Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

This Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake reminds me of our favorite Frozen Peanut Butter Cup Pie!

If your family liked that pie as much as we do, we think they’ll also go wild over this simple boxed cake recipe.

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Slices of Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Served on Brown Plates

All About this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

  • It highlights the best of all flavor combinations! – Is any pairing more delicious that peanut butter and chocolate? I love to mix these two flavors together in just about any dessert that I can, and this cake is one of the best chocolate peanut butter desserts out there.
Sliced Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
  • It’s simple and quick! – One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it takes a standard box cake mix, and really ratchets it up a notch. You wouldn’t even know you took that cake mix shortcut. That’s because instead of oil, water, and eggs, you add a completely different set of ingredients to make this one super moist cake.
  • It’s a crowd favorite! – If I need a cake to please a crowd, this peanut butter chocolate cake is at the top of my list. It’s perfect for potlucks, barbeques, and festive gatherings!
Slice of Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Sitting on Brown Plate

Ingredients Needed For This Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Recipe

  • 1 Box of Chocolate Cake Mix – Use whatever box of chocolate cake mix in the baking aisle that strikes your fancy. You can even choose a dark chocolate cake or one intended for German chocolate cakes. What might your family like best?
  • 1 Box of Instant Chocolate Pudding – This single ingredient is going to add an insane amount of moisture to this cake. Bonus: it’s going to do it without weighing it down and making it dense in that way adding butter or vegetable oil sometimes does. 
  • 1 3/4 Cup of Milk – This is the only liquid ingredient you’ll be using as you’ll be subbing it out for the wet ingredients listed on the cake mix box. You can use any type of milk you like, but full fat milk is going to make a nice, rich, dark chocolate cake. 
  • 16 Ounces of Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – This is where the peanut butter comes into play. I like to leave most of these peanut butter cups whole to add to the cake batter, and then keep a handful of them to the side to cut in half and sprinkle on the top. However, if you’d prefer smaller chunks of peanut butter in your cake, you can definitely cut all of them in half,
  • 8 Ounces of Whipped Cream – Either buy a tub of frozen Cool Whip, or make your own whipped cream using heavy cream and powdered sugar. Besides being able to control your ingredients, making your own whipped cream has the added benefit of letting your choose your stiffness.
  • Chocolate Syrup – Our family has decided that Hershey’s chocolate syrup is truly the best.

How To Make The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

  1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spraying a 9×13 baking dish with a non-stick baking spray.
  2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), mix together the milk and package of instant pudding. Add the cake mix, and stir until well combined.
  3. Using a spoon, fold in the majority of the peanut butter cups.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before moving on to the toppings! Use a wire rack to help speed up the cooling process.
  5. Spread the whipped topping on the top of the cake in an even layer. Drizzle chocolate syrup across the top, and sprinkle on peanut butter cups that have been cut in half.

Storing Leftover Cake

If you use one of those cake pans or baking dishes that come with a lid, then storing leftover cake is a breeze.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake in Glass Baking Dish

Simply pop on the lid and Voila! you have your airtight container.

Otherwise, you’ll need to cut your cake out of the pan and move it to a separate container.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake in Glass Baking Dish

Either way, your cake can be enjoyed left on the counter at room temperature for 3 days.

Slice of Chocolate Cake on a Plate

0r pop it in the fridge to enjoy perfect cake leftovers for up to a week. 

Other Topping Twists To Try

Once your peanut butter chocolate cake is made, topping it really is up to you!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Served on Brown Plates

I listed what I like to do, but here are some other options for you!

  • Chocolate Frosting – Either get it premade in a can, or make your own buttercream frosting and add some natural cocoa powder to it.
  • Chocolate Chips – There are many options here, from dark chocolate to semisweet, mini chips to chunks.
  • Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting – Have a peanut butter lover to impress? Instead of whipped cream, make a creamy peanut butter frosting by replacing the butter in a buttercream recipe with peanut butter. You could also make a peanut butter cream cheese frosting.
  • Peanut Butter Chips – While you’re picking up a bag of chocolate chips, go ahead and grab a bag of the peanut butter chips.
Chocolate Cake in Glass Baking Dish
  • Peanut Butter M&Ms – For a crunchier peanut butter candy to sprinkle on the top, get a bag or two of peanut butter M&Ms!
  • Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sauce – Right next to where you found the Hershey’s chocolate sauce, you will probably find a container of peanut butter sauce. It tastes delicious on a bowl of vanilla ice cream, and it tastes delicious on this cake!
  • Coffee – This one isn’t exactly a topping so much as a flavor to add to the cake batter itself. Because not much can top the peanut butter and chocolate pairing, but coffee just might do it! This is because you won’t actually taste the coffee, but it will naturally amplify the chocolate flavor. Swap a 1/2 cup of milk out for hot coffee. It does need to be hot, in order to mix well with the cocoa powder in the cake mix.
Slice of Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake on Brown Plate

Tips For A Perfect Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Use an offset spatula for spreading out your whipped topping!

You want to get that topping flat and level, for the most part.

Close Up View of Toppings on Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Otherwise, when you drizzle the chocolate sauce, it will pool in the valleys between the peaks.

Side View of Slice of Chocolate Cake

Don’t rush to decorating!

I know it’s fun, but whipped cream and warm cakes don’t mix.

Slice of Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Make sure the entire cake has cooled completely before starting on your toppings.

Using a cooling rack will speed the process up somewhat.

Serving a Slice of Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
Slices of Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Served on Brown Plates

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

This Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake reminds me of one of our favorite pies! Using a boxed cake mix, this recipe is so simple to put together!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling and Adding Topping 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • Baking Dish

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Box of Chocolate Cake Mix
  • 1 Box of Instant Chocolate Pudding
  • 1 3/4 Cup of Milk
  • 16 Ounces of Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  • 8 Ounces of Whipped Cream
  • Chocolate Syrup

Instructions
 

  • Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spraying a 9×13 baking dish with a non-stick baking spray.
  • In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), mix together the milk and package of instant pudding. Add the cake mix, and stir until well combined.
  • Using a spoon, fold in the majority of the peanut butter cups.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before moving on to the toppings! Use a wire rack to help speed the cooling process up.
  • Spread the whipped topping on the top of the cake in an even layer. Drizzle chocolate syrup across the top, and sprinkle on peanut butter cups that have been cut in half.
Keyword Boxed Cake Recipes, Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Frozen Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Want that pie recipe I mentioned at the beginning of this post?

I think you’re going to love it!

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Can’t get enough peanut butter and chocolate?

This recipe is another delicious one I don’t want to forget to mention!

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