Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake layers spread with rich peanut butter frosting, topped with chocolate ganache and chopped peanut butter cups make Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake a peanut butter-chocolate lover's dream! It's sure one very delicious way to enjoy this beloved flavor combination.

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This amazingly delicious Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake came about at the request of our tween-age daughter for her birthday. In pretty-standard family tradition, each year she gets to choose what kind of cake she'd like as her birthday cake. Typically, she chooses a chocolate covered Oreo cake to celebrate her special day. But this year? -- She surprised me.

This year when I asked what kind of cake she'd like me to make for her birthday, our daughter's response was, "Can you make a Reese's cake?" -- The question was posed mostly as a request, with what seemed like somewhat of challenge tossed in on the side.

Without a second of hesitation, my reply was, "Of course I can. If that's what you'd like!" Challenge accepted, my dear.

The result was the tasty peanut butter chocolate cake recipe I'm sharing with you all today. And let me say, as a total Reese's fan, our daughter was indeed quite pleased with this result.

With its chocolate cake layers and rich peanut butter frosting, all topped with chocolate ganache and chopped peanut butter cups, this Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake is certainly a peanut butter-chocolate lover's dream! 

Whether baked up for a birthday as we did, a holiday celebration, or just any random Tuesday, it's sure one very delicious way to enjoy this beloved combination of flavors.

Chocolate cake layers spread with rich peanut butter frosting, topped with chocolate ganache and chopped peanut butter cups make Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake a peanut butter-chocolate lover's dream!

 

What's to Love About This Recipe?

Oh my, what's not to love about this cake recipe? It's:

• The classic pairing we love - Tender chocolate cake, chocolate ganache topping, and rich peanut butter frosting are a decadently delicious way to bring together the classic chocolate-peanut butter pairing we love.
• Loaded with flavor - With three layers of chocolate cake and peanut butter frosting, topped with chocolate ganache and chopped peanut butter cups, this cake is just loaded with fabulous flavor.
• Beautiful - The contrasting colors of the chocolate and peanut butter layers make this one beautiful layer cake, for sure.
• Easier to make than it looks! - The cake takes advantage of a boxed mix for easy and convenient prep. And while both the frosting and ganache topping are made from scratch, neither is difficult to make.

Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

This Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake is made up of several components: the cake itself, a rich peanut butter frosting, chocolate ganache topping, and chopped peanut butter cups for garnish.

For the cake & garnish, you'll need:

• Devil's Food chocolate cake mix - A mix makes easy, convenient, and delicious cake layers. Substitute your favorite scratch-made devil's food cake recipe, if you'd prefer.
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - About 12 mini or 5-6 snack-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped, make a beautiful (and delicious!) garnish on top of the cake.

For the peanut butter frosting, you'll need:

• Marshmallow creme - A 7-ounce jar of marshmallow creme serves as the base of the creamy frosting.
• Creamy peanut butter - It's not peanut butter frosting without the peanut butter! We recommend sticking with creamy peanut butter for a nice smooth-textured frosting.
• Unsalted butter
• Vanilla extract
• Confectioners' sugar
• Milk - A small bit of milk turns this frosting into a spreadable consistency. Add more or less, as needed, as the amount necessary may vary based on the brand of peanut butter used.
• Salt

For the chocolate ganache topping, you'll need:

• Chocolate chips - Semi-sweet chocolate chips form the foundation of the ganache topping. We recommend sticking with semi-sweet (rather than substituting milk chocolate chips) because their flavor nicely complements the flavor of the cake layers and peanut butter cup garnish.
• Unsalted butter
• Heavy cream

How to Make a Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake:

To get this beautiful and delicious Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake started, first bake up a basic boxed mix devil's food chocolate cake. Mix the cake up according to the package directions, and bake it in three 9-inch round cake pans to create the three cake layers.

Then whip up our very favorite peanut butter frosting, made with marshmallow creme as its base. The marshmallow creme gives the peanut butter frosting a really nice, creamy, spreadable texture.

Begin assembling the cake by placing one cooled cake layer on a cake plate and spreading it with 1/3 of the peanut butter frosting.

Repeat this with the remaining cake layers and frosting to make a total of 3 layers of each.

Next, make a simple chocolate ganache by melting together chocolate chips, some butter, and a little heavy cream. Let the ganache cool for about 15 minutes to thicken just a bit.

Then spoon the chocolate ganache onto the center of the frosted cake, gently spreading it a little at a time toward the edge of the cake, just barely getting it to the edge of the cake. -- It will start to spill over the cake's edge on its own and gravity will do the work of creating small "spills" over the edge.

Immediately sprinkle chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top of the ganache so they stick in the glaze before it sets.

Pop the cake in the refrigerator to let the ganache set and allow the flavors to meld, and then you're good to go with enjoying the chocolate and peanut butter deliciousness!

With its chocolate cake layers spread with rich peanut butter frosting, all topped with chocolate ganache and chopped peanut butter cups, Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake is certainly a peanut butter-chocolate lover's dream! Whether baked up for a birthday, holiday celebration, or just any random Tuesday, it's sure one very delicious way to enjoy this beloved flavor combination.

Check out these other super tasty chocolate cake recipes:

• Chocolate Pound Cake
• Hershey's Chocolate Syrup Cake
• Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake
• Marshmallow Chocolate Cake
• Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Covered Oreo Cake
• Chocolate Root Beer Bundt Cake
• More dessert recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

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Dessert

American

Yield: 1 9-inch layer cake

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake layers spread with rich peanut butter frosting, topped with chocolate ganache and chopped peanut butter cups make Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake a peanut butter-chocolate lover's dream! It's sure one very delicious way to enjoy this beloved flavor combination.

Prep time: 40 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

Ingredients

For the cake & garnish:

• 1 (15.25 oz.) Devil's Food cake mix + ingredients to prepare cake
• about 3/4 c. chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

For the peanut butter frosting:

• 1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
• 3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
• 6 T. butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
• 1 - 2 T. milk
• 1/8 tsp. salt

For the chocolate ganache topping:

• 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 1 T. heavy cream

Instructions

Bake the cake:

1. Prepare cake as directed on package, preparing in three 9-inch round cake pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (Begin checking the cake layers at the 15 minute mark so as not to over bake.)
2. Cool cakes in pan for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare peanut butter frosting:

1. Place marshmallow creme, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix at low speed with an electric mixer until well combined.
2. Add confectioners' sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon milk; beat at medium speed until just combined and smooth.
3. Check consistency of frosting. If needed, beat in 1 more tablespoon milk to make frosting a nice consistency for spreading.
4. Place one cooled cake layer on a cake plate; spread with 1/3 of the peanut butter frosting. Top with one of the remaining cake layers and spread with 1/3 of the peanut butter frosting. Repeat with the remaining cake layer and frosting to make a total of 3 layers.

Prepare chocolate ganache topping & garnish the cake:

1. Place chocolate chips, butter, and heavy cream in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring very frequently, until melted and blended together.
2. Remove from heat and cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Spoon chocolate glaze onto the center of the frosted cake; gently spread toward the edge of the cake (a little at a time), just barely getting it to the edge of the cake ~ it will start to spill over the edge on its own and gravity will do the work of creating "spills" over the edge.
4. Immediately sprinkle chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top of the ganache.
5. Store cake in the refrigerator.

TRACEY'S NOTES:

1. About 12 mini or 5-6 snack-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups equal 3/4 cup chopped.
2. To keep the frosting's nice creamy texture, do not overbeat it. Overbeating can cause it to become thinner and a bit runny.
3. Let cake stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving to allow the peanut butter frosting and ganache topping to warm up and soften a bit.

Similar Recipes

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup Cake

Chocolate Covered Oreo Cake

Marshmallow Chocolate Cake

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