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Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 102 reviews

Indulge in the rich, fudgy Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake featuring moist chocolate layers, luscious peanut butter buttercream, and a silky chocolate ganache drip, finished with chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups for the ultimate dessert experience.

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Cake Layers

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (75g)
  • 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (9g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 1 cup warm water (240g)
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (255g)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (110g)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)
  • 1 tsp instant espresso or coffee (optional) (1g)

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (339g)
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (250g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 7 cups powdered sugar (904g or 2 lb. bag)
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (80g)

Chocolate Ganache Drip

  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (80g)
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (85g)

Additional Decorations

  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 cups chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups

Instructions

  1. Prepare Chocolate Cake Layers: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and line three 8-inch cake pans. This ensures the cakes bake evenly and don’t stick to the pans.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift or whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl to combine and aerate the dry ingredients.
  3. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk warm water, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and optional instant espresso until smooth and well incorporated.
  4. Make Batter: Gently mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined and mostly smooth; small lumps are acceptable to avoid overmixing.
  5. Bake Cake Layers: Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pans for 30 minutes, then loosen edges and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
  6. Level Cake Layers: Once cool, use a serrated knife to level the tops of each cake layer for even stacking. Wrap and freeze if making ahead.
  7. Make Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla and salt, then gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream, mixing on low speed. Adjust consistency with more cream or powdered sugar as needed.
  8. Prepare Frosting for Assembly: Place one-third of the frosting into a piping bag with a large round tip. Cover the remaining frosting to prevent drying out.
  9. Assemble the Cake: On a greaseproof board or plate, place the first cake layer, dabbing buttercream underneath to fix it. Spread a thin layer of frosting, pipe a ring around the edge, fill with about 1/3 cup peanut butter, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup chopped Reese’s cups. Repeat with remaining layers. Flip the top layer upside down for sharp edges and gently press to remove air pockets.
  10. Chill and Crumb Coat: Freeze the assembled layers for 5-10 minutes to stabilize, then coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting. Smooth with a bench scraper and chill in fridge for 20 minutes or freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.
  11. Add Final Frosting Layer: Apply a thicker, even layer of frosting, smoothing with a bench scraper and offset spatula. Chill again until firm.
  12. Make Chocolate Ganache: Heat heavy cream until just bubbling, then pour over chocolate chips in a bowl. Let sit 1 minute, then stir to a smooth, glossy consistency. Adjust thickness by adding more chocolate or cream if necessary.
  13. Decorate Cake: Pour ganache over the cake, gently pushing some over the edges for drips. Chill in freezer for 5 minutes to set.
  14. Final Decoration: Using remaining chopped Reese’s cups and reserved buttercream, pipe a ring around the top of the cake and sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups for a beautiful finish.

Notes

  • Allow cake layers to cool completely before leveling and assembling to prevent melting the frosting.
  • If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time; if too thin, add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time to reach desired consistency.
  • Instant espresso powder is optional but enhances the chocolate flavor.
  • For sharp cake corners, flipping the top layer upside down before final frosting helps achieve professional edges.
  • Store the finished cake in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.

Keywords: Reese's cake, chocolate peanut butter cake, chocolate cake, peanut butter buttercream, chocolate ganache, layered cake, Reese's peanut butter cups dessert

Find it online: https://flavorsbymaya.com/reeses-chocolate-peanut-butter-cake-recipe/