Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for a Crowd
A delightful dessert that combines rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter, perfect for parties and celebrations.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ¾ cups flour (plain / all purpose)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened) Note 1
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda) Note 2
- 2 cups white sugar (or caster/superfine sugar)
- 1 tsp cooking / kosher salt Yes, really!
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (low or full fat)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or other plain flavored oil) (canola, grapeseed, rapeseed, sunflower)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp instant coffee powder OPTIONAL (Note 3)
- 1 cup boiling water Makes the chocolate flavor "bloom".
For the Frosting
- 250 g unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar (sifted) Note 4
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter (spread, not pure) Note 5
- ¼ tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1 tbsp milk
For the Topping
- ½ cup chocolate chips or melts (US: semi-sweet chips)
- 2 tbsp cream (thickened/heavy or pure, not low fat)
- 3 tbsp peanut butter (warmed in microwave to make it runny)
- 120 g mini Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups
- 10+ pieces miniature Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups (halved)
- ¼ cup salted peanuts (finely chopped)
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- Grease a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" metal cake pan with butter. Then line with paper with overhang to make it easier to lift out.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, and optional coffee powder. Mix until smooth.
- Gradually add boiling water, mixing well until the batter is smooth.
Baking
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Frosting
- In another bowl, beat butter until fluffy.
- Gradually add icing sugar, peanut butter, salt, and milk. Mix until well combined.
- Once the cake has cooled, frost it with the peanut butter buttercream.
Decorating
- Melt chocolate chips and cream together, then drizzle over the frosted cake.
- Finish by adding mini peanut butter cups and chopped peanuts on top.
Notes
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. For longer storage, freeze it by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and foil.