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A slice of chocolate layer cake with light peanut butter frosting between the layers and on top, garnished with a swirl of frosting, served on a white plate.
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4.67 from 3 votes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake | Easy and Moist

Chocolate peanut butter cake with moist chocolate layers, creamy peanut butter frosting, and rich chocolate ganache. Easy and indulgent.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Chilling Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours
Course: celebration, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate, indulgent, layer cake, peanut butter
Servings: 14
Calories: 544kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake:

  • 1¾ cups All-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup Cocoa powder unsweetened
  • 1½ teaspoons Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1¾ cups Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Eggs large
  • 1 cup Buttermilk read notes
  • ½ cup Vegetable oil
  • 1 cup Coffee Hot, or hot water *read notes
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

For the peanut butter frosting:

  • 1 cup Butter unsalted and softened
  • 1¼ cups Peanut butter natural
  • 1½ cups + 2 tablespoons Powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup Heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

For decoration:

  • 3.5 oz Dark chocolate
  • ½ cup Heavy cream
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Cake:

  • Prepare the pans and oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment, grease sides, and dust lightly with cocoa powder.
  • Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
  • Mix: Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined. Pour in hot coffee and whisk until smooth (batter will be thin).
  • Bake and cool: Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely, then level the cake layers if needed.

Make the Peanut Butter Frosting:

  • Beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
  • Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined.
  • Gradually add heavy cream, 2 tablespoons at a time, plus vanilla. Beat until smooth, fluffy, and spreadable.

Assemble:

  • Place one cake layer flat-side down. Spread an even layer of frosting on top.
  • Add second cake layer, flat-side up. Frost top and sides.
  • Transfer remaining frosting to a piping bag and refrigerate the cake 2–3 hours to set.

Make the Ganache

  • Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream until just simmering, then pour over chocolate. Let sit 1–2 minutes, then stir until smooth.

Finish:

  • Pour ganache over chilled cake, letting it drip naturally. Smooth the top if needed.
  • Pipe reserved peanut butter frosting on top.
  • Let set before slicing.

Video

Notes

  • Coffee:You’ll probably not taste the coffee at all, it simply enhances and deepens the chocolate flavor (even in cakes for kids). I don’t recommend skipping it. However, if you really insist, you can swap it for hot water. The texture will be similar, but the chocolate flavor won’t be quite as rich.
  • Peanut Butter: Natural peanut butter works best. If very oily, stir well before using.
  • Don't skip buttermilk: Don’t skip the buttermilk. Its acidity reacts with the baking soda to create a softer crumb and helps keep the cake extra moist. If needed, you can make a substitute by mixing 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
  • Make Ahead: Cake layers can be baked 1 day ahead and wrapped tightly.
  • Storage: Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing: Cake layers freeze well (up to 2 months). Frosting and ganache are best made fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 678IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg