Chocolate Peanut Butter Reese’s Cake is a moist chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and buttercream frosting! Perfect for the Reese’s lover in your life! You may also love our peanut butter Snickers cake.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Reese’s Cake
We had the idea of this amazing chocolate peanut butter Reese’s Cake a month ago for a friend’s birthday cake. Peanut butter, chocolate, cake, (I couldn’t pass up any of those!). I’m a cake person, and NOT an icing fan. People tell me I’m crazy because of that. But I have found a couple of icings I really like. This cake has all of my favorite stuff in it resulting in my dream cake.
We made it for my grandma’s birthday, and boy did she love it!
How to Make Chocolate Cake
- You’re going to first put flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
- In a stand mixer, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Then pour the dry ingredients in the mixer slowly with the wet ingredients. Add in the coffee last and mix well.
- Pour the batter into two greased and floured pans. The batter will be thin, but that’s fine!
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife, then turn the cakes out on parchment paper or a wire rack to cool completely before you frost them.
Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Buttercream
While the cakes are cooling whip up the peanut butter frosting and the chocolate frosting. They key with both is to beat the butter first until it is almost white in appearance. Then add the rest of the ingredients. We like to use a stand mixer to beat homemade frostings because they end of the lightest and fluffiest that way!
How to Put Together a Layer Cake
- Place one cake layer on a cake plate.
- Spread on the Peanut Butter Frosting on one half.
- Then put the other cake on top.
- Spread that delicious Chocolate Buttercream Frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. If your cake is not even, just make the icing a little thicker in the places it needs to be to make an even-looking cake.
At this point, you could stop. After all, the cake will look and taste delicious as it is!
I like to decorate cakes, so I took this cake one step further. You can do it too if you want. It’s really not as hard as it looks.
Decorating a cake with Wilton Tips
- Take a Wilton 2D tip and put it in an icing bag. Fill the bag with icing and squeeze the frosting down to get out the air bubbles.
- You can decorate it any way you want and with any tip you want, but to get the look that I have on this cake, just squeeze until your star is the size you want it and pull away to make a flower. I put flowers all around the top and bottom of the Reese’s cake.
Decorate a cake with Reese’s
The Reese’s peanut butter cups are pretty much the last step. Cut them up into small pieces and sprinkle them over the top as desired.
If there is a little Reese’s piece that looks lonely, eat it. 🙂
And here is your spectacular Reese’s cake!! I’m telling you, this is only a part of our chocolate and peanut butter obsession. You’ll find cookies, brownies, candies and ice cream. We’re always dreaming up new Reese’s creations!
Serve this delectable Reese’s cake with ice cream. Eat it with your family or give it to a friend. But whatever you do, don’t leave it with your dog!!! {Don’t ask me how I know this!}
Tools to Make This Cake
- Stand Mixer: A hand mixer will work, but I always find it easier to make frostings with a stand mixer.
- Beater Blade with Scraper: The best invention ever!
- 9” Round Cake Pan: These are my favorite pans!
- Straight Icing Spatula: The long straight spatula makes it easy to smooth frosting.
- Wire Cooling Racks: This will help your cakes cool more quickly.
- Wilton 1M Tip: For piping pretty swirls on cupcakes.
Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Layer Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
Peanut Butter Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 recipe Chocolate Buttercream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans.
- For the cake, put flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix well.
- In a stand mixer, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla together. Slowly add in the mix of dry ingredients while the mixer is on low. Add the coffee and make sure everything is combined. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. While the cakes are cooling, make your frostings.
Peanut Butter Frosting:
- In a bowl, blend together peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, and milk 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream.
- Now it's time to put your cake together!
- Frost the top of the first cake with the Peanut Butter Frosting. Then layer the other half of the cake on top. Frost the outside of the cake with the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
- Pipe flowers on top with the leftover Peanut Butter Frosting and/or decorate as desired with chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Video
Notes
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.
Nutrition
Cake Recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction
plasterer bristol says
This sounds really delicious and something new to try. Thank you for sharing this.
Simon
Patricia Stafford says
This cake looks fabulous. I plan on making it this weekend for my daughter boyfriend. I have one question to ask. For the chocolate buttrcream icing i see that you have the measurements for the peanutbutter cream icing, but i’m wondering how much cocoa or what kind of chocolate is used for the chocolate butter cream icing?
Julie Clark says
Our chocolate buttercream recipe is on another page on our website. Here’s the buttercream we love: https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/best-chocolate-frosting-recipe/
I hope you love this cake!
Patricia Stafford says
Thank you for that information…I’m really excited about making it…will let you all know how it turned out!????
Cindy says
I love strong coffee, and was excited to add it to a cake. But sadly, I found it made the cake a bit bitter. I used a bundt pan and dropped miniature peanut butter cups in the batter (after it was in the pan). By the time the cake was done baking, the pb cups were near the top of the cake. I frosted the entire cake with the peanut butter frosting. I will make this again, but maybe use a weaker cup of coffee or try just water.
Anonymous says
Made this for my moms birthday and it was adored by all even the brother who doesn’t like sweet stuff that much. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe.
Julie Clark says
Wonderful! Thank you!
Laura Skattum says
I made this cake tonight for Valentine’s for my husband. It turned out pretty good. Thanks for the recipe.
Mary says
Does this peanut butter/chocolate cake need to be refrigerated?
Julie Clark says
It should be ok at room temperature!
Ruthie King says
About how many peanut butter cups did you use for this cake?
Julie Clark says
Maybe 10-12 full-size? I usually just buy a size of mini pb cups and keep adding until the top is full. 🙂
Shannon says
Hi! I made this yesterday and it turned out fabulously! This is the first cake I’ve ever made and I was so proud of myself when it looked just as good as it tasted!! I even used your chocolate buttercream recipe to make a white chocolate version as I’m a huge fan of the white chocolate Reese’s!
Julie Clark says
Awesome idea!!! Thank you!
doris says
i dont drink coffee so i would have use hot water instead.
doris says
the cake looks good but can ya make this in a layer cake
Simona says
My now seven year old son wanted a Reese’s peanut butter cake for his birthday yesterday. I am SO thankful that I found this recipe! It is AMAZING!!!! I read the past comments regarding the one cup of coffee. I used a half a cup of coffee and half a cup of water. I will definitely use this recipe again and will pass it on????. Thanks for sharing such a good recipe!
Simona says
This cake is AMAZING!!! I found this when my now seven year old son asked for a Reese’s cake since that is his favorite candy. I used half a cup of coffee and half a cup of water.
Thanks for sharing!????
Annie says
Hi – my son has requested this for his birthday next week. I live in high altitude, and my scratch cakes are a disaster since moving to the mountains from sea level. ☹️
Plan B is to doctor a cake mix – would you suggest Devil’s Food or regular Chocolate? Then I’ll use your PB and buttercream frosting to finish it up.
Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Julie Clark says
I usually choose devil’s food cake, but either would work! enjoy!
Jess says
I’m planning on making this for the hubby’s birthday, he’s a huge peanut butter fan, quick question though, could I make the cakes ahead of time and freeze them? Or alternatively, how many days ahead could you make the cake? Thankyou
Julie Clark says
Yes! These cake layers freeze well. Be sure to wrap them well and let them come back to room temperature before unwrapping them again. You can safely assemble the cake a day in advance and have it be fine.
Kristina says
Hi! Regarding a previous question about how many days prior to the event you can make this cake. You had said it could be made a day in advance. Does that include the frosting and decor as well? Should it be refrigerated overnight once frosted? This was requested by my husband for his birthday, so just want to make sure its done right! 🙂
Julie Clark says
Hi there! This would be ok fully decorating sitting at room temperature overnight. Any longer than 24 hours I would refrigerate. 🙂
Krista Burian says
Hi! If I wanted to make cupcakes instead of 2 9” cakes, what baking time do you recommend??
Julie Clark says
I would check them at about 15 minutes, but they may need a few more minutes than that.
Julia says
Hi! When you say 350 degrees is that Fahrenheit? And a conventional oven?
I want to try this but I have a fan oven! Loooks amazing by the way!
Julie Clark says
Yes, 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a conventional oven. I don’t yet know much about convection ovens, but we have one being installed in a few weeks. I’m excited to learn more about it so I can share with you all!
Lilli Parker says
This is an amazing cake!! I have made this several times, and it comes out perfect. My family loves this cake, and get indignant every time they see me look at any other chocolate cake recipe (though none I have made yet have been better than this one). I use the cake recipe all the time, and the peanut butter icing is the perfect ratio of peanut butter to sweetness.
Julie Clark says
Thank you so much!! You made our day!
Kyli says
Everyone I mean everyone loves this cake! I have made those that turn up their nose at cake, pleas for me to make this for their birthday! This has landed me clients ( I work in sales) and landed me long lasting relationships! Thanks for making an incredible recipe that seals the deal everytime!
Julie Clark says
Awesome! Thank you!
Kelly-Anne says
Just made this for my sister’s birthday. It was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
Julie Clark says
You are so welcome!
Kristina says
Thanks so much for the wonderful recipes!! I needed to make a special birthday cake for my husband — the Reese’s peanut butter cups addict — and this was perfect. Honestly, I have a favorite chocolate cake recipe and a favorite chocolate frosting recipe and as I was following your recipes I was questioning myself as to why I would stray from those…. but I’m so glad I did. The cake was moist and delicious and probably the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. The frostings were perfect too. And somehow my cake turned out looking very similar to yours so I was doing a happy dance. Thanks again for sharing this with us!!! 😀
Julie Clark says
You’re welcome and thank you!!!
Marlo says
I bet this cake is amazin!😛 I’m definitely going to bake it for my daughter’s 20th birthday. However, I clicked on your video link to view the recipe and the cake baking video, unfortunately it is just a video of the cake getting really really quickly frosted. 😕I was hoping you had an actual video of this cake being made in real time (not time lapsed lol)so that I could take a look before I attempt to bake it. Please. Thank you.💜
-MSM
Julie Clark says
Hi there! It is on our list to make a longer tutorial of this cake (I was actually going to do it last month but we are in the middle of a kitchen remodel which makes it hard!). So yes…check back. It’s coming!