Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cake
This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake will be the talk of any party or gathering, it's that ridiculously good! Simple to make with a cake mix and no special equipment, every bite is layered with peanut butter and chocolate goodness and baked as a single layer cake for easy serving.
Servings: 15 servings
Calories: 15servings
Equipment
- 9x13 baking pan (or baking dish)
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup hot or cold coffee* (or water)
- 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix (15.25-ounce)(I used Duncan Hines)
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
Peanut Butter Layer
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter (one 16-ounce jar)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- 6 tablespoons milk* (¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (16 ounce) box or package powdered sugar (3 ¾ cups)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. If using a nonstick pan, coat ONLY the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan or dish with cooking spray or lightly grease the bottom with butter. See Pro Tip in NOTES below.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup butter and the coffee. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute, then stir until the butter melts. (You can also melt the butter in a saucepan on the stovetop.
- Add the cake mix and sugar; whisk together for about 20 seconds. This will help cool the hot butter and coffee.
- Add the eggs, then whisk or beat with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Do not overbake. The texture should be a cross between a brownie and a cake.
For the Peanut Butter Layer
- Melt the peanut butter. You can either place it in a bowl and microwave on HIGH for about 30 seconds, or heat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often.
- Pour the melted peanut butter over the warm cake, spreading it evenly to the edges.
- Let the cake cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. This allows the peanut butter layer to firm up so the chocolate frosting won’t swirl into it when poured.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, just until the butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa.
- Add the powdered sugar mixture to the butter mixture in the saucepan. Stir until completely smooth.
- Pour the chocolate frosting over the chilled peanut butter layer, carefully spreading it to the edges.
- Let cool or chill until firm enough to slice.
Notes
How to adjust recipe using smaller cake mix size: You can choose one of two options. 1. To a 13.25 ounce cake mix, add 2 tablespoons all purpose flour and 2 tablespoons sugar. 2. To a 13.25 ounce cake mix reduce amount of coffee/water by 2 tablespoons.
Pro Tips:
- Greasing ONLY the bottom of a nonstick baking pan allows the cake mix batter to "climb" up the sides of the pan, making it taller. It also prevents it from pulling away from the pan, whiling cooling, which would makes the peanut butter layer run down the sides. It's ok to lightly grease the entire pan if it's aluminum or stainless steel.
- Cut the cold stick of butter into four pieces before microwaving to melt faster and prevent it from popping "open".
- *Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate but does not make the cake taste like coffee. Water can be used.
- *I used whole milk but any milk will work.
