…because you’ll want some with this one.
See what happens when I crave chocolate. I’ve been waiting to make this cake after seeing the recipe in a magazine. It’s based on a mix, and has buttermilk and peanut butter cups added to it. The frosting is made from dark chocolate, peanut butter and heavy cream.
What more could you ask for?
…maybe that tall glass of milk.
While you contemplate, here’s the same Peanut Butter Cup Cake recipe online.
And here’s what I did different:
• Baked it in two 6″ cake pans
instead of the recommended 9″
• Made 6 cupcakes with the leftover batter.
• Used twice as many peanut butter cups. I went a little crazy with the extra and used them on top of the cake.
• Also, I didn’t let it set for an hour in the fridge like recommended. I couldn’t wait that long.
As a side note, I found the dark chocolate in the grocery store. It was the new Starbucks brand that’s been advertised lately on TV.
And if you find that double chocolate and peanut butter just isn’t enough, try it heated a little and served with vanilla ice cream. I did, and it fixed my craving… for now anyway.
UPDATE: The recipe link no longer works, so here’s the recipe adapted from Family Circle Magazine.
Peanut Butter Cup Cake
Ingredients
- 1 devil's food cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (plus more for garnishing - I used 2 bags)
- 8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line with wax paper and coat paper.
- In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides after 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.
- Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cakes completely.
- Place chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth.
- Trim each cake layer so the tops are flat. Place one layer on a cooling rack and pour 1 cup frosting on top. Spread evenly with a spatula. Add second layer and pour remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Smooth out with spatula.
- Allow frosting to set for a minute and gently press remaining chopped peanut butter cup pieces all over top and sides of cake. Place in refrigerator for about an hour to set. Remove and serve.
Notes
Adapted from Family Circle Magazine.
I have made this cake so many times and it’s always a hit. It has been awhile, but I made it again tonight. However, I could not get the frosting right. As soon as I put the peanut butter in, the oil separated and the chocolate clumped up! Not sure what went wrong, but I was so disappointed ?
I have to say that I come back for this recipe about one a year. My husband and son both request it every year for their birthday cake. Best thing ever.
So confused!! In your blog, you said that you used 6″ pans instead of 9″. I used 6″ too. In the recipe part of your blog, step 3 – it says to bake the 9″ pans for 30 minutes……. I baked my 6″ pans for 30 minutes and the cakes are still completely uncooked cake batter in the middle. Did I do something wrong? I wish there was a help line to call.. lol =)
Wowzas!!!!! Made this today for my mom’s birthday…. WONDERFUL!!! So rich, so good!!
These are the best. Everyone loves them. I do the cup cake version. This is my 4th time making them! Thanks
I made this last night and WOW! You were not joking about the glass of milk. I have never been beaten by a slice of cake before! had troble getting the peanut butter cups though. The british havent quite cottoned on to the joys of them yet. Eventually found them but at a price!
I have only just discovered your website and have already written myself a ‘bake’ list. Loving every mouthwatering recipe!
I can’t wait to try this. I am making it for thanksgiving for my family. but I am doing cupcakes and reese peanut buttercups and just regular chocolate cake mix. it looks amazing thanks for the tips!
I just made this cake for my room mate’s birthday!! AHHH wow was it a hit! definitely going to make it again soon! Was thinking about a thanksgiving variation with the decorations and making a pb cup turkey with pretzel sticks!!
Just had to share that it’s been about 3 years since i first made this cake and my son and husband still request it every chance they get. I came on tonight to hunt the recipe down again (lost it again..) because I’m going to make it for a church cake auction – with a notecard crediting bakerella, of course. :)
Can I skip the wax paper?
I have been eyeing this cake up for a while now and finally an occasion has come up for me to bake it. Oddly enough, you posted this 4 years ago to the day we will be enjoying it for my Moms 50th birthday. Now thats what I call Destiny. Thanks for the recipe.
OMG this cake was A-MA-ZING!!! Very sweet though, of course :P
This looks absolutely incredibly unbelievably delicious! I cant wait to make one – thanks for sharing the recipe…I’ll let you know how mine goes x
Because I crave chocolate and peanut butter like crazy, I will absolutely be making this. Thanks!
Making this for my fiance’s birthday! Thank you!
Looks yummy but what is ‘devil’s food cake mix’ ? Is that an American brand of cake mix?
so good !!!!!!!!!
To much chocolate
made this and it. is. to. drool. for.
omg.
So I LOVE this cake and I’ve made it several times since you posted it. This cake has had a loyal band of male followers! I now will be making it as a groom’s cake to feed 100 people for a wedding this weekend…any suggestions? I’m thinking tiered (obviously), but not sure about the details. Round or square? Does it need a piped border (maybe a peanut butter buttercream)? He wants it to “outshine” the wedding cake…I’m getting nervous…please help
I made this recipe as cupcakes along with the Oreo cupcakes for a “cupcake fundraiser” this weekend. They all sold! And, these are just divine. I like them both, but you can get much better than chocolate and peanutbutter! Thank you :)
I. Love. You.
Did you use mini PB cups or regular sized cups?
When I saw this cake in your archives, I about fell off my chair. I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. WOW. I made the cake like 2 days later and brought it to work and my coworkers ate-it-up. What a great recipe. My son, away at college, can’t wait to get home to try it.
Thanks for the great recipes!!!
God Bless.
I made this last night for my boyfriend’s birthday and it was the most delicious cake I’ve ever made, and so easy!
This is the best cake ever. My wife made it for on Fathers Day and I barely shared it. It was awesome.
Hi bakerella. The cake pictures look phenomenal! Although i wish my dad wasn’t allergic to peanut butter. I wanted to know if you would mind also posting a recipe for just chocolate cake and also vanilla cake for like a birthday event from scratch. Thank you.
Omg this cake is amazing!, it is always a huge hit!
WoW!! All I have to say is peanut butter is me and my husbands favorite, im in the process of making it now its his birthday today!:) IM SO EXCITED I can’t wait to eat this tonight!! And it was easier to make than i thought! thank you so much!
Oh dear, this cake could well spell the end of my relationship. Because now I’ve seen it, I can’t unsee it, which means I HAVE to make it for my peanut butter-addict boyfriend. Or else…
Only trouble is, I hate peanut butter :( Oh, decisions, decisions.
It all comes down to which I dislike more; a cake I can’t eat, or being dumped. Damnit.
OH MY GOD <3
I have to make this for my brother! Thanks for the inspiration!
I made this and it was DELICIOUS and so easy to make!!!!!!
This looks amazing!
Thatsmy dads birthdayake sorted!
xxx
I made this cake today for one of my best friends birthdays, and let’s just say its tastes even better than it looks! ABSOLUTELY TO DIE FOR! Thanks for an awesome recipe! xo
Would the icing turn out ok with semisweet chocolate as opposed to dark chocolate?
I made this cake! But I made cupcakes and with a box mix :/ I’m not that great with homemade batters. But it was such a hit! I made my own peanut butter frosting and piped a little on top. They were gone in no time!
Love, love, love this cake! I have made it for my husband’s birthday the past 3 years and it is phenomenal! You definitely need a little vanilla ice cream with it. Making it for him again this weekend – Happy Birthday!
Making this today!!! SOOO excited :)
I wonder how this would be with White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups? Hmmmm???????
This was honestly the most delicious cake I have ever made! Thanks for the recipe.
These cupcakes are amazing! everytime i make them people rave about them! who doesnt love PB cups!!!!??? You rock!
buttercups cupcakes
I think I’ve loved s’mores ever since I was in Brownies back in the first grade. I remember going to a Girl Scout camp and loving the taste combination of the chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers. After that first trip I fell in love with camping. I think it was more for the s’mores than for anything else.
buttercups cupcakes
This cake is delicious! When I made it, I put the reese cups on the sides, but piped peanut butter frosting on the top. It was awesome, and the contrast from the chocolate ganache and the pb frosting was fantastic!
buttercups cupcakes
If you’re using mini marshmallows, try the colored marshmallows. They add that little bit of color to your s’mores. You can also sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the marshmallows.
buttercups cupcakes
I made this cake a couple weeks ago, and it was delicious! And next week I’m making some pillow cookies. :3
I made this cake and it was a HUGE hit! Just one question, how long did you bake the cupcakes?
this cake is so crazy! out of this world crazy!
is it either coating the pans with cooking spray or wax paper and coat the paper or both?
I made this for a friend’s birthday today and it was a huge hit. I bought a bag of mini reeses that had white chocolate, dark chocoalte and milk chocolate peanut butter cups so the cake cake out beautifully with all 3 colors on the outside decorating it.
I made this recipe as all cupcakes for a co-workers birthday at work today! They were such a HUGE hit!! And the best part – it was easy to make!!
This was one of the best cakes ever! I modified it by using my own chocolate cake recipe, but the ganache was amazing. Peanut butter heaven. now i have to try it with nutella…
Bakerella — I JUST finished making this for my dad for fathers day, but I was alarmed at how bitter the dark chocolate was… and is. It still tasted like pure dirt even after adding the peanut butter to it … it THINK it might be slightly better once all the flavors are combined in one slice of cake, but I just want to make sure thats what its supossed to do. It looks absolutely amazing! Maybe it will settle and sweeten overnight? FYI I used an UN-sweetened dark chocolate (90%)… wow, strong stuff.
Thanks! :)
I made this LAST year as cupcakes for my boyfriend’s birthday. I’m currently making it again. It’s soo delicious!!! Everyone loved it!
oh wow I love it!
reminds me of a pb cake I saw in a cafe in Macon GA which was soooo awesome!
It was a hop skip and a jump from the childrens museum in Macon..I could get there again if I was there but the street name and cafe name are gone from my memory lol
made this to take to work last week and it was a huge hit to say the least! Everyone loved it and wanted more than I had. I’m making it again this weekend for Easter. Love Love Love this cake!!
Featured on “This is why you’re fat” :)
the cupcakes look good but that cake looks TO DIE FOR!.
I (and my pancreas) can die of happiness now.
Angela, if you’re not a huge fan of dark chocolate I would recommend substituting something else. It is extremely rich. (Really yummi if you love dark chocolate like I do, but my parents who tried the cupcakes would have preferred something a little less rich.) I plan on mixing dark and milk, or maybe just using milk chocolate the next time I make one for them)
I made this a week ago for my chocolate peanut butter loving co-workers. It was a huge hit!! The chocolate icing is amazing!
I am so excited to make this for my Hubby’s 35th birthday this month! One question though.. we’re both not the biggest fans of dark chocolate.. would you suggest using a semi sweet or a milk chocolate instead?
I convinced my roommate to make this for me for my birthday today. It was so rich and so delicious. Thanks for this chocolate peanut butter bomb!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5280020&l=8bc657fbc5&id=656783241
I am baking this cake to take to work on Monday. My co-workers are so excited.
I have tempted my co-workers with this cake – I will be making it for them to enjoy on Monday. I love your blog!
This is too much for me…
Made this yesterday… cake was moist and yummy! Next time I will make it with white cake though and add the Reeses…. it was a bit too chocolately for me. :)
Thanks Bakerella!!