Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Nutter Butter Cake
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This Nutter Butter Cake is simpler than it looks because it starts with a boxed cake mix. You’ll love the rich peanut butter frosting that tastes like the cream inside Nutter Butters.
So often you find peanut butter frosting on chocolate cake and Reese’s chocolate peanut butter cake. But what about peanut butter frosting on peanut butter cake? A double peanut butter punch? Yes please!
If you’re crazy about peanut butter like my family is, try this semi-homemade nutter butter peanut butter cake! We took a box cake mix and jazzed it up with a little peanut butter to give it that sweet, rich flavor of peanut butter that people go crazy for.
It’s topped with our favorite peanut butter buttercream, an easy, homemade frosting that tastes like the inside of a Nutter Butter cookie.
Start with a Cake Mix
This cake starts with a yellow cake mix which makes it semi-homemade and really easy! It has just a light peanut butter flavor thanks to creamy peanut butter being added to the cake batter. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to get the cake batter mix even.
Bake the cake in 2 9″ round baking pans, but you can also simply make this in a 9×13 baking pan if you’d like a sheet cake.
If you’re baking round cakes, allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Then Make Peanut Butter Frosting
This frosting is AMAZING. Not only does it taste like Nutter Butter cookie filling, it also could easily pass as a buckeye, my favorite homemade candy! Just try not to eat all this frosting with a spoon. It’s that good.
Use traditional smooth peanut butter and add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until your frosting is at a good spreadable consistency. All peanut butters are different so you may not need as much milk depending on what peanut butter you use.
I also use this frosting on our buckeye cupcakes and Reese’s brownies. 😍
Decorate the Cake
To decorate the cake, place one cooled cake layer down on a plate. Frost the top with the peanut butter cream frosting.
Then place the second cake layer on top. Frost the entire outside of the cake with frosting. It’s ok if doesn’t get completely smooth. Imperfect frosting give the cake a cute rustic look and people will eat it up. Literally!
Use Wilton 1M or 2D large piping tip to pie swirls of frosting around the top of the cake. Then place half of a Nutter Butter Cookie (or a mini Nutter Butter) on each swirl.
You can also place a swirl with a cookie in the center of the cake if desired. It really is as simple as that to make a gorgeous cake!
Want to make cookies that taste like Nutter Butters? Try our peanut butter sandwich cookies. They’d be so cute on this cake!
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Store the nutter butter cake in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.
- Freezer: Freeze the cake whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
You may like our old fashioned lemonade icebox cake or cool whip cookies.
Nutter Butter Cake
This Nutter Butter Cake is simpler than it looks because it starts with a boxed cake mix. You'll love the rich peanut butter frosting that tastes like the cream inside Nutter Butters.
Servings 15
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
Layer Cake:
- 1 box yellow cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 1 1/4 cups water 10 ounces
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 125 grams
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2.7 ounces
- 3 large eggs
Peanut Butter Frosting:
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature, 8 ounces
- 2 cup creamy peanut butter 500 grams
- 6 tablespoons 2% milk 3 ounces
- 4 cups powdered sugar 520 grams
- 1 package Nutter Butters
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 2 9" round cake pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed about 2 minutes. Pour the batter evenly between the two greased and floured pans.
- Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert the round cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, blend together peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, and milk with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Place one cake on a plate and frost the top. Place the other cake on top of that and frost the sides and top. Decorate as desired with piping rosettes and using Nutter Butter cookies, large or bite-sized.
Notes
I use Wilton 1M or 2D to pipe swirls on cake tops.
If for some reason the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until it is the perfect spreading consistency.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store any leftovers in the freezer for up to 8 weeks.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Calories: 818kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 680mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 440IU | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2.4mg
Can this recipe be used to make cupcakes?
Have you tried this recipe as a sheet cake?
This looks amazing! I’m going to give this a try in a couple days, but I plan to cut the recipe in half and use two 6-inch round pans for a smaller cake. I’m not a very experienced baker so I’m nervous about getting the bake time wrong, because I suspect it won’t be the same. Any suggestions?
Third time making this cake for coworkers birthdays as They request it. Any leftover frosting I take to work in a bowl with pieces of Hershey chocolate bars. They all love it.
Do you think it would work with chunky peanut butter in the cake itself?
Made this today for my hubby’s birthday, big hit, everyone loved it! I feel sure he’ll be asking for it again. Thanks for posting the recipe!!
Is the peanut butter amount correct? 2 cups? This cake looks amazing!!
OMG!!!! You have just made my year!!! I love peanut butter!!!!!!!!!! Nutter butters are my favorite cookie as well. Except I skip the milk ( I don’t drink milk) but I love to dunk them in a cup of black coffee sometimes! Anyway, I can hardly wait yo get home and make this cake. I have made peanut butter cake with the yellow box cake mix as you do in this recipe, I love eating it plain sometimes as well. Now I am going to cover it in peanut butter frosting and nutter butters! I can’t stand the anticipation!! Thanks… Read more »
Just made this.It is for a potluck.I haven’t tasted but it looks awesome.
I beat the patter a bit too long and it is full oh holes.
The frosting is unbelievable
This was delicious, but I found it impossible to spread the icing… any tips?
Looks amazing, well done! That frosting sounds scrumptious, so rich, must taste divine!
I’m making this tomorrow…1 1/4 cup water is a lot of water…is this right…
Sounds delicious! Will be making this for my significant other’s birthday this weekend, he loves peanut butter!
Question: when it states 1 package of nutter butters…. does that refer to a small individual package (I believe 4 whole cookies), or is it a large package of say… 25 cookies (guessing)?
I made this cake for my family and they absolutely loved it! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Great idea for my peanut butter lovers. I’m pinning it!
WHOA!
Just when i think you’ve done it, you outdo yourself!
This is gorgeous, looks scrumptious!
Too bad this grandma can’t eat things like this anymore.
That’s ok, you also have some super healthy things, too 🙂
Love you!
Grandma Clark