my friends birthday. She loves peanut butter and chocolate and this cake was chocolaty peanut butter goodness! It turned out great and so pretty too! So moist and good! The video was very helpful for this first timer. I will definitely make this cake again and I may try and substitute the coffee for the hot water for a coffee chocolate flavor (my favorite) . Any chance you have a coffee frosting as good as the peanut butter frosting?
So glad you enjoyed it! I used a coffee and kahlua frosting on this chocolate cake. You could try that or leave out the kahlua and add in some more coffee/espresso.
Flavor is great, but there is waayyyy too much moisture in this cake. If you live at higher altitudes, either don’t add the hot water or add more flour. This cake got huge, overflowed (filled about halfway up the pan, if that) and then sank. I baked it for at least 35 mins, and it was still extremely moist and has no structural integrity. It’s been three days and the cake is still collapsing. Frosting is amazing, chocolate flavor is great, but I should have listened to my gut with the texture/density.
This cake was not made to be done at high altitude. Typically takes need adjustments for high altitude. When you aren’t at high altitude, the amount of moisture in the cake is perfect.
Delicious amazing and was toted as “one of the very best cakes I’ve ever had” – and it was pretty darn easy. (Minus the ganache dripping… I’ve got some work to do there. User error!) Thank you!
So glad it was a hit!
Hi there, is it okay to freeze the cake for one night? My garage is about -2 or -3, our fridges are full!
I suppose that would be fine. 🙂
Hi mam… I am beginner to baking .. instead of 8 inch cake .. i want to try it for 2 layer 6 inch cake … How to adjust the recipe ?
I was suggest cutting the recipe in half. I’m guessing the baking time will be around 20 to 25 minutes.
The only thing I switched was hot coffee for the water. Truly Incredible delicious cake!!!! A keeper!
So glad to hear that!
Hi did this recipe used to have buttermilk instead of milk in the recipe?
No, not this one. I have another chocolate cake that has buttermilk in it.
What the name of the chocolate cake with buttermilk please? I made one of your cakes last year with buttermilk and it was the best cake ever!
You can find it here – https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/best-chocolate-cake/
My favorite chocolate cake! Quick question – any recommendations on converting measurements for a sheet cake? Thank you for the great recipes!
So glad you enjoy it! What size sheet cake? 9 x 13? The cake should be fine in a 9 x 13 pan, it just may need to bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
This cake was perfect in flavor !!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
what cake tip do you use to do the swirls on top of the cake?
I used Ateco tip 844
I love this cake recipe. Can I use it to make cupcakes as well?
Yes, you can use it to make cupcakes. I have had this particular recipe bake a little funky as cupcakes before though so you could also try this chocolate cupcake, which is super similar, and then use the peanut butter frosting. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/moist-homemade-chocolate-cupcakes/
Thank for the grear recipe, and your video was really helpful! I followed exact except traded water for coffee in the chocolate cale. I made fpr a friend’s birthday. My first ganache!
I made this cake for my partners birthday- now my entire family have requested it! 8 Cakes later and still going- thanks for sharing this incredible recipe.
Awesome!! Glad it’s such a hit!
Brilliant t!!! My first real layer cake! Really easy, moist chocolate cake, perfect frosting and delicious flavours!!! Thank you!!! Wish I could post a pic lol
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I sub the all purpose flour for cake flour?
That should be fine.
How should I adjust the recipe for high altitude? I live at over 7800feet. Thanks!
I’m not familiar with adjustments for high altitude, but here’s a guide I’m told is helpful. https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/high-altitude-baking-guide/
Have you ever made this in a 9×13 or even a half sheet pan? If so how long did you bake it? I need to make it for a crowd.
Made this and absolutely loved it. How would I alter baking time for cupcakes?
Glad you enjoyed it! I’m guessing the big time for cupcakes is between 15 and 20 minutes.
What peanut butter brand?
I typically use JIF, but others would work as well.
This is my family’s new favourite cake! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. The chocolate cake recipe is now the one I use for any chocolate-based cake too. Perfect!
Holy Toledo this cake is AMAZING! The base cake recipe is so good on its own that I am going to use it for all my cakes from now on-I can’t wait to make a vanilla based cake next. On top of that, the frosting is insanely good and the ganache is a beautiful and delicious touch. I made my own peanut butter for the frosting with Hubs peanuts and I had to stop myself from eating the bowl of frosting on its own…WOW is all I can say about that. Well done Lindsay, thank you for sharing these amazing recipes!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi I love the recipe, I’m wanting to make an 8in by 3inch cake for my partners birthday.
So you have the batter recipe for this please.
Thank you.
Can’t wait to try it
I’m not really sure what you’re asking. This makes an 8 inch cake and it should be about 3 1/2 inches tall when finished.
Several years ago, my son asked for a chocolate peanut butter cake for his birthday. I found this recipe and for the last four years, this is the birthday cake he requests! It is a hit with everyone and it always turns out beautifully!
So glad to hear that!
I made this cake for my husbands birthday! It was a hit! I did read comments/reviews before making it and saw that several people had said it was really sweet. I was worried about it being too rich. I noticed that the frosting called for 9 cups of confectioner sugar, that to me seemed too much. I only used about 3.5 cups and it was perfect! I also used Reeces Pieces instead of Reece’s pieces buttercups. It was a mistake on my husbands part, he grabbed the wrong candies, but it actually ended up perfect! I will definitely make this again!
Is that a mistake-9 cups of powdered sugar?
Not a mistake.
I’m planning to bake this cake this weekend for my boyfriend’s birthday he is a Reese’s junkie…would it be ok to use two 10 inch cake pans just don’t want it so tall
I guess it depends on how tall you want it. I’m not sure you’d have much batter for 10 inch pans. I might do 9 inch, but that’s up to you.
I’d give it a 5 if the peanut butter frosting were better. The cake itself is fantastic and I continual requests for it. I’ve only been successful getting 2 layers with the batter and that leaves way to much extra frosting. The peanut butter frosting in this recipe is way to sweet with barely peanut butter taste. I tweaked the frosting recipe significantly I use half the butter, twice the amount of peanut butter and about half the powdered sugar. It makes for a smoother consistency frosting and gives the frosting a more intense peanut butter flavor. I don’t bother with the ganache it wasn’t particularly liked in my family (although does proved great aesthetics. I garnish with mini Reese’s peanut butter cups crushed and whole or peanut butter m&m’s. It has become a family favorite.
Can I use nine inch cake pans? How would I adjust the recipe?
Sure. You’d probably just want to make two layers. The baking time would likely be similar.
Tried this last Halloween and the whole family loved it! Especially good if you use crushed up Reese’s Pieces in the frosting on the outside of the cake!
I just love how moist the chocolate cake is. My family died over how good this cake was. I will make this cake all the time. 🥰
This cake is AMAZING. I made it for my boyfriend’s birthday last year and, almost a full year later, we still talk about how great it was. His birthday’s coming up again this week, which means I’m gearing up to make this cake a second time. I made 4 6-inch layers instead of 3 8-inch; works great. Thank you for this recipe!!
So glad to hear that!
Made this for my adult son’s birthday. Truly delicious and turned out very pretty.
Followed the recipe and watched the videos and it was a sweet success. I need to tweak the ganache dripping part for the looks but it still tasted great. Thanks so much!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for my daughter’s birthday and everyone loved it! I dare say it’s the best cake I’ve ever made! We’re not big ganache fans so we went without but it was still absolutely delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe, easy to follow instructions and delicious cake at the end, thanks!
LOVED it but not going to lie, I tempered the icing recipe… did only 5 cups of powdered sugar and little extra milk with no Reese’s IN the icing. ALSO for the layers I mixed in a little whip cream to give it more of a lighter taste. OVERALL, everything else is great especially the cake itself, very moist and perfect!
This recipe (and the links to the “how to”) were amazing! The cake was delicious and due to all your tips, people at the event couldn’t believe it was homemade. Thank you so much! I’m already looking up other recipes of yours to try.
I am desperate to know what tip to use to get the right height on the frosting added on the top of the cake! Mine look like sad cow pats!!
Ateco 844 tip
Loved this recipe when I make it. Was wondering if you made this recipe into cupcakes? If so how many would it make?
I made this cake today and it was delicious. It turnout better than any cake I’ve ever made.
So glad to hear that!
It’s beautiful, it’s Amazing.. it’s SOOOO SWEET!! unfortunately too sweet 🙁 the Chico cake was heavenly by itself, just waaay too much sweet between the icing, candy crumbles and ganache. Cut into small pieces.. like 2” squares..? That’s Amazing with a hot cup of black coffee. Very, very rich!!
(Made this per instructions-exactly-)
A friend made for me … looks delicious.. cant wait to try it.,:
But do to illness if 4 family .. 2 Nd shot… too ill to help eat it
Can I freeze it????
I don’t typically freeze fully frosted cakes, but it should be ok. Just wrap it well and thaw it in the fridge.
I made this for a kids birthday and everyone loved it and me as well!! Thank you so much for sharing it!! Also I was wondering if I could make cupcakes out of this recipe and if so how long should I bake them and can I fill them with the frosting inside as well ? Thank you so much in advance!
Glad you enjoyed it! Cupcakes should be fine. They would probably bake for between 15 and 18 minutes. And yes, you can use the same frosting. You probably won’t need as much of it though.
I made this cake this past weekend for my daughter birthday and it was incredible ! I added some vanilla extract to the frosting and used hot espresso instead of hot water in the cake batter and it was hit!!! Definitely be making again ! Thank you!
Absolutely fantastic recipe.
My 13 y/o requested a Reese’s cake for his birthday and I made this one. It was so delicious. Pretty sure this is going to be on everyone’s birthday cake list!
My son picked this out for his birthday on Sunday. My question is we only have natural peanut butter. Is this ok to use or should I get regular peanut butter
I’ve never tried natural peanut butter, but so I’m not sure if it’ll cause issues or not.
Made and it is delicious! Would really like to bake in a 9×13 for work. Any suggestions on how to adapt? Thank you!
Hi! I am making this cake as a test for my sister’s upcoming wedding and a possible flavor! Would you recommend keeping it refrigerated until we are ready to serve? I am making it Friday night before we get together on Saturday evening. Thanks!
Either way should be fine but I’d recommend serving at room temperature.
Love this recipe! If I wanted to make 6 inch cake rounds, how would I adjust the bake time?
Its an awesome cake! My whole family likes it a lot!
Will it make a difference if I use a 9inch cake pan ? I can’t find 8inch anywhere 🙁
The baking time wouldn’t be as long and your cake wouldn’t be as tall with a 9 inch pan. But if you do one and a half recipes worth, that should make up for it.
I saw this cake and had to try making it for my daughter’s 17th birthday. It did NOT disappoint. This was by far the easiest and most delicious cake I’ve made yet! The chocolate cake recipe so moist and flavourful… it’s a total keeper, and I’ll definitely be using the cake recipe for future cakes. Awesome video instructions too!
Hi there – I notice my cake layers are not as high as yours even though I measured the ingredients accurately. Why would that be please?
When I was grabbing my round pans to make this cake, I had two sizes, 8” and 9”. Could you have used 9” pans instead of the recommended 8”? That would have cause your layers to be thinner 🤷🏻♀️
It’s hard to say for sure from a distance. Are you sure that you used baking soda and baking powder properly? Because cakes to rise differently. Otherwise, I would think the mixing method should be pretty straightforward.
This is delicious, and I’ll make it again with alterations. Something somewhere was too salty. I suspect it was the cake, but I would probably also switch to unsalted butter in the frosting and just salt to taste since there’s so much inconsistency between brands. Because so many people mentioned having way too much frosting, I halved that part of the recipe. Half was just sufficient for two nine-inch cakes, but I might do slightly more next time.
Hi there. I plan to make this cake next week for my stepsons birthday. Could you advise of measures for a 3 layer 6 inch cake in metric please? (UK baker) I would really appreciate your help. Thank you.
Mandy 🙂
I don’t really bake 6 inch cakes, so it’s hard for me to say. You could probably use the full cake recipe and just have a very tall cake. Or you could probably reduce it a bit and have a shorter cake.
I made this for my son for his birthday. He’s a big Reese’s peanut butter cup fan. This is one of the best, if not the best, cake I have ever made or had and I’ve been baking for a lot of years. The family absolutely loved it! We gave a little to my two year old granddaughter and she licked the plate 🙂 Can’t wait to try some of your other cake recipes!
This looks amazing and my son has picked it to make for his 21st birthday. I only have 9″ pans (I do have 3 of them actually). Should I just do two layers? Would it be too thin with 3 9″ layers?
Yes, I would just do two layers.
Hi! I was just wondering if you could substitute the hot water for black coffee. I know other recipes I have used recommend using coffee for a stronger chocolate flavor! Thanks!
Sure!
What two Wilton tips did you use on this cake?
I used Ateco 844 for the swirls on top. The sides aren’t a tip, but I used an offset spatula. If you watch the video, I show you what to do for that.
Hi, really need help. Is the x3 for the 1 whole cake or to make 3 separate cakes. I’m just worried I’ve bought enough ingredients to make 3 separate cakes. 3kg of icing sugar seems alot for 1 cake! I plan on making this today for my sons birthday tomorrow!
The x3 is for 3 whole cakes.
🤣 Looks like I’m making 3 cakes so!!! 🤣
Can this recipe be scaled down to produce a 2-tiered 8″ round or even a single-tiered cake? Thank you for the video as it really shows the simplicity of making this!
You could bake the recipe as is and just use two pans. If you’d like to scale it down, you could.
Hi! What would be the temperature and how can/would I adjust the recipe to bake this in a 6in. Set of pans?
I haven’t made a 6 inch, so I’m not sure.
Hello do you know what temperature I would cook this cake at In the 6″ pans if I was using 3 of them? I do not want to screw up this delicious looking cake 😋
I guess what I am trying to say is I am looking for a length of time for cooking not so much the temperature but should I decrease the cooking time by like 5 or 10 minutes?
Excited to try this cake–it looks amazing! I had one question before attempting–can I make the cakes the night before and then finish the rest the next morning? If so, would you suggest letting them cool and wrapping in saran wrap? Or would this dry the cakes out? Thanks!
This is the second cake I’ve made from scratch, both of which were your recipes (the other was the best chocolate cake). I really wish we could share photos because not only was this super delicious, but it actually looked exactly like your photos!
I truly believe that this is thanks to your incredibly detailed directions, photos, and videos. I study them ahead of time, make sure I have all the baking supplies and tools you suggest, and then re-read or watch one last time before I give it a go. I will admit, this is all new to me and sometimes I get frustrated, especially with the frosting process, but I stuck with it both times, and both times the cakes came out amazing AND beautiful!
Thank you so much for sharing your talent and your time to help those of us who would otherwise not have a clue come out looking like professionals to our family and friends!!!!
This cake was moist, delicious, and stunning to present. Baking time always seems to be longer than listed on your recipes, but that’s probably something with my oven temp, so I just keep checking it along the way. This week I’m trying the Cannoli Cake for Valentines Day…can’t wait to let you know how it turns out. Happy Valentines Day to you Lindsay!
So glad to hear all of that! Thank you for sharing!
Such an amazingly delicious cake I could not stop eating it.
I have made it twice now
So glad to hear that!
Just made this for my grandsons birthday. Way too much icing for a 3-layer cake. Also ganache never hardened. I used Ghirdelli semi-sweet chocolate and followed directions. I don’t know what happened but I should’ve made sure it would harden before putting on cake. Otherwise, great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Just made this yesterday and WOW. What a stunner. Super delicious, moist cake and the PB icing and ganache just take it over the top. I used Hershey’s special dark cocoa for the batter and dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for the ganache and was super happy with the taste. Everyone was very impressed!
This is a tasty recipe that can please the crowd in general, but if you follow the recipe as-is, it will be a very typical American style cake, meaning way too sickly sweet for people who prefer delicate French bakery-style sweetness.
I made only 2/3 of the listed amount of frosting, and even within that, I reduced the powdered sugar portion (I used 4.5 cups powdered sugar, total, in the end.) This made perfect frosting, thin layers of which were rich and complementary to the cakes without being grossly sweet.
For the cakes themselves, I used 1.5 cups of sugar but I wish I reduced it all the way down to 1 cup. That would’ve made a cake that one can enjoy for more than 2 bites at a time. Overall very tasty results, especially for how easy it was to follow the instruction.
Today i tried your chocolate cake from this recipe.. While cutting down the amount of sugar by half and adding other substitutes to my liking to see how it will turn out… I love experimenting. And i would love to say it turned out great… The 1 cup coffee instead of hot water really carried out the chocolate flavour..
Hi Lindsay,
The mixture tastes great before and after cooking however the three layers are very thin compared to any other cake I have made. I actually binned the first attempt as I thought I did it wrong, but second time was the same, the mixture did not raise that much, is this the case? Each layer was not like your video or other other cake I have made. I did you a 8 inch tin as well. Any thoughts?
It’s a fairly straightforward chocolate cake. It seems like if it’s not rising properly you may want to check your baking soda and baking powder and make sure that they are good and that you used the correct amount of each. If those are off, the cakes won’t rise properly.
Hi Lindsay,
I have 2 -10″ pans or 2 – 8″ pans. Can I use 2 – 10″ instead of 3 – 8″?
Thank you so much! I am so excited to make this cake!
It might not really be enough batter for the 10 inch pans. I’d probably go with two 8 inch pans.
I made this for my family twice now ! the first time my fam fell in love and my dad requested it for his birthday. i love all your recipes and i’ve made so many of them ! ❤️
So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed everything!
Reviews from a retired chef and very picky friend that it’s the best cake either has ever tasted. Sure took me more than 47 minutes. Well worth the effort. Thanks.
I just made this cake. It might be the best thing I’ve made so far… <3 <3 <3
Thank you! 😀
So glad to hear that!
Made this recipe for the family-exceptional recipe. The chocolate cake is awesome! I used half cup of coffee and half hot water for the additional cup of hot water. I also added cream cheese to the buttercream and used just half of the confectioners sugar. Great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this cake yesterday and I screwed up and mixed dry and wet without mixing separately first. I went ahead and baked it anyway. The cake didn’t rise and was full of holes. I attempted to make it again today and followed the directions and measurements exactly. The cake came out just about the sane. The center is sunken and the cake full of holes. Everything im finding says too much moisture or baking soda could cause this???? Not sure what I’m doing wrong but I’m scared to try this a third time.
Hi Lindsay,
Making this cake today…are all of your wet ingredients room temperature? Or does that not matter in this particular recipe?
Thanks!
I’ve never had an issue with things being cold, but you can certainly use them at room temperature.
Hi Lindsay!
Should I use natural or dutch-process cocoa for this recipe? Does it matter?
Can’t wait to try this!
Natural unsweetened cocoa powder. I hope you enjoy it!
I want to put a fondant on top of , so thats why I ask. Is it very dense? It just looks so good and I like the three layers
No, I wouldn’t describe this cake as dense at all.
Is this cake moist?
Very moist.
Hi! I’m looking to make this cake for my fiancé’s birthday!
Did you use unsweetened cocoa powder?
Can I use dark unsweetened cocoa powder? I have the dark unsweetened Hershey cocoa powder.
Yes, I use unsweetened cocoa powder. In the past, I’ve used the dark Hershey’s cocoa and would’ve said yes, but they have changed the formula for their dark cocoa recently and it’s not the same. I find that result it gives now is not ideal. Super dense. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Thank you Lindsay my family loves your chocolate cake and iam sure the vanilla one is delicious to. I ordered one of your cookbooks yesterday cant wait to get it. Thanks again Donna
Yes I was wondering if you could make this a vanilla cake instead of a chocolate cake by leaving out the cocoa the chocolate cake is very delicious would it make a difference in the batter. Thank you.
You can find a vanilla version of the cake is this recipe for Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake. Just use the vanilla cake layers.
I made this cake 4 different times and each time, it stuck in the pan. The cake tastes so good, but I can’t get it to come out clean! I tried butter flour and also parchment paper and crisco. What am I doing wrong? Thanks!
It’s hard to say. I use bakers joy spray and parchment paper and have Wilton brand pans, if that helps.
Making this for my SO’s 30th this weekend! Can’t wait. Looks delicious!
This was amazing! I made this cake today for my neighbor and he was kind enough to let my family try it. Perfect combination. The frosting is heaven! Another great recipe Lindsay! Can’t wait to try more recipes.
Thank you for step by step recipes.
Is there a recipe for less frosting?
hi, how much gram of batter you put in every pan? thank you
Made this for my son’s birthday. Amazing! The frosting was light and fluffy. The ganache was a perfect match. Very rich!!
Hi
Love this cake but I couldn’t get plain flour (all purpose), so could I use self raising flour instead and omit the baking powder?
Thanks very much Judith!!
Hi, I’m in the UK, I’m just wondering if I can use self raising flour instead of the plain flour (all purpose) and omit the baking powder/soda as these are raising agents? There was a shortage here and so I only have the SR flour but really want to try your recipe for peanut butter cake.
Thanks!
So excited to make this! Although would you know have this same recipe for a 6 inch cake?
I haven’t ever made it in a 6 inch pan, so I’m not sure. I’m sorry.
Carla, if this is for an 8 inch pan then divide everything by 8 (or if 9 by 9 etc) then multiply each of those figures/ingredients to the pan size you require i.e. x6. My daughter studied Food & Nutrition and this is the method they were taught.
Kind regards
Judith
I made this today for my husband birthday, It was wonderful and it looked beautiful. He loves peanut butter and chocolate. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe. I especially liked the video…it helped me during the decorating, especially the ganache drip.
This cake is amazing!! Used half the amount of powdered sugar in the frosting and it was plenty sweet. Your cake recipes never disappoint!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Lynette!
I made this cake..got to say the cake mix is the best cake i have ever tasted or made..so rich so delicious 😋😍👌
Thanks for the recipe..you rock girl
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, Lindsay! I am new to cake decorating and I was so pleased when I stumbled across your website. You make everything easy to follow and the cakes are extremely moist and have a delicious flavor. I get rave reviews from my coworkers. The only thing I did differently was adding a layer of chocolate ganache on the pre-existing peanut butter buttercream frosting and crumbled Reece’s peanut butter cups. The layers were beautiful to look at once the cake was cut. I truly enjoy your videos. Thank you for sharing your recipes and knowledge of baking.
I’m so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying everything!
Hello. I made this cake the other day for a friend’s son’s birthday. I have a quest from another friend to make it with white cake instead of chocolate. Do you have a cake recipe that I could replace for the chocolate cake?
Thank You,
Jennifer
I’d recommend this one. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/moist-vanilla-layer-cake/
I made this cake for a second time recently and although it didn’t look as nice as my first attempt it still tasted amazing!
I made it for a girlfriend’s birthday and brought it to the restaurant/bar to serve after our meal. My goodness, I could have sold this cake to 3 or 4 people who walked by! One person came by twice to admire it but I actually think he really wanted a piece. It was so funny. I got so many compliments on it. A couple people even said they weren’t cake ppl but said they really enjoyed this cake.
The only thing I did differently was cut back on the sugar.
I just felt you deserved another 5 star review from me! Thank you so much for ther great recipe and fantastic details on how to make it.
LOL! Thank you! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it so much and that it was such a hit at the restaurant! That’s awesome!
I’m very new to baking, but recent events has opened up time. I love your blog and recipes. Made this cake 2x and it’s sooo good. Donated second one to ER staff at last cal VA hospital. They send their thanks! Also congratulations on your pregnancy.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and were able to share with hospital staff!
Is the batter supposed to be runny and completely liquified?
Yes, it’s a very thin batter.
This recipe won first place at the pa farm shows chocolate cake contest this year
Wonderful! I’m glad it was a hit!
It was my 16 year old son that made this cake for the PA farm show. It is such a fantastic recipe. To get to the farm show, you have to win at your local fair first. He competed against 76 other first place entries from fairs all over the state of PA. He has been baking since he was little, but these contests was his first attempt at making a layer cake. It was a resounding success!! Thanks for sharing!!!
I’m so glad to hear that! Congratulations to him on the win! Very cool!
Can I use dutch-processed cocoa powder, or is normal cocoa powder preferred?
I haven’t ever used a full Dutch processed cocoa for this cake but I’ve used one that is a mix of the two and it works well. I think a full Dutch processed cocoa would be fine.
Hi Lindsay! I am attempting to make this cake today. Have you ever used a cup of coffee rather than hot water to more deeply intensify the chocolate flavor? Was considering doing that. 🤔 Can’t wait for the finished result! 🙂
You can certainly do that. But I personally find that hot water has pretty much the same affect as hot coffee. The heat actually helps the chocolate bloom.
Would this frosting work if I make it a day ahead of time?
Definitely.
Hi Lindsay! Just wondering if this cake can be made ahead of time and frozen – frosting and all. Or wondering if you have recommendations to prep it ahead of time. Thank you!
I haven’t really experimented with freezing whole cakes. I kind of think it would be OK if you just did the chocolate cake and peanut butter frosting and then decorated it after thawing it. How long are you looking to prepare it? This cake lasts quite well for several days.
Followed the recipe to the letter but my cakes puffed up in the middle but remained thin at the edges. Any recommendation on baking time at 325 instead of 350?? As a side note, the taste and texture of the cake is to die for – I just need to get them a little more level!!!
It’s fairly typical for cakes to bake with a little dome in the middle. I usually level them, which I have a tutorial for. You could also try using bake even strips.
Unfortunately the sides were so narrow leveling them would have only yielded micro layers. I’m trying the recipe again – it might just be a practice makes perfect kind of thing!
I just made this yesterday for my boyfriend and two other friends’ birthdays. I did switch the flour to Pillsbury’s Best Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Flour since 3 people in attendance are celiac and I wanted to make sure they could enjoy it as well. Every single person there was obsessed with the cake. Thank you for making such an amazing recipe!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
I’ve made this twice now and both times it’s been a huge hit! Delicious and feeds an army! Thanks for the recipe❤️
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
We had a hard time eating this came, the frosting was so so sweet. Cake was very good though.
SO GOOD!
I made this to celebrate my husbands homecoming from Afghanistan. He was so pleased, he kept asking me to bake another cake.
I’m so glad he enjoyed it! Also glad he made it home safely! Thank you to both of you for your service.
Thank you for the great recipe! I made it last week for a graduation party and subbed the chocolate cake with your vanilla cake and it turned out perfectly! I tagged you on Instagram and it’s getting rave reviews 🙂
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’ll see if I can find the tag on Instagram!
Hi Lindsay, i would like to make this cake a little more Weight Watchers friendly by exchanging the oil for unsweetened applesauce and some of the sugar (half) with Splenda. Do you think these changes will greatly change the consistency of the cake? Also, would it be possible to use a light margarine in the icing instead of all butter (maybe do 50/50)?
I haven’t ever tried those substitutions so I can’t say for sure how it’ll turn out, but I do think it’ll give you a pretty different result. Replacing sugar does more than just reduce sweetness because sugar also add moisture to baked goods. I’ve also never use margarine to bake anything, so can’t speak from experience. I imagine it’d be fine, although it might affect the texture or consistency of the frosting.
I own a cottage bakery and sell only cake pops. I have tried dozens upon dozens of cakes and work with many professional bakers. This is hands down the tastiest cake anyone can make from home. I have made it at least 6 times now, and family always asks for it. Great recipe!!
I’m so glad it’s been a hit!
This looks amazing! I love the chocolate and peanut butter combination, but I was wondering if this would be good with chocolate frosting just between the layers but keeping the rest exactly the same (I really love chocolate frosting) or if the chocolate and peanut butter balance is best as is? Thank you for sharing this delicious looking recipe! I can’t wait to try it.
You could definitely do chocolate frosting between the layers, the peanut butter flavor just won’t be as obvious.
I made this for my boyfriend last year for his birthday and he said that it was the best cake he has ever had. I have now decided I will make this cake for him annually on his birthday 🙂 Thank you!
Awesome! So glad he enjoyed it!
What a perfectly cake! Looks delicious; I’ll be making this for my husband’s birthday. He will love it!
This cake is AmAzInG!!! Extremely rich, chocolaty, and peanut buttery! It turned out beautiful! I made it for a surprise birthday party. They guests thought it was from a bakery!!
Making for my Father In Laws birthday today – making it a day in advance. How would you recommend keeping it fresh overnight? Should I refrigerate it, or keep it out? Thank you 😊
With the ganache on it, I might refrigerate it overnight and let it come to room temperature before serving.
Delicious cake! The birthday guy asked for a peanut butter and chocolate creation and this made for the perfect dessert!
Wonderful! So glad to hear that!
Which pan size did you use? 9 inch?
I used 8 inch pans.
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday tow weeks ago.
It’s in the oven now.. only question. .. I have a 10inch cake pan, & poured all of it in there. What would be the recommended cooking time?
I haven’t tired a 10 inch pan so I’m not really sure.
I made this for my friend’s birthday! It was a huge hit! I used 7 cups of powdered sugar, instead of the recommended 9 cups because I wanted a stronger peanut butter flavor. Thanks for sharing! I’ll be using your butterscotch cake recipe and your chocolate cake recipe for my daughter’s birthday coming up!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Made this cake for a Women’s Banquet at our church and got so many compliments! I’m 14 and got asked by so many people of it was from one of our local bakery’s! Super easy gorgeous delicious cake will definelty be trying more of your recipes!!!
Wonderful! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed!
WOW!! This is gorgeous!! I’ve been looking for a cake that looks good and tastes good, and this cake looks to be both! I definitively have to try this!
By the way, I think it’s great that you use scripture on your blog!
Thanks Ellie!
I have made this cake many times. It’s a definite crowd pleaser and my personal favorite cake of all time. I make cakes frequently…from wedding, to birthday, and beyond. This one takes the cake! ????
Awesome! So glad it’s a hit! Thanks Jamie!
Wow! This cake turned out fabulously. Tastes amazzzzzing! I’m not kidding one compliment I received was from a guy who said and I quote, “In 44 years of living this is the best cake I have ever had!” Not to mention how beyond gorgeous this was after decorating (simple steps but all together looked professionally done!) This cake will impress your guests and tastes incredible! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake!
Hi – Do you use a peanut butter with added sugar or a natural peanut butter without added sugar?
I use smooth and creamy JIF.
Hi, I wanted to make this cake for my hubby’s bday and I was wondering, we’re your pans exactly 8 inches ?and also,could I double the ingredients for the frosting ( just to have extra,just in case ). Thanks
They were 8 inch pans. You could double the frosting, but it does already make quite a bit.
First time ever making a cake not from a box. When you said parchment paper and spray which goes first?
I add the spray, then parchment paper. But either way should be fine.
Hi Lindsay,
I am looking forward to making this cake and wanted to know if I could add coffee instead of the hot water for a mocha taste to the cake?
Thanks!
You can add coffee, but it won’t really add a coffee flavor. It wouldn’t be strong enough. Most people add coffee to chocolate cakes to help enhance the chocolate flavor. You could try adding a few tablespoons of powdered espresso to the hot water and see if that would strong enough, but I’m not sure without trying it.
Hello, my grandson make this cake and it tastes really good. When he went to put the ganache the cake fell apart. Do you know what could have gone wrong? thanks.
Do you mean the ganache that goes on the top of the cake? I’m not sure how that’d make the cake crumble?
Hi Lindsay
I just found your recipe for Peanut butter chocolate layer cake. I want to make this for my hubby on Mon, I am not at all experienced with cake making, however your tutorial looks easy to follow and is causing me to drool just looking at your pictures. It is a beautiful looking cake. I am confused as to why I need 8 Reese’s cups cut in half though because your picture shows only 8 halfs (which would equal 4 whole peanut butter cups, 8 cut in half gives me 16 halfs)? Are you using the extra 8 half pieces and crumbling those up to put on top to finish the cake? I get that the 6 peanut butter cups are chopped up and half is put on the bottom layer and the remaining half goes on the second layer. So are the remaining halfs then chopped for on top? I don’t want to buy a bunch extra if I don’t need them, so if you can clarify I would appreciate it. Small detail, I know:) Thanks so much!
Yes, the remaining cups were crumbled on top. You can leave off if you would like to.
Hi there! So I have to make this for about 40 people. Any suggestions on how to go about doing that?! Maybe use a 12 inch pan? Should I double or triple the recipe?
It depends on how big of slices you plan on serving. A 12 inch should certainly be big enough. I’m not sure how much batter or baking time though. I haven’t ever made this cake that size. I’d guess you’ll need to triple it – or so.
This recipe is fantastic!! Back in July my son used this in a competition at our local county fair and won first place. Winning first place in that contest grants the winner a chance to make the cake for the PA state farm show (January 4 through 11 2020) At the farm show he competed against 76 other experienced bakers, and won first place!! He got a beautiful blue ribbon and a $500 prize. His picture was in several papers, on lots of local websites, and he even made the tv news.
He was the first male to win the contest, and the youngest, he is 16. He has been baking since he was 8, but the cake he made for the fair was the first multi layer cake he has ever made. He had a very limited amount of advice from me during the process. I couldn’t be more proud of him!! Thank you for such a great recipe. We will definitely use this one again in the future.
A flop. I used pan release on the pans which works on any other cake I ever made and I couldn’t get
the layers out the pans in one piece.
And I have made thousands of cakes in my life time. Look at that recipe for the frosting when did you
ever use a whole pound of butter and 2 pounds of powder sugar to frost one cake.
Something is definitely wrong with this recipe or should many things are definitely wrong.
Many people have made success with this cake, so it’s not the recipe. Did you line your cake pans with parchment paper? That’s a big help with making sure they don’t stick to the pan.
I made these tonight and used two 8″ X 1.5″ deep pans and it was really scary to watch them. I thought it was going to rise so much an spill. Didn’t happen. Domed a lot though but it was done in 25 minutes. I let the cakes stay in their pan in the oven for an extra 5. Then I used a clean towel to press the dome into the cake till it was leveled cos I want to make layer cakes and don’t want to have to cut off the dome. I hope that I’ll remain moist and fluffy when it is cut into. I intend to assemble the cake tomorrow.
Hi! This recipe sounds delicious and I’m thinking of making it for my family members birthday! Do you think it would taste alright if I used chocolate mud cake for the layers instead ?(as my family adores mud cake)
Thanks !
I would think that’d be fine.
Worked great. I split the two layers into four. Baked for 35 min. The cake was a huge hit. My son was over the moon happy with it, even if I forgot the ganache! wish I could post a pic here of how it turned out.
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks Karen!
I am making this recipe now but I don’t have 8 inch pans. I am hoping two 9 inch will work. Fingers crossed.
That should be fine, you just might need to adjust the baking time a bit.
How thick do these cake layers bake ? I like thick layers – 2 inches or so. Should I multiply the recipe by 1.5 ?
Thanks !!
I’d say they’re roughly 1 1/2 inches per layer. You might want to do 1 1/2 worth.
The peanut butter chocolate layer cake was AMAZING! I bake ALOT and have tried many recipes, this one is definitely top of the list! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect! Really delicious. Especially the frosting, it was perfect balance of peanut butter flavor but not too sweet.
Thank you!
That’s wonderful to hear! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Lindsey, thank you for the awesome recipes!! Is there any easy way to print a copy of them so I can have it in the kitchen with me? I don’t have means to view it electronically in the kitchen 🙁 Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Kathy
Each pink recipe card has a print button within it so that you can print just the recipe. I hope that helps!
So I’m going to make this cake this weekend and I’m nervous about the chocolate ganache. I’ve made it before and whenever I pour it in the cake it just runs down the sides and is super messy.. do you have any tips?
I’m not sure what ganache you’ve made it the past, but it depends on the ratio of chocolate to cream. The ratio used here should give you a nice consistency to work with. You can let it cool a bit before using it too, to let it firm up a touch, if it seems like it needs it.
I want to make this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday coming up. Is the peanut butter frosting recipe really sweet and peanut buttery? I’m not too crazy on peanut butter.
I’d say it’s both sweet and full of peanut butter, though you could reduce the amount of peanut butter and sugar and it’d be fine.
I made this cake last night for someone’s office farewell. It was a hit. I chose this recipe because the guy who was leaving told me that he loves peanut butter and chocolate and also, Reese’s is his favorite candy bar. Well, as I was walking out the door at the end of the work day, he told me that this cake was the best cake he’s ever tasted. Mind you, I bring in desserts at least once a month so he’s had a lot to choose from.
I used three 8 inch pans, made a butter/cream cheese peanut butter frosting, topped it with a simple ganache and crushed Reese’s. I was a little concerned about the batter because it was so thin/runny but other people made comments that this was normal and didn’t effect the cake at all…and it didn’t.
This is a keeper.
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks Kim!
pictures indicate the frosting is an off-white color. However, my frosting was much darker. Also, cake layers thinner than those pictured in the video. cake layers had to cook 40 minutes. I plan to make the cake again. However, any suggestions for the issues I encountered?
Not sure about the color. It could be the way the photos look, a difference in the settings on your computer screen or even something about the different brands of peanut butter. The frosting generally should be light, but be a little light brown like peanut butter. It would be hard for me to say about the cake layers without being there or having any context. The difference in cooking time could simply be a difference in our ovens.
This cake was AMAZING. i made it for my little brothers (he’s 22 so not very little lol) birthday celebration and my entire family was raving about it. They really thought I had went to a good bakery and just claimed it as mine haha. I ended up only having a cup of butter for the buttercream so i cut that recipe in half and i had a good bit still left over. I can’t wait to make again (my family’s requesting me to make it for another birthday lol)
Awesome! So glad to hear they enjoyed it!
I ended up making this cake for my son’s birthday because I couldn’t find chocolate peanut butter cake at any store in our area. I followed the direction and the cake turned out great! My son was in love with it and said it’s his favorite cake ever! I have to say that the frosting had a bit too much sugar for me. And I know that some people like it that way. I made this cake 3 more times and used less sugar in the frosting (2 cups less). And it still turned out perfect and very yummy. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Thank you for sharing your recipes and cake design I made this tonight and it was a huge hit! I’ll never use a chocolate box mix again!
Awesome! It’s a great chocolate cake – so glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this today for my partner’s birthday, looks great, yet to taste it as it’s not her birthday till tomorrow. The chocolate ganache needs time to cool down otherwise it is too thin and runs straight off
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it!
I made this last week and it turned out incredible!! I was so impressed! I made it in two 9in pans and it was perfect 😉
I just wanted to say that I made this for my husband’s work and it was amazing. I got to try the cake after leveling them and it was the best chocolate cake I ever had. The only thing I did differently is I reduced the powdered sugar in the buttercream to 7.5 cups, and consequently the water to 5 TBSP. This cake looked exactly like the picture and tasted devine! Thanks for sharing
This looks great! How long did this take to make you from start to finish?
What kind of tips did you use to frost? Thank you!????
I used Ateco tip 844 for the swirls on top.
Question!! I am making this cake for a friend’s 40th next week (Looks divine!)
I am not doing the Reese’s on top, instead I piped white chocolate to write out a message on the top.
My question is, how would you recommend adhering the chocolate words to the ganache? Do you think it would be OK to lay down the letters after refrigerating 10 minutes? I’m afraid it will melt. I could wait until the ganache is completely set, but not sure what to use to attache the decorations (all wording). Thoughts?
Hi
I love your blog and follow you and your wonderful recipes. I made this cake today and posted on Instagram with your hashtag!! Can’t wait to eat it!! All your recipes are awesome.
Cheers
Gaylene
I made this cake for a friends birthday and it was amazing! I have another friend wondering if I could make this but with a white chocolate cake. Do you know how I could go about doing that?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I would say white chocolate in the cake layers would be tough to get the flavor to come through the same way. I might suggest swapping things around. Such as making peanut butter cake layers with white chocolate filling/frosting. There’s a white chocolate mousse filling here you could try. You could also use a white chocolate ganache. I hope that helps!
Can i do 4 tins instead of 3,i wanted to fill some birthday candys for my boys birthday in the middle
Sure, they’d just be thinner cakes and not bake as long.
I have made this cake twice now and it was amazing! My very picky husband even asked for it again. Will be making it again. Thank you for the great recipe!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe, and decorating idea. I made this for my son’s birthday. The peanut butter frosting was absolutely marvelous. I put aside some for the pastry bag flowers and thinned the remainder and it was perfect. I did take short cut and used boxed cake that was too dry, so next time I’ll use your recipe for the cake.
My cake isn’t cooking ???? I always double check my measurements as well… I’m bummed
Can this be made as just a two layer cake? Three layers might be a little too much for me! Can’t wait to make this, though! Looks delicious.
Yes, you’d just need to adjust the baking time.
Hi! Can I use self-raising flour instead and omit the baking powder and baking soda?
I wouldn’t recommend it.
Beautiful looking cake, I cannot wait to give it a go.
I’m planning on making this cake for a friend’s birthday this weekend. Would adding mascarpone to the peanut butter frosting work? I want to keep the peanut butter flavour, but not be too sickly as I like to use a lot of frosting!
Thanks
I’ve added mascarpone to frostings before, just not a peanut butter one. It should be ok, just be careful – over mixing mascarpone can make it watery.
Would the temperature and length of time change for cupcakes? Thank you.
Should be roughly 15-18 minutes. You could also check out these chocolate cupcakes.
Hi there!
Cake looks super delicious. I might try making it for my son’s birthday coming up. How long did it take you to make? And would this be too hard to make for a beginner? 🙂
Hi Lindsay. I made this cake for my husband’s birthday and it was delicious! The frosting ended up drier than I hoped (the cake was still beautiful and frosting tasted great). I am wondering if you typically use milk or water for the frosting? And if milk, what percent? Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I usually use water since I prefer not to refrigerate the cake. Peanut butter frosting is one I’ve noticed can tend to be drier than others. You can always add a little more milk or water to help it along.
I made this last week for dessert for a dinner party. Everyone absolutely loved it and thought I bought it at a local bakery. I had some frosting leftover so today I am making cupcakes for a church bake sale, repurposing it. Thanks for the recipe. Hope you can see the photo. This is a real show-stopper!
I just made this today and it was the easiest most stress free cake ever 😝 I had huge doubts but it’s great. Thank you! The only thing that didn’t really work was the ganache, it came out pretty thick but I’m not complaining.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! My ganache recipe does tend to be a little thicker than some others, but if it’s used at the right temperature it should still work great. That said, you could always add an additional tablespoon or so of cream to it.
What sugar did you use?
I’m from the U.K. And we have caster, granulated, brown etc
I’ll be making this on tues and want to get it right as it’s a leaving cake 🙂
Thank you
Granulated sugar
Bit late for your purposes but I tried granulated and it was much too grainy. I tried again with icing sugar, which came out perfectly. Granulated is definitely not the way to go!
Loved this recipe! This Is the first time I ever made a later cake and it turned out great! I only had 9 inch round pans and baked them for 30 minutes. they collapsed a little in the middle but we’re cooked all the way through and tasted great! The frosting was a little sweet for me but o think a 3rd layer of cake would have balanced it out. Thanks for such a delicious and easy go follow recipe. I got compliments all night!
This cake looks so delicious that I want to make two of them! I’m hoping to make one today and one next week. Do you think the cake and the frosting can be frozen and thawed?
They should be fine to freeze, just make sure to wrap the cakes well and thaw in the fridge.
Hi! Which piping tip did you use for the frosting decorations on top?
Ateco 844
How long will the frosting last in the fridge after it’s made? I made so much I would like to use it on another cake in a few days. Thank you!
Can you use 2 9 in pans? Would baking time change? To prepare pans, you only cover the bottom with parchment paper and spray just the sides? No need to flour the pans? Do you recommend spraying the sides or using shortening to grease? Very excited to make this cake!!!
The baking time would likely be similar, I’d just keep an eye on it. And no I don’t use flour, just parchment and baking spray. I use Bakers Joy brand spray. I hope you enjoy the cake!
I made this cake this past weekend and it was a huge hit!! Thank you so much for sharing! And your video was so helpful. I made a sheet cake so I made 2 batches of cake, each with 2 9×9 square pans. I used a full 9×9 and laid about 2/3rds of the 2nd one next to the first (probably about 14 inches long total). A few things to note that may help others… If you intend to double the recipe, the frosting makes a lot, so depending on your mixer size, you may need to make one batch twice. The frosting wouldn’t all fit in my kitchen aid mixer (from the 90s!) so I had to separate it. I used 7 cups of powered sugar instead of all 9 for one batch. For the two batches, I had 16 cups of frosting. I used about 12 cups total. Not sure what size frosting tip you used, but I know I used the largest one I had, maybe it’s a 2F? The smaller tips didn’t look right. Hope this helps! Thank you again for this awesome recipe and presentation!! Beautiful!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your tips! I used an Ateco 844 tip – I definitely like my big piping tips!
This looks amazing! Love the video tutorial, too! I plan to make this next weekend as a sheet cake for a friend’s birthday. (Will bake 4 9×9 pans and lay the cakes side by side.) Do you think I should do 1.5 times the frosting recipe or double it? Thank you for posting, will definitely check out more of your cake recipes!
Hmm, not entirely sure. It’s a fair amount of frosting, so if you’re just doing one cake layer, you might be fine with the amount listed.
Hello! I’m making this cake this morning and was wondering if you let the butter for the icing get to room temp before using or if you use it cold right out of the refrigerator?
Thanks!
Yes, room temperature butter in the frosting.
This looks amazing! I cannot wait to make this for my husbands 35th Friday this Friday!! I know he will love it!
I loved this cake! Could I use the batter for cupcakes or is it too runny?
Glad you enjoyed it! And yes, you can use it for cupcakes.
Is the batter runny in general? How’s is the consistency supposed to be?
Yes, the cake batter is quite thin.
Lindsay, I have now made two of the cake recipes you have posted. This one, for my husband’s birthday tomorrow, and the “Mint Chocolate Chip Layer Cake” in February for my daughter’s birthday. Both have been/are amazing, so moist and delicious, with layers (excuse the pun) of flavor, and a perfect balance of flavor without being over the top sweet.
Your instructions and tips, along with the videos have been so helpful. Thank you so much for the recipes and the terrific help in giving me the ability to show my family love through some pretty spectacular cake making. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much Joann! Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed everything!
This is my favourite chocolate cake recipe. Never added hot water to a cake before – do you have other recipes like this? I’d love to try other flavours. I made this for my 50th two years ago and just made it for a friend’s birthday. Your video instructions make assembly so easy and I was able to make mine look just as beautiful.
Glad you enjoyed it! I have q good number of chocolate cakes on the site that use this base. Another popular one is my Raspberry Chocolate Layer Cake.
I made this as a birthday cake for a nurse I work with and it was a huge hit with the staff. Even the custodian asked if he could have a piece even though he is “not a cake person.” I have to say, I opted not to ice the sides of the cake, just between the layers and the top. The frosting is incredibly sweet and I think enough to cover two cakes in entirety! I will be making it again as I already have three requests for this cake!
Awesome! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
Made the cake for my super picky husband and he LOVED it! I am not a big chocolate cake fan but the cake was delicious! I was wondering if you have any strawberry cake recipes ?
There are a few options, depending on what you’re looking for.
Strawberry Cheesecake Cake (you could always leave out the cheesecake layer)
Strawberry Layer Cake (fresh strawberries)
Strawberry Cucpakes
Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
There are some other options as well. Just do a quick search and you should be able to check them out. 🙂
https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2017/06/23/easy-strawberry-cheesecake/
Try this too :0) You can make it all year round. I’ve made this since the recipe was published and it’s always a hit.
I only have 9″ round cake pans. Could I just do two 9″ rounds stacked?? How would the baking times differ?
You can. I haven’t made this particular cake as 9 inch rounds, so I’m not sure exactly. I’d guess around 30 minutes.
I’m making this and using 9” round baking pans, your guess is cooking it for 30 minutes?! Thank you!
Are you using three 9 inch pans? If so, the layers will be thinner, so they’ll need less baking time than the 8 inch recipe calls for.
I’m going to make this cake for my husband’s birthday. Can you tell me if you use natural peanut butter or a sugary brand – like Skippy?
Thanks!
I always use a regular brand since natural brands can often separate.
This was delicious! I made it last night and the cake was moist and held it’s form. I hate when cakes are crumbly and fall apart, and this all stayed firm on the fork. The frosting made wayyyyy too much but I saved the leftovers to use later. I used half salted and half unsalted butter (I misread the amount and didn’t buy enough salted), but it was still perfect. I don’t usually leave recipe reviews, but this was excellent. I will definitely make this again!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this cake and loved it!! I was wondering how you got your peanut butter cups chopped up so fine? Thanks!
I made this cake for our January monthly office birthday lunch and it was a big hit! I usually make a different cake each month, but now I have been requested to make it again for our March lunch! Can’t go wrong with Peanut Butter and Chocolate!
Fantastic cake. Just baked it yesterday and it was a huge hit. Best chocolate cake recipe ever. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it!
Well it sure doesn’t look as perfect as yours but I’m kinda proud 😀
The frosting is so sweet though, I couldn’t enjoy it.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Did you use some salted butter in the frosting? I usually use half salted butter and half shortening. The salt cuts down on the sweetness and adds some flavor as well.
Wondering if that’s what you usually do why isn’t that in the recipe? Does shortening refer to crisco? So half butter and half crisco in the frosting?
Actually Kim, I was a little confused when responding to this comment. It can be confusing with so many recipes to keep everything straight. Most of my frostings use half butter/half shortening. When I use all butter (as I did in this one), I tend to use either half salted/half unsalted or just all unsalted and add my own salt. In this recipe, it specifically says that I used all salted, which is correct. And as far as sweetness goes, salt cuts down on the sweetness a bit.
What size cake tins can be used please xx
1. Clean kitchen floor
2. Place plate with cake on the floor
3. Stand and take photos.
4. Watch your toes.
Dear Lindsay,
How could I make the peanut butter? Where I live, we know only the salted version, but I suppose this is not salty. Can you help me? Thank you,
Zsofi
I haven’t made peanut butter before. I’d try to find a recipe online with the ingredients you have available.
Hi Lindsay,
Can I use two 9×3 round cake pans instead?
Thank you!
Sure, that should be fine.
Hi. Can you please tell me if the cocoa is sweetened or unsweetened?
It is unsweetened.
Hello! Can this be made with a Swiss meringue buttercream instead of an American buttercream? Thanks in advance!
Yes, that should be fine. I haven’t worked with SMB a ton so I can’t say what recipe to use for it, but I would think it’d be fine to swap it out.
Is this meant to say nine (9) cups of powered sugar? The grams say 1,035 but there are 3,060 grams in 9 cups. Just double checking. Trying this recipe as I type actually lol. It looks delicious!
The measurements are correct as written. Here’s a conversion chart I recently put together showing a breakdown of the measurements I use.
WOW! thank you thank you thank you thank you
Love your beautiful cakes! Really enjoy all of your blogs! Is there a particular reason you chose this chocolate cake recipe over your Best Chocolate Cake? Would they be interchangeable or are the flavors more suitable for this recipe combination? Thanks again for sharing!!
Thanks Lysa! Both chocolate cakes are terrific. I have found that some people are thrown off by the slow bake version (Best Chocolate Cake) and the long bake time. This cake is just an alternative. They have similar flavors and textures. It’s hard to beat the Best Chocolate Cake, but this one’s pretty darn close. 🙂 You can definitely swap it into this cake if you wanted.
BTW, the peanut butter frosting is to die for!!!! I did use this version of the chocolate cake and was thrilled with it! I do like the combination, and the hubs loved it! He does not like cake, until this recipe. Thanks!
Awesome! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Can you freeze the frosting I had lots left and it’s too good to waist?
Yes, you can.
Lindsay, this cake was fabulous! I made it for my Bible study tonight and everyone loved it. Some even said it was the best cake they’ve ever tasted. I had some trouble with the frosting being too thick, but I think I should have just added more milk. Also, do you have any tips for creating the stripes? I think my problem was my frosting was too thick, so my offset spatula had a hard time gliding on the frosting.
Awesome! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it! 🙂 You are correct that it probably just needed more milk. I find peanut butter frosting tends to be drier than others so I usually add a little more moisture than usual. And that was most likely the issue with the stripes – you are right on. 🙂 With it being dry, it’s hard for the the spatula to move the frosting smoothly.
This is a fabulous cake! Thank you for your video tips, too!
Thank you Joanne!
Another amazing cake from your kitchen with terrific photos. The things we do for food blogs!!
Gorgeous cake, gorgeous video… Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Thanks Kathy! 🙂
This cake was so delicious! I made it for my Hubby’s 40th birthday and he loved it!! Thank you for the helpful video!!
Awesome! Glad he loved it!
And this will be my 40th birthday cake! Of course I’ll make it for myself 🙂
Wonderful! Happy early birthday! 🙂
Niki, my 40th is in 2 weeks. And I have baked this cake for it now! lol
I made this for my daughter’s 4th birthday. It’s the first cake I’ve made completely from scratch and it was beautiful and delicious!
Just another incredible cake added to your repertoire! Amazing! I am also like you when taking pictures of my food for my blog! Sometimes I’ll even find myself standing on top of my table thinking, “This is not such a great idea. I could really hurt myself or my camera getting down from here!”
The things we do for our blogs. 🙂 Thanks Melissa!
Wow!! This looks amazing!!! I love all the videos you have been posting lately!! Thank you so much!!
Thanks Brittany! I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the videos! 🙂
What icing top did you use for the frosting on top and how hot was the water you put in the cake batter
I used Ateco tip 844. For the hot water, I usually let it come to a boil. The hot water helps to intensify the flavor of the chocolate, but it’ll bake fine no matter the temperature.
Can I used the batter recipe for cupcakes instead of round cakes?
Yes, you can.
What size cake pans are used ?
8 inch