Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
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.
Servings: 14 Servings
Calories: 625kcal
Cost: $7
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
- 1 ¾ Cups Granulated Sugar
- ¾ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
- 10 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, melted
- ½ Cup Non-Dairy Yogurt
- 2 teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Boiling Water
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, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 ¾ Cups Granulated Sugar, ¾ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- In a medium bowl, combine non-dairy milk, melted non-dairy butter, non-dairy yogurt, instant espresso powder, and vanilla. Whisk well to combine, then pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk to form the batter. Then, carefully add the boiling water and whisk until combined again. The batter will look runny!1 Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk, 10 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, melted, 2 teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1 Cup Boiling Water, ½ Cup Non-Dairy Yogurt
- 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 33-36 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.
Notes
For non-dairy butter, I love Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks!
Do not use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for this recipe.
The cakes need to be completely cool before stacking and decorating the cake. Frosting melts very easily!
If you are a beginner, pop the cake layers in the freezer for about an hour before stacking the cake. This will increase the cake's stability.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 625kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 510mg | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 122IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 3mg