This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake has moist layers of chocolate cake stacked with light and fluffy peanut butter frosting. It is all covered in a showstopping chocolate ganache drip and decorated with peanut butter cups for a dessert everyone will love.
Peanut butter is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with. It is delicious in cakes like my Vegan Peanut Butter Cake, cookies like my Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, and so much more!
And today, I am sharing my new favorite cake recipe with this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. The cake is super rich and chocolatey and is layered with peanut butter frosting. And once the cake is frosted, it is covered in chocolate ganache and decorated with peanut butter cups. It doesn't get better than this!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This cake is perfect for any occasion.
- It might look intimidating, but I give clear, step-by-step instructions for stacking and decorating.
- This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake is dairy-free and completely vegan, so anyone can enjoy it!
- The chocolate cake layers are super moist, and the peanut butter frosting is light and fluffy.
- And most importantly, it is absolutely delicious!
Ingredient Notes
Natural Creamy Peanut Butter: I prefer natural creamy peanut butter for all of my peanut butter recipes, like my Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies! It has more peanut flavor because the only ingredients are peanuts and salt.
Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: I prefer to use Dutch-processed cocoa in my cake recipes, like my Vegan Chocolate Cake, because it is less acidic and has a deeper flavor.
Non-Dairy Butter: I love Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks. They taste great and are easy to find.
Canola Oil: I used canola oil, but you can also use vegetable oil or safflower oil! Any neutral oil will work. Do not use coconut oil.
Maple Syrup: Maple syrup makes the frosting super light and fluffy. If you don't have maple syrup, agave nectar works great!
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips are combined with non-dairy milk for a quick and simple ganache.
Peanut Butter Cups: These are optional, but I think they make a fun garnish on the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake!
Special Equipment
For this recipe, I recommend a stand mixer or a hand mixer to make the Peanut Butter Frosting.
And it is much easier to stack and frost a layer cake when using a turntable and a cake board!
How to Make the Cake Layers and Frosting
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2. Add non-dairy milk, canola oil, instant espresso powder, vanilla, and vinegar.
Whisk to form the batter, then divide the batter between two 8-inch round cake pans.
Step 3. Bake the chocolate cake layers in a 350*F oven for 36-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out of their pans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to continue cooling.
Step 4. While the cakes cool, make the peanut butter frosting by creaming the non-dairy butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until it is light and fluffy.
Add the peanut butter and mix until just combined. Then, add the maple syrup and mix on low until combined.
Next, add powdered sugar and mix on low until no streaks remain. Finally, add vanilla and non-dairy milk and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.
How to Stack and Decorate the Cake
Step 5. Place a chocolate cake layer upside down on a cake plate or a cake board on a turntable.
Scoop ¾ to 1 cup of peanut butter frosting onto the layer, and use an offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge of the cake, then top with the remaining chocolate cake layer, upside down again.
Step 6. Use the same offset spatula to frost the outside of the cake with peanut butter frosting. Try your best to get the frosting as smooth as you can.
Then, place the frosted cake into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Step 7. Just before you remove the cake from the refrigerator, make the chocolate ganache.
Add chocolate chips to a medium-sized heat-safe bowl. Then, heat the non-dairy milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers.
Pour the non-dairy milk over the chocolate chips and allow the chocolate to melt for 5 minutes.
Then, stir with a whisk until the mixture is homogeneous and glossy.
Step 8. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Pour a steady stream of ganache into the center of the cake until it has spread into a circle that is 1 inch from the edge of the cake. You will have leftover ganache, and that is okay.
Use an offset spatula to pull the ganache over the edges, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake.
Then, return the cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Once the ganache has set, decorate the top of the cake with any leftover peanut butter frosting and plenty of peanut butter cups. Serve chilled.
Recipe FAQs
To store, place the cake into a large container or cake box and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Not always. But Reese's Plant-Based Peanut Butter Cups are vegan, and so are UNREAL Peanut Butter Cups!
The moisture in cake comes from three main sources: sugar, fat, and liquids like milk. So, it is important not to reduce any of these ingredients for a moist chocolate cake!
Natural cocoa powder has not been processed and is more acidic.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder has been processed with alkali, which makes it less acidic.
The two types react differently with leaveners, so it is important to use the type your recipe calls for!
Expert Recipe Tips
If you are a beginner, I recommend freezing the chocolate cake layers for an hour before stacking and frosting them. This creates a more stable base that won't wiggle around as much!
My favorite utensil for cake decorating is a mini offset spatula. It is so versatile!
Looking for More Chocolate Desserts
If you tried this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 2 8 Inch Round Cake Pans
- 1 Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- 1 10-Inch Cake Board
- 1 Turntable
- 1 Mini Offset Spatula
- 1 Piping Bag and Your Favorite Piping Tip Optional
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake Layers
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- ¾ Cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder, sifted
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Cups Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
- ⅔ Cup Canola Oil
- 2 teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoon White Vinegar
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
- 12 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature see note
- ¾ Cup Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
- ⅓ Cup Maple Syrup
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 4 teaspoon Non-Dairy Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
For the Ganache
- 6 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips This is approximately a heaping ¾ cup
- ⅔ Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
Instructions
First Make the Chocolate Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and insert parchment circles into the bottom of each pan.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 Cups Granulated Sugar, ¾ Cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder, sifted, 2 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- In a medium bowl, combine non-dairy milk, canola oil, instant espresso powder, vanilla, and vinegar. Whisk well to combine, then pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk to form the batter.2 Cups Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk, ⅔ Cup Canola Oil, 2 teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 2 teaspoon White Vinegar
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and use an offset spatula to spread the cake batter out evenly. Then, bake the cakes in a 350*F oven for 36-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out of their pans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow the cakes to continue cooling untiul they are completely cool. See Note!
Make the Peanut Butter Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the non-dairy butter on medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Then, add the peanut butter and mix on low until combined.12 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature, ¾ Cup Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
- Add the maple syrup and mix on low until combined. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix on low until no white streaks remain. And finally, add the non-dairy milk and vanilla and mix on medium until the peanut butter frosting is light and fluffy.⅓ Cup Maple Syrup, 3 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted, 4 teaspoon Non-Dairy Milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Stack and Frost the Cake
- Place a cake layer upside down onto a cake plate or a cakeboard that is on a turntable. Top the layer with ¾-1 cup of peanut butter frosting, and use an offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge of the cake. Then, top with the remaining cake layer, upside down again.
- Frost the outside of the cake using the same offset spatula, getting the frosting as smooth as you can. You should have some leftover frosting to decorate the finished cake.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Ganache
- Just before you are about to take the cake out of the refrigerator, make the ganache. Add the chocolate chips to a medium-sized heat-safe bowl.6 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, ⅔ Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
- Add the non-dairy milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the milk simmers, then pour it over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes so the chocolate has time to melt, then whisk the mixture until it is homogenuos and glossy.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Pour the ganache in a steady stream onto the center of the cake until it pools out to be 1 inch from the edge of the cake, then stop pouring. You will have leftover ganache. Then, take a mini offset spatula and pull the ganache over the edges of the cake all the way around.
- Place the cake bake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until the ganache is set.
Finish the Cake
- Top the cake with any leftover frosting you have and chopped peanut butter cups if desired. Keep the cake chilled until you are ready to serve.
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