Decadent Chocolate Cake with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
If you’re on the hunt for a go-to chocolate cake recipe, you've just found it. This one is rich, fudgy, super moist, and honestly—kind of magical. It’s the kind of cake that tastes like it came from a fancy bakery, but it’s easy enough to whip up in your own kitchen. This time, I paired it with a creamy peanut butter frosting, but this would go fantastic with vanilla or chocolate frosting, or whatever you like! Whether it’s for a birthday, celebration, or just because you need a chocolate fix, this cake’s got you covered.
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder (sifted)
1 teaspoon baking soda (sifted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup neutral oil (I like either vegetable oil or avocado oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee (I use instant espresso powder mixed with water)
For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (but not warm)
1 cup creamy peanut butter (avoid “natural” type)
~3 cups powdered sugar (adjust as needed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
milk or heavy cream as needed to thin out frosting
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly spread butter into two 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. After placing the parchment paper, dust the inside of the pans lightly with cocoa powder to avoid the cake sticking. Shake out excess cocoa powder and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, and add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Gently whisk the wet ingredients in the center to break up the eggs, then slowly incorporate the dry ingredients from the edges until a thick batter forms. Don’t over-mix!
Slowly pour in the hot coffee and whisk immediately until fully incorporated. The batter will be very thin, that’s exactly what you want.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake on the center rack of your pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper, and let them cool completely.
FOR THE FROSTING: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and peanut butter together until the mixture is smooth and fully blended.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, about ⅓ cup at a time, mixing on low speed. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go.
Mix in the vanilla extract and salt.
Slowly pour in the milk or heavy cream while continuing to mix on low.
Once everything is incorporated, turn the mixer to high and beat for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, or until the frosting is light, fluffy, and creamy.
Adjust the consistency as needed — add more powdered sugar for a thicker frosting or more milk/cream to thin it out.
TO FROST THE CAKE: If your cake layers have domed tops, you can use a serrated knife to trim them flat. This helps the layers stack evenly, but don’t stress if they’re not perfect—it’s a homemade cake!
Place one of the cake layers on your serving plate or cake stand, flat side down. You can add a small dab of frosting underneath to keep it from sliding around.
Scoop about ⅓ of your frosting onto the first layer and spread it evenly with an offset spatula or butter knife, going all the way to the edges. Don’t worry if it spills over a bit—it’ll help fill the sides later.
Gently place the second cake layer on top, flat side up this time, to give you a nice, even surface for frosting.
Spoon the remaining frosting onto the top of the cake and spread it out toward the edges, letting it slightly drip over the sides. Then use your spatula to smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake. You can go for a clean look or keep it rustic and swirled—totally up to you!
For the finishing touch, sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups on top like in the photo. You can pile them in the center or scatter them all over—either way, it’ll look and taste amazing.
Tips: If using springform pans that tend to leak, tightly line the outside of the pans with aluminum foil. This will hold the batter in the pans without any dripping!
Rich, moist, and topped with a silky peanut butter frosting, it's the kind of dessert that brings everyone back for seconds. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out—leave a comment below so I can see your beautiful bakes.
Happy baking!🍫🎂