Chocolate Peanut Butter Reese’s Cake

This chocolate peanut butter Reese’s cake is made of peanut butter cake layers topped with the BEST dark chocolate buttercream, drizzled peanut butter and chopped up Reese’s peanut butter cups. Indulgent is an understatement!

Friends, I’m currently not in a good mood. My long awaited cruise vacation was canceled last night (Friday) and we were supposed to fly out tomorrow morning. Stupid corona virus…

On a positive note, I thought it was time to update the photos to this Reese’s peanut butter cup cake. Although it was amazing when I posted it in 2018, I still updated the recipe. & ommgggg I didn’t know it could get better. 

You probably don’t believe me, but if you like chocolate and peanut butter, you will LOVE this peanut butter chocolate cake. I’m slightly obsessed and even my husband loves it. Saaaayyyy whhhhaaaattttt?! Finally a birthday cake idea for someone who doesn’t even like sweets!

What is a Reese’s Cake?

Ok, enough rambling about how good this chocolate peanut butter cake is and onto how it is a “Reese’s Cake”.

So if you’re searching for a “Reese’s cake”, 99% of the time you’ll find a chocolate cake recipe with peanut butter frosting. I’m sure that tastes absolutely phenomenal, BUT I thought, why not make a peanut butter cake with chocolate frosting instead?!

But that’s not all that’s on this peanut butter cup cake. The breakdown:

• Peanut butter cake layers (with a secret special ingredient!!)
• Dark chocolate, ultra fluffy American buttercream
• Creamy peanut butter drizzle
• Chopped up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (not sponsored but should be!)

Honestly, you don’t even need to taste this cake to know how good it is. Just read that list one more time and your imagination is almost enough. Keyword: *almost*. Now finish reading and go make this cake!

How to make Reese’s peanut butter cake with chocolate frosting?

Peanut Butter Cake

I feel like I can answer this question because I tested like 5 different peanut butter cakes before I settled on this perfection. I tried both reverse creaming and regular creaming methods and ultimately settled on the OG, creaming method.

The more peanut butter I added, the gummier the texture of the cake. However, when I added less peanut butter, it just tasted like: “I’m not sure what flavor this cake is supposed to be but it’s pretty bland”.

Soooooo I added a secret ingredient, cinnamon. I know it sounds weird but I always try it when something tastes like it’s lacking something and it works! I did it with these s’mores blondies too and they’re pretty darn amazing. Don’t worry, for that extra peanut butter flavor, we’ll drizzle more peanut butter on every layer. 

Chocolate Frosting

I am not a frosting person but I LOVE custards, puddings and whipped cream. I always thought they were either too sweet or greasy and just bleh but omg it’s grown on me so much. Except cream cheese, omg cream cheese frosting is life.

There are three secrets to this frosting. I guess they’re not really “secrets” but three important things to making the best chocolate frosting.

• First, I use both cocoa powder and melted chocolate. It elevates the taste and texture of this buttercream and also gives it a rich, darker color.
• Second is whipping the frosting. Whipping the buttercream is important to make sure all the powdered sugar and cocoa powder is completely dissolved. If you don’t, you may end up with a grainy buttercream.
• Last but not least, I like to use all butter. Sure, shortening has its place (no color, no taste, stands up better in heat) but we like butter. period.

How to serve and store Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake

I should probably just copy and paste this from all my other posts, lol. It’s really always the same. Reese’s cake is best served at room temperature. However, it is easiest to slice after it’s been refrigerated for at least an hour.

This cake can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days. After two days, make sure to refrigerate or freeze the cake. Always make sure to keep cakes fully covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container so they don’t dry out. If you refrigerate or freeze the cake, make sure to bring it back to room temperature for optimal texture.

Ok friends, now that you’re done reading my post, go on and make this delicious chocolate peanut butter cake! It may even make you forget that you’re stuck in the house #coronavirus. Let’s be real, I definitely indulged in this cake a little while sulking over my canceled cruise.

If you join me in sulking, make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram, I’d love to see your beautiful Reese’s cake and share it with the BB tribe! As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Recipes

Layer Cakes

Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Recipe

4.52 from 81 votes

prep 1 hour hr

cook 30 minutes mins

Additional Time 1 hour hr

total 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Serves 8 -10 slices

Peanut butter cake layers topped with the BEST dark chocolate buttercream, drizzled peanut butter and chopped up Reese's peanut butter cups. Indulgent is an understatement!

Author: Bernice Baran

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Servings 8 -10 slices

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Ingredients

Peanut Butter Cake

• ▢ 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 cup (118mL) vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup (135g) creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
• ▢ 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 4 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup (237mL) buttermilk

Dark Chocolate Buttercream

• ▢ 2 Tbsp (30mL) heavy cream
• ▢ 1/2 cup (3oz) chocolate chips
• ▢ 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 3/4 cup (60g) Dutch-processes cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla

Toppings

• ▢ 20 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 cup (270g) creamy peanut butter

Method

Peanut Butter Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection (or 325F/162C conventional) and use baking spray to grease three 6 inch cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
   3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon
3. Place the oil and peanut butter in a large bowl and use an electric mixer at medium speed, to whisk until it becomes smooth.
   1/2 cup (118mL) vegetable oil, 1/2 cup (135g) creamy peanut butter
4. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the mixture and beat for 1-2 minutes.
   1 cup (200g) light brown sugar lightly packed, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
5. Scrape the edges of the bowl and add in the eggs, one at time. Beat on medium speed until each one is fully incorporated, making sure to scrape the edge of the bowl as needed.
   4 large eggs room temperature
6. With the mixer on low speed, add in 1/2 of the dry ingredients, followed by the buttermilk and the other half of the dry ingredients. Mix just until the last few streaks of flour are combined.
   1 cup (237mL) buttermilk
7. Divide evenly among the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges release from the pan or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.*
8. Flip the cakes over onto a towel to remove from the cake pan and allow them to cool completely.

Dark Chocolate Buttercream

1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the cream to a gentle simmer.
   2 Tbsp (30mL) heavy cream
2. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream on top. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 1-2 minutes then stir until it's smooth. Allow the chocolate to cool before using.
   1/2 cup (3oz) chocolate chips
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until it's pale and fluffy.
   1 cup (227g) unsalted butter room temperature
4. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt and beat for a minute on low speed until it's mostly combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 5-10 minutes, until the sugar feels fully dissolved.
   3 cups (360g) powdered sugar spooned and leveled, 3/4 cup (60g) Dutch-processes cocoa powder spooned and leveled, Pinch of salt
5. Add in the melted (cooled) chocolate and vanilla extract, beating until they're fully combined.
   1 tsp vanilla
6. Switch to a paddle attachment and cream the buttercream for 2-3 minutes on low-medium speed.

Assemble

1. Once the cake layers have cooled completely, trim the tops of the cake to be flat.
2. Chop up Reese's peanut butter cups into quarters, or smaller.
   20 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups roughly chopped
3. In a heat proof bowl, microwave the peanut butter for 15 seconds, until it's melted but not burned.
   1 cup (270g) creamy peanut butter
4. Use 1/4 of the buttercream to frost the first cake layer, then top it with a drizzle of melted peanut butter and a handful of chopped peanut butter cups. Repeat with the second layer.
5. Place the third layer on top and use the other 1/4 of the buttercream to make a crumb coat. (A crumb coat is a super thin layer of frosting to keep the crumbs in). Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes.
6. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and use the rest of the buttercream to neatly frost the cake (you may have to whip the buttercream a little bit again).
7. Top the cake with the rest of the melted peanut butter (you may have to reheat it) and the Reese's peanut butter cups.

Notes

• I haven't tried it but my best bet is that this recipe won't work very well with natural peanut butter.
• The recipe can also be made in two 8 inch pans or one 9 x 13 pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 1185kcalCarbohydrates: 134gProtein: 23gFat: 69gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 653mgFiber: 6gSugar: 94g

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake, chocolate peanut butter cake, dark chocolate buttercream, dark chocolate frosting, desserts, peanut butter chocolate cake, reeses cake

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