Updated on Dessert

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

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This super rich and extra moist cake is made with layers of chocolate flavor then topped with a creamy, decadent peanut butter frosting. This cake is not only a chocolate lovers dream, but any dessert lovers dream…what pairs better than chocolate and peanut butter!

Making a cake from scratch may seem daunting, but they are actually very simple and require easy ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry!

The secret ingredient to this chocolate cake is coffee, which helps enhance the chocolate flavor.

Butter & Sugar…the base of any great cake!

Eggs should be at room temperature so that they will mix better in the batter.

This recipe makes great cupcakes too!

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Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate roughly chopped
  • ½ cup fresh brewed hot coffee
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • Peanut Butter Frosting:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 9” cake pans and line with parchment paper.
  2. Over a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the chocolate and hot coffee until the chocolate is smooth. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy, about 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract and chocolate. Whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream. Slowly add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture a little at a time starting and ending with the flour mixture until well incorporated.
  5. Evenly pour the batter into the cake pans and smooth out the tops. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes then turn the cake layers onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. For the frosting, beat the butter and peanut butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract and salt until combined. Add in the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Mix in the heavy cream until smooth. Apply the frosting to the cooled cake.

Recipe Notes

*serves 20-24

For more recipes, check out my cookbooks available on Amazon.com!

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