This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake includes layers of chocolate cake and creamy peanut butter frosting, covered in a decadent chocolate frosting. Add some Reese's peanut butter cups for a truly delectable cake!
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round baking pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Stir in the boiling water (your batter will be very thin--that's OK!). Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
Once cakes have cooled, use a sharp serrated knife to cut each cake horizontally in half, so that you end up with four, thin cake rounds.
Place one cake layer on serving plate. Smooth 1/3 of the peanut butter frosting on top of that cake layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, adding a layer of peanut butter frosting between each layer of cake.
For the Chocolate Frosting:
Add melted butter to a large mixing bowl. Stir in cocoa powder. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and beat with electric mixers until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar to thicken frosting or milk to thin it, as needed.
Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread the frosting evenly over the outside of the cake. I piped swirls of extra chocolate and peanut butter frosting on top and topped with a mini Reese's peanut butter cup.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Notes
To Make Ahead: The baked cake and frostings can be made a day or two in advance. Wrap cakes tightly, and store frosting in an airtight container. Allow frosting to come to room temperature before using.To Freeze: Allow cakes to cool completely, then cut in half horizontally and wrap each round in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze frosting in a freezer safe, air-tight container and allow to come to room temperature before using.One Layer Cake: Grease 9x13'' pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool before frosting with a layer of peanut butter frosting. Refrigerate to harden the frosting, then add a layer of chocolate frosting, if desired.Cupcakes: Line cupcake pan with paper liners and fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake cupcakes for 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely completely before frosting. Makes 24-30 cupcakes. I think it's fun to scoop a small piece of cake out of the center of each cupcake and pipe some peanut butter frosting in the center. Then frost the cupcakes with chocolate frosting and add a mini Reese's cup on top.Bundt Cake: Properly grease and flour the pan and cook the chocolate cake for about 50-55 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire cooling rack. Frosting alternating lines of chocolate and peanut butter frosting.