Peanut Butter Cake

This delicious peanut butter cake is simple and easy to whip up but full of delicious peanut flavor. Step-by-step photos show you how to make this easy cake recipe. Top with your favorite frosting, mine is chocolate!

I totally go through phases sometimes I love peanut butter other times I can take it or leave it. Right now is not one of those take it or leave times. I cannot stop with peanut butter, on my oatmeal, in my cakes, frostings, brownies, I don't discriminate! Currently craving these peanut butter cornflake bars from my friend Rachel!

When I made this cake I made four versions of it in three days. On the last day I had narrowed it down to two versions, one had more sour cream and buttermilk in it. When I asked my family to taste test and give me their opinions my five year old nephew said I like this one, I asked him why? He said because it doesn't taste like peanut butter and the other one does. We all busted up laughing.

While adding more sour cream and buttermilk really fluffed up the texture of the cake it took away from the peanut butter flavor. My mom and two sisters liked this version of the cake the best and I have to agree. There is the perfect peanut butter flavor in this recipe. The cake is delicious. Peanut buttery and soft, one of those cakes you keep walking by and slicing off another sliver, and before you know it half the cake is gone?! OR is that just me!! LOL

You could totally double or triple the recipe to make a peanut butter layer cake. This simple cake is moist and delicious and would be the perfect birthday cake.

Ingredients

Your normal cake suspects are needed.

• All-Purpose Flour. Also known as plain flour, make sure it's fresh and that you measure it correctly. To measure flour my number one method is with a digital scale and by grams but if you want to use cups then fluff the flour up and use a spoon to dump it into a measuring cup then use a knife to scrape the dome off the top of the cup.
• Salt. Don't skip it, trust me!
• Chemical Leavening Agents. We'll use a combination of baking powder and baking soda. Baking soda needs to be activated by the acid, in this recipe the brown sugar, sour cream, and buttermilk all help activate the baking soda but because the peanut butter is so heavy I wanted a little more lift but didn't want to increase the acidic ingredients so I used a little baking powder. Baking powder has already been activated so works perfectly 
• Unsalted Butter. We'll cream the butter and sugars together so the butter needs to be at room temperature.
• Creamy Peanut Butter. Don't use the "natural/ needs to be stirred together" type of peanut butter. The kind you want to use is something like Jif or Skippy peanut butter here.
• Sugar. I like to use a mix of both granulated/ white sugar and brown sugar. I love the hints of molasses you get with brown sugar paired with peanut butter.
• Large Eggs. The eggs will help create the structure and stability for the cake and bind everything together. To get your eggs at room temperature quickly place them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes before using.
• Pure Vanilla Extract. To me, baking almost always means vanilla will be involved. Just don't use imitation vanilla, it's the worst!
• Buttermilk. Buttermilk is acidic so it helps tenderize cakes and make them softer. Buttermilk also provides lots of moisture to the cake. It's crucial that the buttermilk is at room temperature. If you want to make buttermilk you can mix together 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar with ½ cup of milk and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Sour Cream. Just like the buttermilk, this acidic ingredient helps tenderize and soften the cake. I prefer to use a mix of sour cream and buttermilk. Again this must also be at room temperature.

For another simple single-layer cake check out my almond cake.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease an 8-inch cake pan, set aside. A good cake pan can make all the difference I use Fat Daddios Cake Pans.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. 

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the butter, sugars, and peanut butter together for 1-2 minutes.

Scrape down the bowl, you want the butter and sugar mixture to be light and fluffy.

Add in the first egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then mix in the second egg just until fully combined. 

In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk and sour cream. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined then add half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until combined. Next, add another third of the dry ingredients than the rest of the buttermilk and finally the last third of the dry, making sure to scrape the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined after each addition. 

Pour the peanut butter cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or if you gently press the top of the cake it springs back immediately.

Let the cake cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before inverting out of the pan to cool completely. Frost with desired frosting once the cake is cooled!

Frosting pairings

Some of my favorite frosting that goes perfectly with this cake is my fudgy chocolate frosting (pictured, extra-creamy peanut butter frosting, or even just fresh whipped cream.

Peanut butter on peanut butter would be perfect for the peanut butter lover in your life.

How to freeze

Cake layers are perfect for freezing. Let the peanut butter cake cool completely. Once cooled wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap the cake in a second layer of plastic wrap. Two layers of plastic wrap help prevent any freezer burn. Store the cakes on a flat surface for the first few hours of freezing, this initial time ensures the cake freezes in the proper shape. After frozen feel free to store the cake on top of other freezer items.

To thaw the cake take the cake out of the freezer and place it on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours.

Can you double

You can totally double this Peanut Butter Cake recipe just click on the 2X or 3X button on the recipe card to see the updated ingredient quantities.

More cake recipes

Check out my simple gingerbread cake recipe.

Blueberry Coffee Cake is a brunchtime treat or this pear bundt cake!

French Apple Cake is like a custard cake!

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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