This is the perfect peanut butter cake recipe. It has the great taste of peanut butter without being overwhelming. I can’t wait to make it again and share it with friends! ~Marci
This old fashioned peanut butter cake is a winner!
Peanut butter cake is a good old Southern potluck staple. It starts with a base of moist peanut butter sheet cake. Then hot peanutty frosting gets poured right over the warm cake, and the whole thing gets showered with roasted peanuts. Just. Divine.
I can’t imagine there are too many of you out there who wouldn’t enjoy this old fashioned sheet cake. I loved everything about it. Starting with the cake itself; peanut butter does something wonderful to the texture. It’s not too sweet, just the way I like it, and very pillowy and moist. And I can’t even with that frosting.
gather your ingredients
- all purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- peanut butter
- I love Jiff for its flavor and texture. Regular creamy pb works best. Natural peanut butter, the kind that separates with an oily layer at the top, doesn’t work as well for baking.
- butter
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- buttermilk
- the buttermilk in the cake and in the frosting gives this cake its Southern charm.
- confectioner’s sugar
- baking soda, salt
- vanilla extract
- crushed peanuts
The hot peanut butter frosting is like peanutty caramel, so good
If you’ve tried my Brown Sugar Peach Cake or my Pumpkin Praline Cake, you might have an inkling about this one. The frosting is cooked in a saucepan, and then literally poured right over the cake. It sets up immediately, almost like fudge or caramel. You have to work quickly, but your reward is that saucepan with a thin layer of peanut frosting clinging to the sides…Let’s just say I stood there scraping it with a spoon for an embarrassingly looooong time.
we love caramel
- Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel Frosting
- Caramel Frosted Zucchini Pecan Bars
- Salted Caramel Pot de Crème
- Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
- Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
whisk up peanut cake batter right in a saucepan!
The batter is thin enough that you can whisk it up in a saucepan, no mixer or extra bowl needed. That makes this amazing cake dangerously easy to throw together (it could get habit forming.)
the bottom line
The older this site gets, the longer my favorites list gets, but I’m looking you straight in the eye when I say this peanut butter cake is a goodie. You’ll love it, and it will serve you well if you need an easy dessert to bring anywhere this season. The 9×13 cake can serve up to 24 people, right out of the pan. Try it.
“I never bake but I made this for my son’s birthday and my whole family thinks it may be the best cake they ever ate. The frosting is so good, like a peanut butter caramel.
Thanks for a great recipe!!” ~Gerry
Peanut Butter Cake
Video
Equipment
- standard 9×13 baking pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter Note: I used regular peanut butter for this recipe, 'natural'peanut butter does not work as well.
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 Tbsp buttermilk, you might need a touch more if your frosting is too stiff
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
garnish
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Heat the butter and water in a medium/large saucepan until it comes to a boil. Take off the heat and whisk in the peanut butter and oil until smooth. Let cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until well blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the cake on a cooling rack while you make the frosting.
- To make the frosting, put the butter, peanut butter, and buttermilk in a saucepan and bring to a full boil. Take off the heat and beat in the vanilla and powdered sugar, adding a cup at a time, until the frosting is smooth. I like to put it back on a gentle heat just to rewarm it, stirring constantly, before pouring over the cake. Note: if your frosting is very stiff and not pourable, add a little bit more buttermilk to thin it out.
- Pour the hot frosting over the warm cake, working quickly because the frosting sets up immediately. Spread evenly over cake.
- Garnish with peanuts.
Notes
- Make it chunky! Yes, of course, go ahead and use chunky PB for this cake. I would still use smooth for the frosting, but that’s your call.
Nutrition
Any chance you could provide the nutritional info for your recipes? It would be most helpful. Thanks. And the recipe for the peanut butter cake looks yummy!
I’m working on that Kathy, there are so many kinks in most of the apps I’ve tried, but I’ll have it available on all my recipes soon.
I will certainly be making this. Love all your cake recipes. However it doesn’t say when to add the dry ingredients. .
Hi Angela! So glad you’ll be trying this–let me know how it turns out! I just fixed the recipe instructions so it should be all clear now. Thanks!
Hi Sue, this looks amazing! can’t wait to try this recipe. from reading the recipe it says to combine the flour,sugar,baking soda, and salt and set aside. but it does Not tell you when to add them in. can you please clarify when to add these ingredients??? Thanks, for sharing. appreciate all you do.
Hi Theresa, I just fixed this in the recipe! You add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and just whisk it all together.
Reminds me of Texas sheet cake just a peanut butter version! I’m sure this is a crowd pleaser!
I almost made this as a sheet cake Karly, but to tell you the truth I like it this way better…the pieces are bigger 🙂
Hi, Sue! This is something I want to try! My former mother-in-law used to make a peanut butter cake that was awesome, but she’d never give the recipe! LOL Anyway, I’m not sure, from reading the recipe, when to add in the dry ingredients? Should they just be dumped in at the end and mixed in? Thanks for clarifying!
Hi Lynn, thanks for the catch! I just fixed the recipe. You just add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in one go and whisk until combined. Hope you enjoy it!
Sue,
Wonderful recipe. How far ahead can it be made?
Thanks! I would say you could make this a day or so in advance. I wouldn’t go much further than that so the frosting stays fresh.
I have never had a peanut butter cake and now I’m feeling like I’ve truly missed out! Will be trying this 🙂
I hope you do!! It really is delicious.
I love that there’s oil, butter, and peanut butter in this cake – talk about super moist! And the frosting looks dreamy! Saw it on Foodgawker 🙂
Good point! There’s no way you’re going to end up with a dry cake with that trifecta 🙂
Well I’m absolutely drooling but just finished breakfast! Warm peanut butter frosting – oh my. This truly is divine!
Thanks Tricia! It definitely doesn’t get much better than warm peanut butter frosting
It’s almost lunch time over here and I am waiting for my delivery to arrive any minute. Slice of this one would make my lunch / day complete Sue 🙂 Or maybe several slices …..
I wish I could send you some!!