Reese's Peanut Butter Cake
Submitted by sharona
Reese’s peanut butter cake stacks two peanut-butter-and-brown-sugar layers with a cream cheese peanut butter filling and a warm pour-over chocolate glaze. The candy bar in cake form.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
25 minCOOK
45 minREADY
2 hrsThis is the peanut butter and chocolate combo done up cake-style, every spoonful pulling the same trick the candy does. Two layers of peanut butter cake built on brown sugar for that deep caramel undertone, then a tangy cream cheese filling spread between them, then a warm chocolate glaze poured over while it’s still pourable.
The peanut butter goes into the batter creamed with butter at the start, which gives the crumb a tight, almost shortbread-leaning texture instead of the open crumb of a standard butter cake. Brown sugar pulls double duty here, sweetening and adding moisture so the cake stays tender despite the dense peanut butter content.
The filling is just two ingredients, cream cheese and more peanut butter creamed together. The cream cheese cuts the heaviness so the layers don’t feel like eating a brick.
Pro Tips
- Cream the butter and peanut butter until truly light and fluffy, at least 4 minutes. Skipping this is what makes peanut butter cakes turn out greasy and dense.
- Alternate flour and milk in three additions, starting and ending with flour. This keeps the batter from breaking and protects the gluten structure.
- Dip the metal spatula in hot water when spreading the filling. Cold spatulas drag and tear the cake surface.
- Pour the chocolate glaze while warm and pourable. It thickens fast as it cools and turns to spread instead of pour.
Variations
- Sprinkle chopped Reese’s cups or chocolate chips over the glaze before it sets.
- Add a layer of chocolate ganache between the cake layers and the peanut butter filling for triple chocolate-PB depth.
- Bake the batter as cupcakes (about 22 minutes at 350F/175C) and pipe the filling into the centers for handheld portions.
Ingredients
Directions
In large mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
Add brown sugar.
Mix to blend.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
Add flour mixture to butter and peanut butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Add vanilla.
Pour batter into 2 well-greased and floured 9 inch cake pans.
Bake in preheated 350℉ (180℃) oven until cake tests done, about 45 minutes.
Cool on wire rack to room temperature before frosting the cake.
Spread half of Peanut Butter Filling over tops of each cake, using metal spatula dipped in hot water.
Spread glaze over cake while glaze is warm.
As glaze cools, it will thicken.
PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:
Cream ingredients together until light and fluffy.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Place water and butter in small saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Add cocoa, sugar and vanilla to water mixture.
Mix until smooth.
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