Moist and decadent chocolate cake, smothered with the creamiest peanut butter frosting. The best part is, this is the best chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting!
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For Kelsie's birthday this year she told me she wanted a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. I said, ok, but I'm going to make you the best chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting!
She responded, "of course it will be the best, because your making it." Melt my heart, she's the sweetest ever.
I had a chocolate cake recipe that I had been meaning to use forever. It was stuffed into a Rumford Cookbook that belonged to my grandmother. It was torn out from a magazine, without any real source of where it came from.
I don't ever remember my grandmother actually making it, but of course she could have, but I just never was lucky enough to eat a slice.
After making it, I decided that it was going to be my go to chocolate cake recipe, because it really turned out perfect.
Everybody needs one of those tried and true cake recipes, chocolate or vanilla.
How do I make every cake the best?
- Always grease and line your cake pans with parchment paper. You can totally flour them too, just make sure that when baking chocolate cake, you dust with cocoa powder.
- Use fresh ingredients. This isn't just about eggs and dairy. If you have questionable baking soda or baking powder, wait until you can bake the cake with fresh. It makes a big difference.
- Room temperature ingredients, isn't just a rule for butter. Your eggs will be better incorporated when using room temperature.
Then there is the peanut butter frosting, oh man, this peanut butter frosting is amazing.
It's creamy and sweet, but not too sweet, and it compliments this rich chocolate cake without being overly sweet.
It is truly a perfect combo. Of course we already know that peanut butter and chocolate pair well together, look at those peanut butter cups after all!
My cake and it's too dense!
Is your ingredients fresh? What about the oven temperature, did you wait until it was fully heated? Did you use the right measuring cups?
The last one may sound weird, but there is a reason there are different types of measuring tools. One is for wet ingredients and one is for dry.
Dry Cake?
This is usually a result of too much flour/dry ingredients. This goes back to measuring. Did you use the correct measuring tools for the dry ingredients?
Also a quick tip for measuring out flour..I like to use a spoon, and spoon my flour into my measuring cup, and use a knife to slide the extra off. This will keep from packing down the flour.
You do not measure flour the same as brown sugar!
Looking for more awesome cake recipes? Check out these:
- Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream
- Carrot Cake Roll
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
- The Very Best Red Velvet Cake
- Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream
The Best Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Moist and decadent chocolate cake, smothered with the creamiest peanut butter frosting. The best part is, this is the best chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting!
Ingredients
cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ⅔ cup canola oil
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons milk maybe a bit more
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
::cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease 2 - 8 inch round baking pans.
- Dust with cocoa powder, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together your oil and sugar.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Mix in your buttermilk.
- In a different bowl, mix together your dry ingredients.
- Star mixing in your dry ingredients to your wet, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Pour evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake 20 minutes or a until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes, then remove and place cakes on a cooling rack.
- Cool completely before frosting.
::frosting:
- Beat together the butter and peanut butter.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar, making sure it's thoroughly combined, before adding anymore.
- Mix in your milk. If 3 tablespoons isn't enough, add milk in one teaspoon at a time until you've reached your desired consistency.
- Your now ready to frost your cakes, cupcakes, or even brownies!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 503Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 388mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 2gSugar: 40gProtein: 8g
Jess says
Holy cow I just drooled! YUMMY!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Joanna says
🙂
Erlene says
This sounds wonderful! Sometimes those old recipes are just the best and I'll definitely put this on my long list of recipes to try. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday.
Joanna says
Enjoy Erlene! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Nancy says
I made this cake with the peanut butter frosting. (Never frosted a cake with a peanut butter frosting.) Believe me, it won't be the last time. Perfect!!! It was gone in less than 2 days, and they are ready for me to make another one
I used Hersheys Special Dark Cocoa Powder and Creamy Jif Peanut Butter. Tnx for posting this recipe.
Jenna @ A Savory Feast says
Mmmm I really want a piece of this cake right now! The peanut butter and chocolate combo would really hit the spot.
Joanna says
I agree Jenna! I could go for a slice of this myself. 🙂
Donna Kimmons says
This is an excellent cake and one I will bake frequently. I was puzzled as to why there were no eggs in the batter so I added 2 just to be safe.
Joanna says
Hi Donna, it's an egg free recipe because my daughter, at the time, couldn't eat eggs. I am glad to know when you add eggs to the cake that it does turn out. 🙂
Rosie says
Hello
Quick question- at what point did you add the eggs in??
Rosie x
Joanna says
Hi Rosie, there aren't any eggs in this recipe. 🙂
Ginger says
IDo you use any eggs in making this cske?
Joanna says
Nope, this cake is egg free. 🙂
Megan says
What have you put in between the two layers of cake?
Joanna says
The peanut butter frosting - just a thin layer. I didn't put this one as thick as most layer cakes.
Megan says
Do you think that putting pastry cream in the middle and the peanut butter frosting on top would taste okay?
Joanna says
Yes! I love pastry cream, yum!!
Connie says
You could also smash bananas and put that in between the chocolate layers. What could be better than chocolate ,bananas and peanut butter!!
Joanna says
That is a tasty combo, for sure!
Faith schramel says
hello i am making this cake and i’ve baked it for 20 minutes as said but when i pulled them out to check they were still not cooked at all in the middle. any idea why? they were the consistency as when i first put them in
Joanna says
All ovens have different baking times. This is why in the directions I've added until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. I would add 5 minutes, check it, etc. until it's done.