Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
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This easy chocolate peanut butter sheet cake recipe is made with a moist chocolate cake recipe, and topped with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting! It’s baked as an easy sheet cake, so it’s a breeze to decorate!
Calling all peanut butter lovers! This peanut butter chocolate cake is hands down one of the best cakes I’ve made in awhile. As much as I love a layer cake, like my cannoli cake or my caramel cake I love a sheet cake more.
There’s no need to crumb coat the cake and deal with decorating. I can just frost in minutes and decorate simply. In this case I decorated with some chopped peanut butter cups for more peanut butter goodness!
This cake starts with an easy chocolate cake recipe that is made with oil so it’s super moist, and espresso powder which helps bring out the chocolate flavor. I top it with my creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting that is out of this world.
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Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy chocolate sheet cake recipe
- Frosted with a creamy peanut butter frosting that’s quick to mix up
- No fancy layer cake, crumb coat, or decorating required.
- Can make the day before for a stress-free cake to serve to guests
- Wonderful to freeze leftovers!
Ingredients Needed
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Use a natural cocoa powder, not Dutch process cocoa powder. I prefer Dutch cocoa powder because it’s less acidic and makes for a richer chocolate taste.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs – Make sure you use room temperature eggs. Here is my full guide on how to bring eggs to room temperature.
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, try making your own homemade buttermilk. Do not use regular milk as it will not react the same with the baking soda.
- Oil – Use a neutral-tasting oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
- Vanilla extract
- Boiling water – You can also use hot coffee. Omit the added espresso powder.
- Espresso powder – You can also use instant coffee. Espresso powder helps to enhance the chocolate flavor, so don’t skip it!
- Cream cheese – Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. Read my full tutorial on how to bring cream cheese to room temperature quickly. I recommend using block-style cream cheese and full fat.
- Unsalted Butter
- Powdered Sugar – If you’ve run out make your own homemade powdered sugar.
- Peanut Butter – I recommend using a peanut butter you don’t need to stir like a natural peanut butter as it can be a bit oily.
- Garnish: chopped peanut butter cups
How To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Make the chocolate cake:
Preheat and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180oC). Grease a 9×13 baking pan with butter or cooking spray. You can also line the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Combine wet ingredients. In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk.
Add dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until incorporated.
Add espresso/hot water. Stir the espresso powder into the boiling water. Carefully stir in the boiling water into the chocolate batter. Batter will be thin.
Bake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. . Bake 33-37 minutes until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely before frosting on a wire rack.
Make the peanut butter cream cheese frosting:
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the cream cheese until smooth and combined, on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.
Add the vanilla and pinch of salt and beat to combine. Mix in the peanut butter. Beat to combine.
Frost cake. When cake is cooled, frost with offset spatula.
Sprinkle on chopped reese’s peanut butter cups for an easy decoration and more peanut butter flavor!
Recipe Tips
- You want your eggs to be room temperature before you begin. If you add cold eggs to the creamed butter mixture it will cause your butter to seize up and create a broken or curdled-looking batter. I place my eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before I use them.
- Make sure you are measuring your flour correctly so you don’t end up with too much in your cup which could yield a dry cake. Measuring with a scale is best but if measuring using cups, then be sure to spoon the flour into your cup and then level it off. Do not scoop directly from the bag or pack it down into the cup, which could yield 25% more flour than intended.
- Line or grease the pan well. This will help with the cake releasing so you can cut into individual slices easily. I like to line with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different peanut butter frosting – Instead of the cream cheese version, top with my classic peanut butter buttercream frosting.
- Garnish more! Add a drizzle of chocolate ganache, hot fudge, or a melted peanut butter. You could also sprinkle on some chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips!
Storage Instructions
You can make this chocolate cake the day before. Let the cake cool completely then cover well in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. Then the day of you, make the glaze and pour over the cake.
I recommend storing the cake, covered in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or store at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing any cake leftovers. I like to cut the cake into slices. Then wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in a plastic bag. You can thaw overnight, or more quickly at room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure to test with a toothpick in the center of the cake. The toothpick should have a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. I also touch the top of the cake. The cake should spring back when touched.
You can bake this into a two layer cake or a bundt pan instead. Baking times will vary. For a two layer cake, divide into two cake pans (8-inch or 9-inch) and bake. Cake layers will take about 25-30 minutes. A chocolate bundt cake recipe will take about 50-60 minutes.
More Recipes To Try
If you are craving more chocolate cake try my Ding Dong Cake – just like a copycat Hostess cake!
If you’re craving more sheet cakes, then try my chocolate peppermint sheet cake. Or my super easy Tornado cake made with pecans and coconut.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour spoon and leveled
- ¾ cup (63 g) cocoa powder (Dutch or regular)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
Peanut butter cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup (8 ounces, 227 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (336 g) powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (270 g) smooth peanut butter
- peanut butter cups for garnish
Instructions
Make the chocolate cake:
- Preheat and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180℃). Grease a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside. You can also line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour ¾ cup (63 g) cocoa powder (Dutch or regular) 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl whisk together oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and buttermilk. 2 large eggs 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until incorporated.
- Add espresso/hot water. Stir the espresso powder into the boiling water. Carefully stir in the boiling water into the chocolate batter. Batter will be thin. 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- Bake. Pour batter into the prepared pan. . Bake 33-37 minutes until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely before frosting.
Make the peanut butter cream cheese frosting:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the cream cheese until smooth and combined, on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. 1 cup (8 ounces, 227 g) cream cheese, softened ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. 3 cups (336 g) powdered sugar
- Mix in the vanilla extract. Add in a pinch of salt. Beat to combine. ⅛ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add peanut butter and beat until smooth and combined. 1 cup (270 g) smooth peanut butter
- Frost cake. When cake is cooled, frost with offset spatula. Sprinkle on chopped peanut butter cups.
Notes
- Storage: You can make this chocolate cake the day before. Let the cake cool completely then cover well in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. Then the day of you, make the glaze and pour over the cake.
- Freezing: I recommend storing the cake, covered in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or store at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing any cake leftovers. I like to cut the cake into slices. Then wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in a plastic bag. You can thaw overnight, or more quickly at room temperature before serving.
- Bake in a different pan – You can bake this into a two layer cake or a bundt pan instead. Baking times will vary. For a two layer cake, divide into two cake pans (8-inch or 9-inch) and bake. Cake layers will take about 25-30 minutes. A chocolate bundt cake recipe will take about 50-60 minutes.
- Boiling water – You can also use hot coffee. Omit the added espresso powder.
- Espresso powder – You can also use instant coffee. Instant coffee is not as strong so you may want to add an extra teaspoon. Espresso powder helps to enhance the chocolate flavor, so don’t skip it!
