Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake

I wanted to make a cake for a departing colleague that would hit all the right notes. They love peanut butter and sweet chocolate, and since they’d been avoiding cake at work, I knew I had a challenge. Starting with my recipe for THE Chocolate Cake, I added a peanut butter buttercream that’s perfectly balanced—sweet, salty, and nutty. Topped with a white chocolate ganache drip and chopped peanuts, this cake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. My colleague certainly enjoyed it—they had more than one slice!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake

Serves 10-12

Hands-on Time 40 minutes (plus cooling)

Baking Time 25 minutes

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Ingredients

  • 350g unsalted butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)

  • 40g + 2 tsp cocoa powder

  • 50ml + 3 tbsp full-fat milk

  • 120g dark chocolate (minimum 70%)

  • 300g caster sugar

  • 4 medium eggs (separated)

  • 240g self-raising flour

  • ½ tsp salt (divided)

  • 150g soured cream

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 150g smooth peanut butter

  • 300g icing sugar

  • 100ml single cream (optional, for ganache)

  • 100g white chocolate (optional, for ganache)

  • Handful of unsalted peanuts (chopped, for decoration)

Equipment

  • Scissors

  • Baking parchment

  • 2 x 20cm fixed or push-bottom cake tins

  • Saucepan

  • Spatula

  • 2 large bowls

  • Electric or hand whisk

  • Sieve

  • Wide bowl

  • Wire rack

  • Microwaveable bowl

  • Palette knife

  • Disposable piping bag and nozzle (optional)

Method

1. Prepare the tins

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C (fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

  • Line the cake tins with parchment circles. Grease the tins and dust with 1 tsp cocoa powder each, tapping out any excess.

2. Make the cake batter

  • Melt 200g butter and 50ml milk in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, add the dark chocolate, and stir until melted. Let cool.

  • Whisk 150g sugar and the egg yolks in a large bowl until pale and thick.

  • In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining 150g sugar. Whisk to stiff peaks.

  • Sieve the flour, 40g cocoa, and 1/8 tsp salt into a wide bowl.

  • Mix the soured cream and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add this to the egg yolk mixture and stir gently.

  • Fold in the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the egg whites, until just combined.

3. Bake the cakes

  • Divide the batter between the tins and bake on the middle shelf for 25 minutes.

  • Cool in the tins for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Make the peanut butter buttercream

  • Whisk 150g butter and the icing sugar until smooth. Add the peanut butter and ¼ tsp salt, and whisk again.

  • Add 3 tbsp milk and whisk until light and smooth enough to pipe. Adjust consistency with extra milk if needed.

5. Assemble and decorate

  • Place one cake layer bottom-side down. Spread 1/3 of the buttercream on top.

  • Sandwich with the second cake layer, top-side down.

  • Use 1/3 of the buttercream to fill gaps and coat the sides and top of the cake. Smooth with a palette knife or create decorative swirls.

6. Optional ganache drip

  • Heat the single cream until steaming. Pour over the white chocolate and stir until smooth. Let cool to a ribbon consistency.

  • Spoon the ganache over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Chill to set.

  • Pipe using the remaining buttercream and decorate with chopped peanuts.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake