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–+ servings
A layered peanut butter cake on a white cake stand, frosted with peanut butter buttercream and topped with a thing layer of fudge and crumbled chocolate chunks.

Peanut Butter Cake

This peanut butter cake is a classic, from-scratch dessert made with simple pantry ingredients. The cake bakes up soft, tender, and full of rich peanut butter flavor, making it perfect as either a layer cake or a sheet cake. It’s an easy homemade cake that slices cleanly, holds together well once cooled, and pairs beautifully with a smooth peanut butter frosting.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Decorating the cake 20 minutes
Total Time 54 minutes
Course cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20 People
Calories 422 kcal

Equipment

  • 8 inch cake pans
  • stand mixer with whisk attachment

Ingredients
  

FOR THE CAKE

  • 1 Cup butter room temperature
  • ½ Cup peanut butter
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Cup water
  • 2 Cups flour
  • 2 Cups sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ Teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅓ Cup buttermilk

FOR THE FROSTING

  • ½ Cup peanut butter
  • ½ Cup butter room temperature
  • ⅓ Cup milk
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Pound powdered sugar or more for a more whipped consistency

Instructions
 

HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

  1. Prep your pans (important!)
    - For 2-3 layers: Grease the bottoms and sides of 2 or 3 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. These are great for preventing sticking and broken cakes. Then grease the parchment with cooking spray, too.
    - For a sheet cake: Prepare an 11x15 sheet pan by greasing thoroughly. Skip the parchment paper for this one.
    - For a 9X13 cake: Grease the pan thoroughly. Skip the parchment paper.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  3. In a sauce pan or microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup butter + ½ cup peanut butter + 1 cup water. Microwave until the mixture is just boiling, then remove from heat. This takes about 3 minutes in the microwave, but keep an eye on it so that it doesn't boil over.
  4. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
  5. Pour the hot butter/peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients.Beat on low with a paddle attachment until thick and smooth.
  6. Add 2 eggs and ⅓ cup buttermilk to the bowl, then beat until just combined.Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
  7. Fill the pans.
    - For layer cakes: divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
    - For sheet cakes: Pour batter into prepared pan.
  8. Bake - Always start checking early. Cakes are done with the center springs back and a toothpick comes out clean.
    - Three 8-inch layers: bake 18-25 minutes.
    - Two 9-inch layers: bake 25-30 minutes.
    - 11X15 inch sheet pan: bake 22-28 minutes.9X13 pan: 30-35 minutes.
  9. Let cakes cool in pans for 10-15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

  1. Beat peanut butter and room temperature butter until light and fluffy.
  2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until combined.
  3. Add milk gradually until frosting reaches desired consistency.
  4. Frost the cooled cake.

Notes

PEANUT BUTTER CAKE RECIPE FAQ’S

How long does this cake last? I have kept this cake on the countertop for up to three days without noticing it becoming stale. As long as it is covered with wrap or placed in an airtight container, it should be totally fine.
Can this cake be frozen? Absolutely! The layers of cake can be made up to a month ahead of time and frozen until ready. The entire cake can be stored in the freezer for several months when wrapped well with plastic.
What if I don’t have buttermilk? There are several substitutes for buttermilk in this recipe. I typically mix one cup of whole milk with one tablespoon of vinegar and allow it to sit for five minutes. Then I measure out the amount of buttermilk I need for my recipe, and it is perfect! Other substitutes include plain yogurt diluted with water slightly or sour cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 5gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 291mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 1gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 462IUCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
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