This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe is a homemade dessert that has been a true family favorite for generations. It was my Great Aunt Lois's favorite cake recipe, and I have been making and enjoying it since I was a kid. An easy chocolate cake with creamy peanut butter frosting, this cake is pure comfort in every slice.
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I bring decades of hands on cooking and baking experience from working in restaurant kitchens and testing recipes at home for my family. This is a passed down family recipe, so much of the work was already done for me before I ever started baking it in my own kitchen. Over the years, I have made it countless times and fine tuned the method so it turns out tender and reliable every time. My goal is always to share from scratch recipes that families can trust and enjoy together.
Why We Love This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- It is a true family favorite that has been passed down and loved for generations.
- The homemade chocolate cake and creamy peanut butter frosting are a classic combo that everyone loves!
- This is an easy sheet cake recipe that uses simple pantry ingredients you likely already have on hand.
- It is perfect for birthdays, potlucks, and holiday gatherings.
- It is a great make ahead dessert that tastes even better the next day.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Recipe Ingredients
- Salted Butter
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- White Sugar
- Milk
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- Powdered Sugar
Substitution Suggestions
- Salted Butter: You can replace the butter in the cake for a neutral oil if you prefer. Feel free to use unsalted butter if you like. Add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt to the cake batter if you do either. If you use unsalted butter for the frosting add a good pinch of salt to the frosting.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Creamy works best for this recipe. The moisture and fat from the creamy peanut butter helps keep the cake tender. Also, use creamy for the frosting to keep it smooth and fluffy.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work. I use 2% cow's milk. You can use what you drink. Heavy cream, half and half or buttermilk are good substitutes as well.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: I always recommend using pure extracts for the best flavor. Imitation extracts can leave a bad aftertaste in your goodies.
- All Purpose Flour: I liked this cake best with good ole all purpose flour. You can use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour, but the cake will be a bit more dense. Too much for my liking.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- First, preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a large bowl and hand mixer, cream together the softened butter, peanut butter and sugar until it starts to all stick together.
- Then add the milk and vanilla extract and mix together well. The mixture will look a little clumpy and curdled but it's normal.
- Now add the dry ingredients: baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and all purpose flour. Mix on low speed until combined and bump up speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds until creamy.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Bake cake in preheated oven on center rack for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs and no wet batter.
- Let cake cool completely before frosting.
How to Make Peanut Butter Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the softened butter and peanut butter until light and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Then bump up the speed to medium-low and mix until light and fluffy scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spread frosting over cooled cake and enjoy!
Make it a Layered Cake
To make this a pretty layered cake you can use round cake pans or cut the sheet cake into layers.
Round: Divide the cake batter into two 8 inch round cake pans that have been lined with parchment paper and greased well. Bake the cakes at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Fill and frost top of cake with the peanut butter frosting. Decorate with peanut butter chocolate candies and mini chocolate chips.
Sheet Pan Layers: Follow the instructions for baking the cake on the recipe card. Once the cake is baked and cooled, cut the cake in half creating 2 pieces of cake (4.5 x 6.5). Its important to line with parchment paper so you can easily remove the cake from the sheet pan. Fill and frost top with the peanut butter frosting. For even more filling and to frost the sides, double the frosting recipe.
If you love the classic chocolate and peanut butter combo, be sure to check out some of my other family favorite recipes too. Try my Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies, Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Brownie Bars, and my easy no bake treats: Peanut Butter Bars and Scotcharoos for even more sweet inspiration.
Storing Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Storing: Store the cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. After that it tends to start drying out pretty quickly.
Freezing: Place individual slices of cake on a sheet pan and freeze them. Once they are frozen you can layer them between pieces of wax paper in a freezer safe airtight container or individually wrap them in plastic wrap and then add them to the container or freezer bag. I like to wrap them in plastic, then I can place a piece of cake right in my husband and kids' lunch boxes. They're thawed by the time they eat lunch.
You can also freeze the cake whole without the frosting. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then foil. Label and date and freeze for up to 4 months. Then let the cake thaw, frost it and enjoy!
Thawing: Take the slices of cake out a few hours before you want to enjoy them. If they are wrapped in plastic, it's easier to unwrap them while they are still frozen. You don't have to, but it helps keep the frosting in tack better.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- I don't think I could live without my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It's the best tool ever for making cakes, frosting and so many other things.
- Long ago, I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and I still prefer their baking tools and pans to any others. Their baking pans are the ones I usually use. Find yourself a consultant, host a party and treat yourself to a set.
- An offset spatula works great for spreading out the batter and frosting.
- Pre-cut parchment paper is a life saver and so easy. No cutting my fingers!
Tips for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe
- Gather all your ingredients before you start baking. It is so much easier to bake when all your ingredients are ready. Plus, there is less room for error. Like forgetting an essential ingredient. I'm not saying I've done this, however, I am speaking from experience!
- Always read the recipe from start to finish before you start. Again, I am speaking from experience.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It helps everything mix together properly.
- Make sure to fluff your flour a bit before you measure it. When it sits for periods of time it becomes packed. Fluffy flour is better for proper measurements. To fluff your flour, just scoop it and dump it a few times or whisk it and then measure it out.
- For best results don't over bake the cake. Over baking will make the cake to be dry and hard. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with only a few crumbs, no wet batter.
- Beat the butter and peanut butter for the filling until it is pale in color and light and fluffy. Beat it long enough!
More Sheet Cake Recipes:
- German Chocolate Cake
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Almond Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Easy Carrot Cake
- American Flag Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Peppermint Sheet Cake
- Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1¾ cups unbleached all purpose flour
Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the softened butter, peanut butter and sugar until it starts to all stick together.
- Then add the milk and vanilla extract and mix together well. The mixture will look a little clumpy and curdled but it's normal.
- Add the baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and all purpose flour. Mix on low speed until combined and bump up speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds until creamy.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Bake cake in preheated oven on center rack for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs.
- Let cake cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the softened butter and peanut butter until light and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until fully combined. Then bump up the speed to medium-low and mix until light and fluffy scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spread frosting over cooled cake and enjoy!
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