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
My father-in-law always referenced “The old fashion” peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting and how nobody ever made it anymore. I ended up needing to make a cake for a funeral at our small church and this is the cake I made. I made sure he had a piece of it and he gave his approval (as did many other people attending the funeral). So easy to make and the taste is wonderful! I will be making it again, as will many others who now have the recipe!
This recipe makes the best peanut butter cake i have ever had nice and fluffy cake. Thank you..
It has been a year since I made this cake for the first time for my dads birthday. His birthday was again this week and it is the cake he wanted again! It is called “that famous peanut butter cake” around here….and we ALL know what which cake that is! This cake! Other peanut butter cakes call for half the amount of oil/butter and that may still make a good cake. BUT this cake…this cake is so moist ….gaga goo goo! So good! Insane! So good. I make a peanut butter butter cream with it. I have tried natural peanut butter but the cake requires store bought peanut butter…less oily.
Hahah, thanks for the chuckle Krystal 🙂
It’s my daddy’s 76 bday !
I think I’m going to try this 😉
Blessings
Michelle (Shell)
My dad will be 90 this April, maybe I should make it for him!
I made it !
It was fabulous ! Even though I accidentally used all purpose flour as well , I put in salt and baking soda —
Dad gave it a 10!!
Did you use the oil the recipe called for when you used natural peanut butter? Do you think it would help to cut the oil from the recipe?
Ok, this cake is simply delish…….
🙂
Hi! This sounds uh-mazing. My Grama used to make my Poppy peanut butter cake every year on his birthday.
Question: why do you not recommend natural peanut butter? I don’t like added sugar/palm oil etc in my peanut butter.
Thanks for sharing. I look forward to trying this.
I prefer the regular peanut butter because it has a uniform texture, the natural is somewhat oily, but feel free to use it if you like, just stir well!
Perfect! And no need to adapt for high altitude. Followed the recipe as written…not too sweet and nice amount of peanutbutter flavor! A hit!
pouring warm liquid over cake seems like it would make cake soggy?
The frosting sets up almost immediately, so no worries. But this cake is super moist, in a good way!
I have made this cake a couple of times in a 9×13 and it sure is delicious but was wondering can I make it in a Bundt pan? Do you think I need to change anything besides bake times?
It’s a very moist cake and frankly I don’t think it’s a good candidate for a bundt pan, Chloe, I think you’d have trouble getting it out in once piece.
Making this today, can’t wait to try it, thanks for sharing
Hi Sue, my cake is currently in the oven! I’m making it for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Do I need to keep the cake refrigerated or not? Thank you!
I think you can go either way Kimberly, I think it will be fine at room temp for a day if you prefer.
Made this cake today. It was a breeze to follow the directions. Next time I make it, thinking of waiting on making the frosting until the cake is out of the oven and cooling. This cake is going to be a birthday cake that my niece is serving her boyfriend and family. It looks and smells great. So Happy that she had me make this , will be making it again. Thank you!
Glad you made it Joan, and yes, the timing of the frosting is tricky because you want it hot a pourable, I think you’ve got a good idea.