What Is Peanut Butter Sheet Cake?

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake is a soft, moist cake infused with creamy peanut butter and topped with a luscious peanut butter frosting. Unlike a traditional layer cake, a sheet cake is baked in a single layer, making it easy to serve and perfect for feeding a crowd. The texture is light yet rich, and the peanut butter flavor shines through in every bite.

This cake is similar to Texas sheet cake, which is known for its ultra-moist texture. But instead of chocolate, this version highlights the nutty, buttery goodness of peanut butter.

Why This Is the Easiest Dessert to Make

If you love baking but don’t want to deal with the hassle of stacking layers and piping frosting, peanut butter sheet cake is the perfect solution. Here’s why:

• One-bowl batter – No need for multiple mixing bowls. This recipe comes together quickly with minimal cleanup.
• Bakes in a single pan – Forget the stress of leveling and stacking layers. Just pour the batter into a sheet pan (jelly roll pan size), bake, and frost.
• No special tools required – No stand mixer? No problem! This cake can easily be mixed with a hand mixer.
• Quick frosting technique – The peanut butter frosting is easily spread on top of the cake. No special decorating techniques needed.

This is truly a beginner-friendly dessert that tastes like it came from a bakery!

How to Make a Moist Peanut Butter Cake

Moisture is key when it comes to sheet cakes, and peanut butter can sometimes make baked goods dense. Here are my top tips for achieving a soft and fluffy cake every time:

• Use room temperature ingredients – using room temperature ingredients helps the ingredients better blend together, and are better absorbed by the dry ingredients – which helps the cake rise better.
• Don’t overmix – Overmixing can lead to a tough cake. Mix until the ingredients are just combined.
• Add buttermilk – The acidity in buttermilk helps break down gluten, resulting in a tender crumb.
• Add some water – This technique enhances the cake’s texture and makes the peanut butter flavor even more pronounced.
• Don’t over bake – because this cake is baked in a jelly roll pan, the layer is thin and can easily over bake if you’re not careful. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make peanut butter sheet cake ahead of time?

Yes! This cake stays moist for days. Store it covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a couple weeks.

What’s the best peanut butter to use for baking?

For the best results, use creamy, shelf-stable peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butters can separate and alter the cake’s texture.

Can I freeze peanut butter sheet cake?

Absolutely! Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

How do I store leftovers?

Keep the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze.

Can I add chocolate to this cake?

Yes! Peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Try adding mini chocolate chips to the batter or drizzling melted chocolate over the frosting for extra decadence.

Peanut butter sheet cake is the ultimate comfort dessert—easy to make, full of flavor, and always a hit at gatherings. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or just treating yourself, this cake will not disappoint. Let me know in the comments if you give it a try!

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Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

A moist and flavorful peanut butter cake baked in a jelly roll pan, with a silky-smooth peanut butter frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Peanut Butter, Peanut butter cake, Peanut Butter Sheet Cake, sheet cake

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup water

For the Frosting

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a standard size jelly roll pan (half sheet pan) with nonstick spray and set aside.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
• With the mixer on medium-high speed, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed for another 2 minutes or so. Mixture should be smooth, slightly fluffy, and lighter in color.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Stir in the water.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread to ensure the cake batter is evenly distributed in the pan.
• Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. The top of the cake won't be shiny anymore and should have a little bounce back when you touch the top of it.
• Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack to cool.

For the Frosting

• In a medium size mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and peanut butter until smooth.
• Stir in the vanilla and salt.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream.
• Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• When the cake is cooled completely, cover the cake with the peanut butter frosting.

The post The Best Peanut Butter Sheet Cake You’ll Ever Make first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Peanut Butter Brookie Pie

Where are my peanut butter lovers at? This dessert is for you, my friend! My Peanut Butter Brookie Pie is filled with one of the best flavor combinations known to mankind – peanut butter and chocolate! As you bite into this one, you’ll get layers of cookie crust, peanut butter chocolate cheesecake filling, brownies, Reese’s peanut butter cups and chocolate whipped cream! Are you drooling yet?

Inspiration from Buzzy Bee Bakery

Inspiration for this brookie pie comes from Buzzy Bee Bakery in the UK. After recreating their Biscoff Yule Log and turning it into bars (check out the video and recipe HERE), I had a few friends on Instagram send in requests to recreate their brookie pie.

Buzzy Bee has a variety of delicious creations and is always coming up with fun, new flavor combinations. You’ll see their menu is ever-changing. Not too long ago, one of their brookie pies was filled with peanut butter and chocolate – and I knew immediately, I needed to create one just like it!

What Is a Brookie Pie?

A brookie pie is a delicious dessert that combines two classic treats: brownies and cookies. It features a cookie layer and thick, chewy brownie layer. These types of pies are often baked together in a pie or deep-dish style. The result is a rich, gooey, and indulgent dessert that offers the best of both worlds—fudgy chocolatey goodness from the brownie and a soft, slightly crispy texture from the cookie.

In my version, I also added a no-bake peanut butter cheesecake filling, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and topped it with chocolate whipped cream.

Ingredients You’ll Need for a Peanut Butter Brookie Pie

For this recipe, we’ll be using a few box mixes, as well as individual ingredients:

• 1 Box Brownie Mix – my favorite is the dark chocolate Ghirardelli.
• 1 16.5 ounce Pillsbury Cookie Dough roll – this is the exact one I get
• Peanut butter
• Reese’s peanut butter cups
• Old-fashioned rolled oats
• Cream cheese
• Heavy whipping cream
• Cocoa powder
• Oil, water, and egg (for the brownie mix)
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

Tips for Making this Peanut Butter Brookie Pie

• Give yourself time – a lot of things can be made ahead of time, or if you make everything all in one day, just make sure you give the brownies and the cookie crust time to cool completely to room temperature. You can also make the brownies, cookie crust, and even the cheesecake filling ahead of time. Store the brownies and cookie crust in airtight containers or wrapped with plastic wrap. Both can be left at room temperature. The cheesecake filling can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Spray your springform pan or pie dish with nonstick spray – this will help the cookie crust release from the pan as you cut and serve the pie.
• Bake the cookie crust with parchment and a 6-inch round cake pan on top (or you can use pie weights). The first time I attempted the crust, I didn’t use any kind of weight on it, and it didn’t hold it’s pie crust shape. Using the pan or the pie weights (on parchment) help to keep the cookie dough in a pie-crust shape.
• Let the cookie crust cool completely before removing the pan (or pie weights) and parchment. If you remove them too soon, the sides of the pie crust might crumble a little.
• Have fun with this one!

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Peanut Butter Brookie Pie

A chocolate peanut butter pie with a peanut butter and oat cookie crust, layered with brownies and Reese's peanut butter cups, and topped with chocolate whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pie

Keyword No bake pie, Peanut Butter Brookie Pie, Pie

Ingredients

For the Cookie Crust

• 16.5 oz. Pillsbury Ready to Bake sugar cookie dough roll
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

For the Brownies

• 1 box Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mix
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup peanut butter, smooth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Whipped Cream

• 1 1/4 cup cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Add-Ins

• 10 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• Chopped peanuts

Instructions

For the Cookie Crust

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch spring form pan or an 8-inch deep-dish pie pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix together the cookie dough and the peanut butter until the peanut butter is fully incorporated. Stir in the oats.
• Press the dough into the springform pan or pie dish, making sure to push some of the dough up the sides of the pan. Alternately, you can roll the dough into a 10-inch circle and lay it into the pan. To do so, roll it out on parchment or a floured surface.
• To ensure the cookie crust holds its shape, cover the cookie crust with parchment paper and place a 6-inch cake pan on top. Refer to my video HERE on Instagram to see a tutorial.
• Bake (with the pan on the crust) for 25 minutes.
• Allow to cool completely before removing the pan and parchment.

For the Brownies

• Follow the instructions on the brownie box for an 8-inch by 8-inch pan. Allow to cool completely before adding to the pie.

For the Cheesecake Filling

• In a medium size bowl, combine the peanut butter and cream cheese and mix until combined. Mixture will be slightly thick. Set aside.
• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream mixture into the peanut butter mixture until smooth.

For the Chocolate Whipped Cream

• In a chilled stainless steel bowl, combine the whipped cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form.

Assembly

• Spread 1/3 of the cheesecake filling over the cookie crust.
• Layer with the brownies. I cut the brownies into small pieces and placed them over the filling, patting them down into the filling a little.
• Spread another 1/3 of the cheesecake filling over the brownies.
• Cover with the Reese’s peanut butter cups. I used 8 regular size peanut butter cups and cut them in half before placing them on the filling.
• Cover the peanut butter cups with the remaining cheesecake filling.
• Cover with the chocolate whipped cream and sprinkle with remaining brownie pieces, peanut butter cup pieces, and peanuts.
• Best served cold.

The post Peanut Butter Brookie Pie Topped with Chocolate Whipped Cream first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Marble Loaf Cake

A few years ago, my son requested a marble cake with peanut butter buttercream for his birthday. The combination of chocolate and yellow cake with the nutty, smooth buttercream was utterly delicious.

As I planned my new cookbook, I knew this was a recipe I wanted to include, but I also knew it needed to be simplified in two ways: the method and the execution.

Rather than make two separate batter recipes, I created a recipe that is equally delicious, moist, and flavorful, but only requires you to make one batter. I also turned it into a loaf cake simply to make your life easier

Don’t worry – you can absolutely use this recipe as a layered cake. Just check out my tips and Instagram video at the bottom of the post.

How to Turn the Marble Loaf Cake Into a Layered Cake

To turn this Marble Loaf Cake recipe into a layered cake, follow these easy steps:

• Double the recipe – you’ll follow the recipe exactly as written but with 2x the amount of ingredients so you can fill three 8-inch cake layers. One exception: use 5 eggs, not 6.
• Temperature stays the same – the oven temperature will stay the same for all of my cakes, whether they are loaf cakes, layered cakes, sheet cakes or cupcakes.
• Decrease the baking time – the one thing you will change is the amount of time the cakes are baking for. Instead of 45 to 50 minutes for the loaf pan, you’ll bake three 8-inch cake pans for 30 to 35 minutes. Remember, the cake layers are done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

INSTAGRAM VIDEO TUTORIAL AND RECIPE FOR LAYERED CAKE

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Marble Loaf Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Marble Cake, Marble Loaf Cake, Peanut Butter Buttercream

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 ⅓ cups 266.7 g granulated sugar, divided
• ⅓ cup water
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• 2 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate
• 1 ⅔ cups 191.6 g cake flour
• 1 teaspoon 4 g baking powder
• ½ teaspoon 3 g salt
• ½ cup 113 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon 2.1 g vanilla extract
• ½ cup 120 g buttermilk, at room temperature

For the Buttercream

• 2 cups 250 g powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• ½ cups 113 g unsalted butter, slightly cold
• ¼ cup 62.5 g creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon 4.2 g pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons 30 g heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to come up the sides of the pan. Spray the parchment. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine ⅓ cup sugar, the water, cocoa powder, and chocolate. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool while you make the cake batter.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and remaining sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl in between additions. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Continue to beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture gets smooth in texture and slightly bigger in volume.
• With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk, another 1/3 of the flour, the second half of the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for another 20 to 30 seconds on low.
• Pour about 10 ounces of batter in a separate mixing bowl. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the new bowl of cake batter.
• Alternately add the vanilla and chocolate cake batters to the prepared pan. I like to use a small measuring cup to scoop the cake batter into the pan so I can easily layer the different flavors. Use a toothpick or knife to swirl the batter, but don’t mix it too much – you want the flavors to be distinct and separate.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
• Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla, and pinch of salt.
• Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

The post The Best Marble Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

If you’re a fan of the irresistible crunch and rich peanut butter flavor of Butterfinger candy bars, you’re in for a treat! This Butterfinger Cake is the ultimate dessert mashup that brings together moist chocolate cake, Butterfinger filling, and a layer of crushed Butterfinger pieces for an extra burst of texture and flavor. Whether you’re making it for a special occasion or just to satisfy your sweet tooth, this cake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Let’s dive into this indulgent, candy-inspired dessert that’s sure to leave everyone asking for seconds!

Butterfinger Cake

This Butterfinger Cake is next-level on peanut butter and chocolate scale. The cake layers are a moist, milk chocolate cake that rise so beautifully. These layers are a bit different than my go-to dark chocolate cake, but still so delicious. Instead of using oil, we’re using butter for slightly a fluffier and lighter texture. We’re also adding some brown sugar and sour cream, which both help create and retain moisture.

You’ll notice I’m using my favorite dark chocolate cocoa powder. Even though this is a “milk” chocolate cake, we want the chocolate flavor to stand out. Because we add all the other ingredients in this cake, the dark cocoa doesn’t have a strong bittersweet flavor but also doesn’t lose the chocolate flavor completely.

IMPORTANT: the type of cocoa powder you use makes a huge difference in the moisture of your cake. You want to use a cocoa powder that has high fat.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE COCOA POWDER.

Butterfinger Filling

To make the filling for this cake, we’re actually starting with my peanut butter buttercream. If you’ve made it, you know it’s insanely delicious and if you haven’t, well, you’re in for a TREAT!

We use two cups of the peanut butter buttercream to make the filling with crushed Butterfingers, and we then use the remaining peanut butter buttercream to make the buttercream for the outside of the cake with some added melted chocolate. One buttercream, used two ways!

I love how the peanut butter chocolate buttercream has a strong peanut butter flavor. It really amps up the cake’s Butterfinger flavor overall. I think you’ll love it!

How to Make the Best Buttercream Frosting

To get this silky smooth buttercream, make sure you follow my tips: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

• Sift your powdered sugar
• Use slightly cold butter
• Use heavy whipping cream
• Beat for 5 minutes
• Stir by hand

You’ll want to check out the post linked above for more details on each step to make sure you get the best buttercream frosting. And remember, these steps can be used for any buttercream recipe on my blog.

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Butterfinger Cake

Milk chocolate Butterfinger-filled cake layers with Butterfinger filling, and peanut butter chocolate buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Butterfinger, Butterfinger Cake, chocolate, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Peanut Butter

Servings 20 people

Ingredients

FOR THE MILK CHOCOLATE CAKE

• 3/4 cup (169.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cups (165 g) brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups (373.75 g) cake flour
• 1/2 cup (50 g) dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 2 cups (480 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 g) white distilled vinegar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (10 g) baking soda
• 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (100 g) crushed Butterfingers

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM (This will be split between the filling and frosting)

• 1 1/2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly cold
• 1 cup (240 g) smooth peanut butter
• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) vanilla extract
• generous pinch of salt

FOR THE FILLING

• 2 cups peanut butter buttercream, recipe above
• 1 cup crushed Butterfinger candy

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• remaining peanut butter buttercream
• 6 ounces dark chocolate, melted

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another minute.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, being sure to mix and scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Add the vanilla. Continue to beat on medium-high speed for about two mintues, until the mixture gets lighter in color and bigger in volume.
• With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1 cup of the buttermilk. Continue with another 1/3 of the flour, the second half of the buttermilk and then the remaining flour mixture. Stir until combined. Fold in the sour cream.
• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. The mixture will bubble. Add the mixture to the cake batter and stir on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another 20 seconds. Fold in the Butterfinger pieces.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (21 ounces in each of the 8-inch pans). Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

  Allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium-high until it's light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the buttercream for about 3 to 5 minutes.

FOR THE BUTTERFINGER FILLING

• Combine 2 cups of the peanut butter buttercream and 1 cup crushed Butterfingers.

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

• Add the slightly cooled melted chocolate to the remaining peanut butter buttercream. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and silky. If the buttercream feels too soft, you can refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes and then rebeat it before using.

FOR ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer top side up, in the center of the cake board. Evenly spread half of the Butterfinger filling over the cake layer.
• Repeat for second cake layer.
• Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the second layer of filling.
• Apply a thin layer of peanut butter chocolate buttercream around the cake. Freeze the cake for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• Once the crumb coat is set, continue frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.

The post Peanut Butter and Chocolate Butterfinger Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Monster Brookies

Happy Friday! It’s been a busy few weeks over here, but I finally got into the kitchen this week and whipped up something that has all of my favorite things. My new Monster Brookies are a combination of a rich and decadent brownie layer, a peanut butter layer, a chocolate chip cookie layer, with mini M&Ms and flakey salt.

These bars are going to rock your world!

I’m not even going to get fancy with a huge blog post because you just need to make these.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• You’re making a brownie recipe and a chocolate chip cookie recipe.
• You’ll bake the brownie layer on its own for 15 minutes and then pile everything on top and bake again.
• These bars are still kinda gooey when they are done baking – give them at least an hour to cool and set.
• Don’t worry that the top looks golden brown and a little crisp. The center will still be soft and you’ll have an awesome texture combo.
• These store great in an airtight container at room temperature. You can microwave them next day for that gooey center, or serve at room temp for a more solid texture.

Step-by-Step Tutorial for Brownies

Step-by-Step Tutorial for the Cookies

Assembly Tutorial

How to Make Monster Brookies: Video Tutorial

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Monster Brookies

Gooey brownies with peanut butter, a chocolate chip cookie layer, mini M&Ms and flakey salt.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Bars

Keyword Brookies, Brownies, cookies, Monster Brookies

Servings 24 bars

Ingredients

For the Brownie Layer

• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (88.5 g) good quality dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (180 g) bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups (440 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (180 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Cookie Layer

• 3/4 cup (169.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (180 g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Fillings and Garnish

• 1 cup (250 g) peanut butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (112 g) mini M&Ms
• Flakey salt

Instructions

For the Brownie Layer

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with nonstick spray. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a medium size saucepan, melt the butter and the bittersweet chocolate chips until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
• Add the brown sugar to the butter and chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well between each addition.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Add the flour mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain.
• Fold in the 1 cup of the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake the brownies for 15 minutes.
• While the brownies bake, make the cookie dough. (Instructions below)
• When the 15 minute timer is up, remove the pan from the oven. Pour the melted peanut butter on top and gently spread into an even layer.
• Using your hands, break apart the cookie dough (instructions below) and drop on top of the peanut butter and brownie. This does not need to be spread out. It will spread as it cooks.
• Evenly sprinkle the mini M&Ms on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes more minutes.
• The top of the cookie layer will be golden brown. Don’t let that scare you that it’s over cooked. The centers will still be gooey and you’ll get a delicious crunch with each bite, as well.
• Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle on the salt.
• Allow the bars to cool in the pans for at least an hour.
• The centers will still be gooey after they cool for an hour. If you want the centers more set, allow the bars to sit for an additional hour or two.

For the Cookie Layer

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter until smooth.
• Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the egg and mix until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips.

The post Delicious and Gooey Monster Brookies first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Who can resist the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter? These rich and moist chocolate cupcakes topped with a luscious peanut butter buttercream are the perfect treat for any occasion. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, hosting a party, or simply indulging your sweet tooth, this recipe is sure to delight. Let’s dive into the delicious details!

How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes

To make these delicious chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream, you’ll need: all-purpose flour, good quality dark cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs, buttermilk, water, oil and vanilla. For the buttercream, be sure to grab unsalted butter, peanut butter, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and salt.

This chocolate cupcake recipe is so easy to whip up – just grab two bowls and a whisk!

Peanut Butter Buttercream

Truly the best peanut butter frosting recipe, friends! It’s creamy and oh-so-delicious!

Tips for Success

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, egg, and buttermilk are at room temperature for the best results.
• Good Quality Cocoa: Using a good quality, high-fat cocoa powder makes ALL the difference in these cupcakes. The fat in the cocoa helps to create and retain moisture. Using a dark chocolate also enhances the flavor. My favorite brand of cocoa powder if Extra Brute Cacao Barry Cocoa.
• Frosting Consistency: Adjust the consistency of the buttercream by adding more cream or powdered sugar as needed. It should be smooth and spreadable, but firm enough to hold its shape. If it seems “dry,” you’ll actually want to add a couple tablespoons of melted butter.

Enjoy Your Delicious Creation!

These chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream are a delightful treat that balances the richness of chocolate with the creamy, nutty flavor of peanut butter. Perfect for any occasion, they’re sure to be a hit with friends and family. Happy baking!

Video Tutorial: Chocolate Cupcakes

Video Tutorial: Peanut Butter Buttercream

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Rich, moist chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Chocolate Cupcakes, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cupcakes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cupcakes

Author Courtney Rich

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (88.5 g) Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder (or similar premium brand)
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 cup (236 g) hot water,
• 1/2 cup (109 g) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 1 cup (250 g) creamy peanut butter , (I like Skippy)
• 1 tablespoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of coarse salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to do a single layer swirl on each cupcake. If you want taller swirls (as pictured, make 1.5x the recipe)

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in the cupcake pans. Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Combine eggs, buttermilk, water, oil and vanilla in a measuring cup and lightly beat with a fork.
• Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix with a whisk or your mixer until combined and no streaks for clumps of flour remain. Batter will be thin. Scrape sides and mix for another 30 seconds. Fill each cupcake liner no more than 2/3rd full.
• Bake for 22 to 25 minutes (you may need more time depending on your oven), until toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Cool on wire racks for 10-15 minutes, then gently invert onto racks until cooled completely.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with your hand beaters, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 45 seconds.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar to the bowl, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, salt and heavy whipping cream, and continue to beat on high speed until very fluffy, about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
• Use a wooden spoon to mix frosting to get rid of air bubbles.

The post The Most Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

After publishing my Pumpkin Poke Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream, I knew we had to do some more poke cakes because it was such a huge hit.

What is a Poke Cake?

If you haven’t had a poke cake before, you’re in for a treat. It’s a simple cake to make, but one that’s packed with moisture and flavor. Traditionally, poke cakes are made with box cake mixes, which you can totally do… BUT, I highly recommend making a homemade cake for added flavor and richness.

After the cake is baked and cooled, you take the back of a wooden spoon (that’s what my mom always used), and poke holes all over the cake. A poke cake then has some kind of glaze or soak (caramel, chocolate, fruit soak, etc.) poured on top and is finished with a whipped cream topping.

Sounds amazing, right? It is!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake Ingredients

For a homemade chocolate peanut butter poke cake, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Good quality cocoa powder
• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Eggs
• Vegetable oil
• Buttermilk
• Vanilla extract
• Peanut butter
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Whole milk
• Heavy whipping cream
• Chocolate peanut butter cups (optional)
• Peanuts (optional)

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake

• Bake the cake: this chocolate cake is truly the best chocolate cake recipe for so many reasons. First and foremost, it’s DELICIOUS. Second, it’s super easy to make. Once you’ve baked the cake in a 9-inch x 13-inch pan, let it cool a bit. You can then poke holes all over the cake using the back of a wooden spoon. We want the holes to be big enough to allow the glaze to soak in.
• Make the peanut butter glaze: Prepare the peanut butter glaze according to the instructions below and then pour it on top of the chocolate cake. Use the back of a spoon or an offset icing spatula to spread the glaze around to ensure it soaks into the back.
• Make the peanut butter whipped cream: Make the peanut butter whipped cream and then spread it over the peanut butter glaze. Top with chopped chocolate peanut butter cups and peanuts, if desired.

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake

Gluten free? I’ve got you! You can make this chocolate peanut butter poke cake gluten free with just one swap! Instead of using all-purpose flour, you’ll want to use a “one for one” gluten free flour. I highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup.

My gluten free readers may be asking how they can enjoy this ultimate decadence. The only thing you have to swap is the cake, as you can find gluten free versions of all of the other ingredients. Do take care that not all canned frosting is gluten free, so be sure to read labels. And buy a bag of Reese’s that state they are gluten free.

How do you store leftover poke cake?

For a poke cake, you’ll want to store the cake in the refrigerator since it has a whipped cream topping. But don’t worry, with the soak, the cake won’t dry out. Just be sure to leave the garnish off and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap.

More cakes You’ll Love

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake

Delicious and moist chocolate cake with a peanut butter glaze and peanut butter whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake, Peanut Butter, Poke Cake

Ingredients

FOR DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (88.5 g) Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder or similar premium brand
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 cup (236.6 g) hot water
• 1/2 cup (109 g) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Glaze

• 1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter, I use Skippy
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup (120 g) whole milk

For the Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

• 3/4 cup (187.5 g) smooth peanut butter, I use Skippy
• 2 cups (480 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (62.5 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract

Garnish

• Chocolate peanut butter cups
• Peanuts

Instructions

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular cake pans by spraying the bottom and sides with nonstick spray, lining the bottom with parchment paper, and spray the parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a bowl of electric mixer, combine all the dry ingredients.
• Combine eggs, buttermilk, water, oil and vanilla in a measuring cup and lightly beat with a fork.
• Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix on low speed until combined. Batter will be thin. Scrape sides and mix for another 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the cake pan.
• Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Cool completely before assembly.

FOR THE Peanut Butter Glaze

• In a small mixing bowl, beat the peanut butter on its own to break it up and create a looser, smoother texture.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Stir until smooth.

FOR THE Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

• Again, in a small mixing bowl, beat the peanut butter on its own to break it up and create a looser, smoother. Set aside.
• In a medium size stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
• Fold in the peanut butter.

Assembly

• Once the cake is cooled completely, use the back of a wooden spoon or a large straw and poke holes all over the cake.
• Pour the peanut butter glaze over the cake. Using a spoon or offset icing spatula, spend a minute or two spreading the glaze over the cake to ensure it soaks into the holes.
• Spread the peanut butter whipped cream over the top.
• Sprinkle with the chopped peanut butter cups and peanuts.

Notes

NOTE: You can make this cake ahead of time. To do so, leave the garnish off and cover the cake with plastic wrap. Because of the peanut butter glaze, you can store this cake in the refrigerator overnight and it won’t dry out.

The post The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

 Back to School

Back to school is around the corner and there’s nothing that makes me think of “school” more than peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I used to have it for lunch nearly every day, and it’s still something I love to whip up today. It’s also one of my favorite flavor combinations to use in desserts – peanut butter and jelly cake, peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies, peanut butter and jelly muffins, peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, and these easy peanut butter and jelly bars.

The Best Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

These easy-to-make PB&J bars are so simple to make and taste just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If you’re like me and love this simple sandwich, you’ll go nuts for these yummy bars! The shortbread crust and crumble is much like the white bread, stuffed with a jam flavor of your choice (I used raspberry jam) and peanut butter chips.

I highly recommend that you use the Hershey’s Peanut Butter Chips when you’re making these bars. They are the best of the best and taste better than any other peanut butter chip I’ve tried.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Easy Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

That’s it! It’s a short list, which means this dessert bar recipe is a breeze to whip up. About 15 minutes prep time and 30 minutes bake time.

How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

After the bars have baked, allow them to cool for about 15 minutes before serving. They’re delicious served warm and also at room temperature.

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PB&J Bars

These delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars are literally the classic sandwich in dessert form!

Servings 15 bars

Author cakebycourtney

Ingredients

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) baking powder
• 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 1/2 cup (487 g) strawberry jam, or flavor of your choice
• 2 1/2 cups (450 g) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips, divided

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Set aside
• With a pastry cutter, or in your food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add eggs and blend well.
• Press half the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan, and then spread the jam over the crust.
• Sprinkle 1 3/4 cup of the peanut butter chips over the jam. Stir the remaining reserved crumb mixture with the remaining peanut butter chips and sprinkle over the top.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

The post The Best Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Cake

Hope you’re ready for some serious peanut butter and banana decadence! My new Peanut Butter Banana Cream Cake is inspired by the peanut butter banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery – which I happened to just create. You can get that recipe HERE.

What is Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding?

New York’s Magnolia Bakery is known for many sweet treats, but at the top of the list is their banana pudding. It’s so popular that the bakery now offers different flavors, including a peanut butter banana pudding. I’ve tried as many of the special flavors as available when I travel to the Big Apple and peanut butter is my favorite.

I recreated the pudding flavor and used it to also inspire this cake.

What is in the Peanut Butter Banana Cream Cake?

My Peanut Butter Banana Cream Cake has several different components to it. We start with a Nilla Wafer cookie crust, then bake the banana cake batter right on top. This gives us a yummy crunch with every bite. Between the layers, you’ll get the peanut butter banana cream filling with fresh banana slices. To cover this beauty, we’re using my silky-smooth peanut butter buttercream.

It’s so dreamy! In fact, when my 15-year-old son took his first bite of this cake, he said one word: “winner!” He then told me that its the cake he wants for his birthday… in December! (It’s currently July!)

FAQs

Can this cake be made ahead of time? Yes, BUT don’t add the banana slices if you make it ahead of time. If you plan to assemble the cake the same day you’ll be serving it, you can add the banana slices between the layers. If not, I recommend leaving the banana slices out.

How do I store this cake if I make it ahead of time? If you plan to make this cake ahead of time, you’ll want to freeze the decorated cake for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes wrap the cake in plastic wrap and continue to freeze it. The night before you want to serve the cake, move it to the refrigerator (plastic wrap still on). About 5 to 6 hours before you want to serve the cake, remove the cake from the fridge and place it on the cake stand.

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Peanut Butter Banana Cream Cake

Moist and tender banana cake layers baked on a Nilla Wafer cookie crust, with peanut butter banana cream filling, and peanut butter buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Banana, cake, Peanut Butter

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• 70 Nilla wafer cookies, (265 g) pulverized into a fine crumb
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon 4.2 g salt
• 3/4 cup (169.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (73.3 g) light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup (360 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (6.3 g) pure vanilla extract
• 3 medium-sized bananas, mashed (about 340 g)

FOR THE FILLING

• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1/3 cup (83.3 g) smooth peanut butter, I use Skippy
• 4.6 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup (120 g) whole milk
• 1.67 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 cup (120 g) heavy whipping cream

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter
• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1/4 cup 57.75 g heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

GARNISH

• Bananas

Instructions

FOR THE CRUST

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, line with parchment and spray again. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix to coat the crumbs so you're left with a "wet sand" consistency.
• Divide the crumbs between the three pans (about 5 ounces in each). Pat firmly into place.
• Bake the crusts for 7 minutes.

FOR THE CAKE

• Turn your oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugars on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next (about 30 seconds). Add the vanilla.
• Continue to mix for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
• With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk mixture into the creamed mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated and remove bowl from stand mixer.
• Stir/whisk the mashed banana into the mixture.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans, pouring right on top of the Nilla Wafer Crust that has been baked, using a kitchen scale for the best accuracy. (For this recipe, you’ll have about 20 ounces of batter in each of the three 8-inch pans).
• Carefully smooth the batter with small offset palette knife, and bake until a toothpick or skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs on it, about 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let pans cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks, gently, peeling away parchment rounds. Let cool completely.
• When the cakes are completely cooled, you can wrap each layer in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for at least an hour before assembly.
• The cake layers can be made up to a week or two in advance. If you plan to make it in advance, cover each cake layer with two layers of plastic wrap. When you’re ready to frost your cake, take the cake layers out of the freezer an hour before you decorate.

FOR THE FILLING

• In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, peanut butter, and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
• Stir in the milk and the pudding mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 to 3 seconds.
• Add the powdered sugar to the bowl and mix in, slowly at first until incorporated, then increasing the mixer speed to high. Blend in the vanilla extract, salt, and heavy whipping cream. Continue to beat on medium-high speed until very fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Continue to mix by hand using a wooden spoon to smooth out air bubbles.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer, crust side down, on a cake board or cake stand. I like to spread a little bit of buttercream on the board to “glue” the cake layer in place.
• Pipe a rim of peanut butter buttercream around the top edge of the cake. The rim of buttercream should be kind of high. Tip: as you’re piping it on, keep your hand lifted so the buttercream falls onto the cake. Don’t push the piping bag against the cake as you pipe. This will smash the wall we’re trying to create.
• Fill the center with about half of the peanut butter banana filling. Top with sliced bananas (if serving same day, otherwise, leave the bananas out if you’re making it ahead of time and freezing).
• Place the second cake layer on top of the filling and repeat these steps.
• The final layer will also go crust side down on the second layer of filling.
• Apply a thin layer of peanut butter buttercream around the entire cake. This is the crumb coat. Freeze the cake for about 15 minutes to set the crumble coat.
• After the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with remaining buttercream.

The post Peanut Butter Banana Cream Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

What is Magnolia Bakery?

Magnolia Bakery, nestled in the heart of New York City, is an iconic dessert haven known for its classic American baked goods and charming vintage atmosphere. Established in 1996 in the West Village, this quaint bakery gained fame for its delectable cupcakes, particularly the legendary vanilla and chocolate buttercream-topped varieties. Beyond cupcakes, Magnolia offers an array of treats, including the growing favorite – the banana pudding. In fact, the banana pudding is my favorite dessert at Magnolia and something I get every time in the city.

I love it so much, I created a copycat recipe of the original Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding. I also created a cake based off the no-bake dessert too. Have you tried it? It’s my Banana Cream Cake.

Copycat Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Banana Pudding

My love of the banana pudding runs deep, but not quite as deep as my love of peanut butter… so it was time to put them together! I’m using my banana pudding recipe and adding peanut butter to the base. Simple as that!

How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Pudding

This no-bake recipe is quite simple and will be an easy one to whip up. You’ll start by beating cream cheese, peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk. Once the mixture is smooth, you’ll stir in whole milk and vanilla pudding mix.

No, not banana pudding mix. The banana is only added by slicing bananas and adding them between the layers of everything else (just like Magnolia does it).

As the pudding mixture sets in the fridge, you’ll beat heavy whipping cream that you’ll fold into the pudding mixture. Once it’s time to assemble, whip some more heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar and grab some Nilla Wafers.

Have Fun With It!

This recipe is really versatile. If you don’t have Nilla Wafter, you can use graham crackers, shortbread cookies, Nutter Butters, Oreos or any other crunchy cookie of your choice. You could also play around with the flavors. Biscoff cookie spread could be a delicious sub for the peanut butter.

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Copycat Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pudding

Course Dessert

Cuisine No Bake Dessert

Keyword banana cream pudding, No Bake Dessert, Peanut butter banana pudding

Ingredients

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA FILLING

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 ½ cups (360 g) 2% or whole milk
• 1 box (5 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 1/2 cups (360 g) heavy whipping cream

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

• 3 cups (690 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted

GARNISH

• 1 box Nilla Wafers
• Bananas

Instructions

FOR THE BANANA CREAM FILLING

• In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, peanut butter, and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
• Stir in the milk and the pudding mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the trifle.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

• In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.

ASSEMBLY

• I recommend doing the assembly just a few hours before you want to serve the trifle. If you make the trifle too far in advance, the cookies will get soggy. Soft is ok, but we don’t want them soggy.
• Cover the bottom of your trifle bowl (or mason jars, paper cups, etc.) with a layer of Nilla wafer cookies.
• If doing a trifle, cover with ⅓ of the peanut butter banana filling, sliced bananas, then ⅓ of the whipped cream.

  If you're using mason jars or another container for individual servings, you'll want to break up a couple cookies, add a scoop of the peanut butter banana pudding, some sliced bananas, and a scoop of whipped cream.
• Repeat these steps two more times.
• Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

Notes

1. Feel free to swap out Nilla wafers for shortbread cookies, Nutter Butters, Oreos or even graham crackers.
2. If you’re not doing a trifle, you could also split this recipe in half for smaller individual servings.

The post Copycat Magnolia Peanut Butter Banana Pudding first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Peanut Butter Oreo Pie

While pie, in the traditional sense (you know – the one with the flakey crust) isn’t my cup of tea… a pie with any kind of cookie, graham cracker, or pretzel crust gets a thumbs up from me every time. This no-bake Peanut Butter Oreo Pie is no exception. Inspired by my Peanut Butter Pie, I’ve switched up the crust and added Oreos into the peanut butter cheesecake-like filling.

How to Make a Homemade Oreo Crust

Once the pie crust is formed, place the crust into the refrigerator while you work on the filling.

How to Make the Peanut Butter Oreo Filling

For the peanut butter Oreo filling, you’ll need: cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla and Oreos.

You’ll get started by mixing the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Once that’s done, set it aside, while you whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. To finish, you’ll fold the two mixtures together and then stir in your Oreo chunks.

Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared Oreo crust and refrigerate for an hour or two.

Before serving you can even whip up some homemade whipped cream to pipe onto the top of the pie.

FAQs

Can this be made ahead of time? Yes, in fact, making it at least a few hours before you want to serve it is ideal. The Oreos in the filling will soften a bit, but it will still be delicious. If you want the crust to be crunchy, however, you’ll want to bake it at 400 F for 5-7 minutes before adding the filling. I didn’t bake my crust and served it within a few hours of making the entire thing and it was delicious. Definitely a little softer, though, than if I had baked it.

What size pie dish should I use? I used an 8″ pie dish and have also used an 8″ springform pan (which makes for easy cutting and serving).

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Oreo Pie

Oreo crust, topped with a peanut butter and oreo no-bake cheesecake filling and fresh whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pie

Keyword Oreo Pie, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Oreo Pie, Peanut Butter Pie, Pie

Servings 16

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• 2 cups (240 g) Oreo cookie crumbs, use whole Oreos and pulverized in food processor
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar

FOR THE FILLING

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup (256 g) peanut butter, smooth
• 1 cup (240 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (62.5 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 6 Oreo cookies, broken into chunks

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (240 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (31.25 g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Crust

• Spray an 8-inch pie pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine Oreo crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar. Mix until the mixture resembles "wet sand."
• Firmly press the crust into the pie pan, pushing it up against the sides a bit.
• Refrigerate while you make the filling.

For the Filling

• In a medium size bowl, combine the peanut butter and cream cheese and mix until combined. Mixture will be slightly thick. Set aside.
• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until smooth. (See picture above).

For the Whipped Cream

• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.

The post The Best No-Bake Oreo Peanut Butter Pie first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

I eat peanut butter by the spoonful. There. I said it. Please don’t judge. What’s more, sometimes I dip my spoonful of peanut butter into Reese’s Pieces peanut butter candies so it’s coated in candies when it goes in my mouth. Shocking, but true. I shared this passion with my younger sister, Kenzie, when we were kids and we laugh about it now but still indulge. If you love peanut butter like we love peanut butter, you will love this recipe – and probably wish you had grown up in our home. These rich and chewy peanut butter bars are packed with peanut butter chips, topped with a decadent layer of peanut butter, and sprinkled with Reese’s Pieces. Need I say more?

Peanut Butter Overload Bars

My Peanut Butter Overload Bars are inspired by the Disneyland Peanut Butter Blondies found in their Grand Californian Hotel. I was first introduced to these bars as a reader. Before I had a chance to try one, she actually brought me one – FROM CALIFORNIA – to my cake class! (I know, how nice is that!). The peanut butter blondie was so yummy, I had to recreate it!

In my version, however, I wanted a richer, more chewy flavor and texture in the center. To do that, I knew I needed to do a brown sugar base and lots of peanut butter!

The texture is so amazing and these bars are truly overflowing with peanut butter flavor.

What You Need for Peanut Butter Overload Bars

These peanut butter blondie bars are simply divine and require mostly ingredients you probably already have on hand.

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Butter
• Peanut butter
• Brown sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Reese’s peanut butter baking chips
• Reese’s Pieces candy

NOTE: the brand of peanut butter baking chips makes a HUGE difference, in my opinion. The Reese’s brand is by far my favorite, with the best flavor and texture.

FAQs

Can I make these bars ahead of time? Absolutely. Just keep them in an airtight container. They can be left at room temperature for a day or frozen to stay fresh for longer.

What if I don’t want as much peanut butter? If you want a little less peanut butter, swap the Reese’s for M&Ms. You could also do a chocolate ganache instead of a layer of peanut butter.

So excited for you to try my Peanut Butter Overload Bars!

More Recipes You’ll Love

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Peanut Butter Overload Bars

Peanut butter blondie bars filled with peanut butter chips and topped with peanut butter and Reese's Pieces.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Bars

Keyword Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Bars, Peanut Butter Blondies, Peanut Butter Overlad Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter
• 1 3/4 cups (385 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 2 ,eggs slightly cold
• 2 teaspoons (5.2 g) vanilla extract
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (180 g) Reese’s peanut butter baking chips
• 1 bag (9.9 oz) Reese’s Pieces candy
• 1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the melted butter and peanut butter until smooth.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the brown sugar, followed by the eggs and vanilla.
• With the mixer on low speed, stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until no streaks of flour remain.
• Fold in the peanut butter chips.
• Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using a spoon or an offset icing spatula, spread the remaining peanut butter over the bars while the bars are still warm. Sprinkle with Reese’s Pieces and allow the bars to cool completely before serving.

Notes

Courtney’s Note: Want a little less peanut butter? Swap M&Ms for the Reese’s Pieces on top of the bars.

The post Peanut Butter Overload Bars (A.K.A The Disneyland Bars) first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

What is a Choco Smash Cake?

The Choco Smash Cake is the new dessert offered in Disney California Adventure Park at Pym Test Kitchen. Previously, Pym Test Kitchen offered a Choco Smash Candy Bar, but it was recently replaced by this new cake version of the candy bar.

This multi-layered cake is made up of layers of brownie, white chocolate peanut butter ganache, chocolate crunch pearls, white cake, dark chocolate truffle mousse, and white chocolate caramel bavarian cream, coated in chocolate ganache and topped with roasted peanuts.

Here’s a look at the real deal:

A mouth full, right?!

After learning about this cake from a friend, and seeing it has so many of my favorite things in it, I knew I had to try it during our recent visit to Disneyland with the kids.

My Review of the Choco Smash Cake

To be honest, I can only give this one a 6/10. I actually had no idea there was white chocolate in any of the elements until I was researching it when I got home from the trip. The white chocolate got lost in the mix of peanut butter and caramel, but was also the reason the fillings lacked a lot of flavor. The cake itself was a little dry and I don’t even think it needed the ganache on the outside. I would have preferred more of the chocolate mousse.

But here’s the thing… Disney is making food and treats for a crazy amount of people each day. It’s hard to land everything perfectly fresh and flavorful when there are so many factors of food prep and food rules involved. So, taking that into consideration, they did a good job. I just knew this cake had so much potential and I knew I wanted to make my own version.

MORE DISNEY FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS

For a full Disneyland food review, be sure to check out MY INSTAGRAM REEL about everything we ate in a day at Disneyland and California Adventure. I’m telling you about all the things to get and what to skip!

Copycat Choco Smash Cake

For my Copycat Choco Smash Cake, we’re using the original as major inspiration. The main difference in my Choco Smash Cake recipe is you won’t find any white chocolate. I played around with a few options (caramelizing white chocolate, making a ganache, etc.) and ultimately felt like the caramel flavor was getting lost among all the other elements. Instead, you’ll see we’re using dulce de leche – straight from the can.

The other thing I wanted to point out – you can use your favorite box brownie mix (mine is the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix) OR my homemade version of my favorite boxed brownie. You’ll find that recipe HERE. To simplify, I used the box mix for my cake.

Elements in the Choco Smash Cake

• Brownie
• Peanut Butter Filling
• Vanilla Cake
• Dulce de Leche
• Chocolate Crisp Pearls (another option are these Valrhona chocolate and caramel combination crisps.)
• Chocolate Buttercream

As you can see from the pictures, I switched up my layering just a bit. I wanted to make sure the peanut butter and caramel elements didn’t blend. For me, I love when I can distinctly taste each element of a cake, without anything overpowering another element.

Brownie Layer

As I mentioned earlier, you can make the brownie layers from a box or from my homemade recipe for my copycat Choco Smash Cake. Either way, you’re going to split the brownie batter between two 8-inch round cake pans. I use the same Fat Daddio cake pans for the brownie element as I do my cake. Once the brownie layers are baked, you’ll let them cool a bit and then turn them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

TIP: when you line the bottom of the cake pans in preparation to bake the brownies, it’s helpful to have some of the parchment come up the sides. This allows you to pull the brownies up, out of the pan. I’ve noticed that if I just use parchment on the bottom of the pan, I struggle to get the brownies out when I flip the pan over.

How to Make Moist Vanilla Cake Layers

These cake layers are really easy to whip up, but can easily be a “Pinterest fail” if you forget to follow these steps for making moist cake layers from scratch:

• Use real butter
• Measure ingredients correctly
• Use room temperature butter
• Add fat
• Use light metal pans
• Mix on high at the beginning (with butter, sugar, oil and eggs)
• Mix on low at the end (when you add flour)
• Don’t overbake

For more details on these tips, be sure to read my blog post about How to Bake Moist Cakes from Scratch.

Chocolate Buttercream Recipe

The goal for your chocolate buttercream should be a smooth, silky, easily spreadable consistency. It’s this amazing consistency that makes smoothing out your chocolate buttercream while decorating so much easier. Compared to other chocolate buttercream recipes I’ve tried, this is the smoothest and tastiest one around.

To make this chocolate buttercream recipe, you’ll start by heating the dark chocolate with the heavy whipping cream until you’ve created a smooth chocolate ganache. Let it cool to room temperature while you sift the powdered sugar.

The next step is to beat the butter on it’s own for just a bit to soften it up. While the butter is mixing, add the chocolate ganache, followed by the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.

The color of the chocolate buttercream lightens a bit while you mix it. As it rests, it will darken.

This buttercream is the perfect finishing touch to my Copycat Choco Smash Cake.

FAQs

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Choco Smash Cake

Inspired by the Disneyland California Adventure cake, my copycat version is made with layers of brownie, peanut butter filling, vanilla cake, dulce de leche, chocolate crisp pearls, and chocolate buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Choco Smash Cake, Disneyland Cake, Disneyland Treat

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1 box Dark Chocolate Ghirardelli Brownie Mix
• OR
• 1 batch Homemade brownies, my favorite recipe

Vanilla Cake

• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons 8 g baking powder
• 1 teaspoon 6 g salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (72.6 g) vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup (300 g) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) vanilla extract

Filling

• 1 13.4 oz dulce de leche
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Crisp Pearls, this is the brand I use

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• 1 cup 230 g heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (62.5 g) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (250 g) peanut butter smooth

For the Chocolate Buttercream

• 1/3 cup (77 g) heavy whipping cream
• 10 oz. dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly chilled
• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

For the Garnish

• salted roasted peanuts

Instructions

For the Brownies

• Follow the instructions on the box, except you'll bake the brownies in two 8-inch round cake pans for 20 minutes. See note above in the blog post for prepping your pans.
• Allow to cool completely before using.

For the Cake

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray, parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, and another coat of spray. Set aside.
• In a medium size bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugar on high until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Add the eggs, one at a time to the bowl, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions. Add the vanilla. Continue to beat on medium-high speed for an additional two minutes. The mixture should be smooth and fluffy.
• Turn the mixer on low and alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, starting and finishing with the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on low for another 30 seconds.
• Evenly distribute the cake batter among the two 8-inch pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
• Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks.
• When cakes are completely cooled, divide the layers in half horizontally using a serrated knife of cake leveler. You’ll have four thin cake layers. Wrap the cakes (2 layers can be wrapped together like a full cake layer), and freeze for at least an hour before stacking. The cake layers are easier to handle, assemble and frost when they are chilled.
• You can also freeze the cake layers for several days. Just be sure to let them thaw for about 30-60 minutes before using.

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.
• Fold the peanut butter into the whipped cream.
• I like using this right away (so you can make it when you're ready to assemble your cake), but you can also make it ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Buttercream

• In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and the cream for about one minute. Stir until mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the cooled ganache. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then mix on medium-high speed for about a minute, until the mixture is smooth.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, followed by the vanilla and salt.
• Buttercream can be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.
• When you’re ready to frost the cake, bring the frosting back to room temperature and mix by hand with a wooden spoon to push out all of the air pockets.

Assembly

• Place one brownie layer on a cake board or cake stand. Evenly spread half of the peanut butter filling over the brownie layer.
• Place the first cake layer, top side up, on the peanut butter filling. Cover the cake with half of the dulce de leche. Sprinkle on the chocolate crisp pearls and gently pat into place.
• Place the second cake layer on top of the filling.
• Evenly spread 1 cup of the chocolate buttercream on top of the cake and then top with the third cake layer.
• On the third cake layer, evenly spread the rest of the dulce de leche and more chocolate crisp pearls.
• Place the fourth cake layer on top and cover with the remaining peanut butter filling.
• Finish stacking the cake by placing the second brownie layer on top of the peanut butter filling.
• Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• Once the crumb coat is set, finish frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.

The post Best Ever Copycat Disneyland Choco Smash Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Family Food Wars Winner

In case you missed it, our Family Food Wars was pretty intense last weekend! I had the kids work with a few clues and create their own cookie recipe from scratch. Make sure to check it out here if you haven’t seen it: Family Food Wars: create your own cookie recipe.

It was a close race, but ultimately, Avery brought home the WIN with her Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. She made soft and chewy cookies with a caramel and peanut butter base, using caramel extract and smooth peanut butter. She then added dark chocolate chips, Butterfinger pieces, and Rolos. So good, right?!

Westin made a delicious chocolate cookie with peanut butter and white chocolate chips. Also an amazing cookie and barely lost to Avery cookie.

Honestly, both cookies were so amazing and I was so impressed.

I made a couple small tweaks to each recipe and got the thumbs up from both kids to share them with you.

Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let’s start with Avery’s cookies.

The flavor profile she chose was caramel, chocolate and peanut butter. To start, she added caramel extract and peanut butter to her cookie dough base. Based off my clue sheet (which you can find HERE), she used a half cup butter (to make a half batch) and went with a little more brown sugar than granulated sugar to get a chewy texture.

I thought her ratios for everything were pretty spot on. The only thing I ended up changing was adding a little more baking soda and add-ins.

NOTE: for the true soft and chewy texture, be sure you don’t overbake these cookies. I suggest baking them for 9-10 minutes. They should look slightly underdone. Once they cool, the centers set more and maintain the chewy texture.

This recipe makes 19, 1.7 oz cookies

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Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft and chew caramel peanut butter cookies, filled with chocolate chips, Butterfinger pieces and chocolate covered caramels.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cookies

Keyword Avery’s cookies, Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60 g) peanut butter
• 3/4 cup (165 g) brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 egg, cold
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) caramel extract
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) baking powder
• 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup Rolos or other chocolate covered caramels, chopped
• 1/2 cup Butterfinger candies, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, beat together the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the egg, the caramel extract and the vanilla extract.
• Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder, and mix on low speed until incorporated.
• Stir in the chocolate chips, the Butterfinger pieces and the chocolate covered caramel pieces.
• Using a cookie scoop (I used a 1.69 oz cookie scoop – LINKED HERE) and place on the prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
• This recipe will give you 19 cookies at that size.
• Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. They will look slightly underdone. That's okay! Let them cool completely and they'll set but still be chewy and soft.

The post Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Avery’s Winning Food Wars Recipe) first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Reese’s Take 5

Have you ever had a Reese’s Take 5 candy bar? It’s all of my favorite things in one candy bar: chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, pretzel! Amazing, right?

This is a flavor combination my little brother, and several of you, have requested for some time now. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to create this one, but it’s finally here!

Reese’s Take 5 Cake

When I started to create this cake in my mind, I knew that I didn’t want to use my chocolate cake as the base because I didn’t want chocolate to overpower the cake. You’re probably thinking, “What? Courtney doesn’t want chocolate to take over? I’m so confused!”

I know, I know… I do love chocolate so much, especially my dark chocolate cake.

Here’s the thing, though: when you bite into a Reese’s Take 5, chocolate isn’t the primary element, especially because it’s milk chocolate. The flavor definitely takes a back seat to the peanut butter, caramel, and pretzel.

As I was planning my cake, I decided to use pretzel cake layers and then pair it with a peanut butter filling, a chocolate covered pretzel crunch filling, salted caramel, and chocolate buttercream.

In my mind, that’s still a good amount of chocolate.

In fact, it’s the perfect amount, in my opinion. However, if you ask my 14-year-old son, it wasn’t even close to the right amount of chocolate. He wanted MORE! I definitely couldn’t argue that my chocolate cake would be awesome in this cake, but I stand behind my decision to use the pretzel cake layer because it really allows all the elements of the cake to have a moment.

I think you’ll love how moist these cake layers are, and how perfectly the sweet and salty crunch filling and caramel balance the sweetness of the peanut butter filling and the chocolate buttercream.

Want more chocolate?

If you’re like my son and want more chocolate in this cake, I suggest using my chocolate cake recipe and/or adding a chocolate drip.

For the chocolate cake, you’ll use THIS recipe. Instead of two layers, you’ll use three cake pans (as mentioned below) and you’ll bake time will be about 25 minutes.

Another option, or an addition option, for more chocolate is to make a chocolate drip.

Chocolate Drip Recipe

• 1 cup (180 g) dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup (173.25 g) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

• In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and stir the chocolate chips until they melt and they cream and chocolate is well-blended.

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Reese’s Take 5 Cake

Pretzel cake layers with a peanut butter filling, chocolate coated pretzel crunch filling, salted caramel and chocolate buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword chocolate, Peanut Butter, Pretzel, Reese’s Take 5 Cake, Take 5 Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 2 cups (100 g) pretzel sticks, finely ground
• 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons (7 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon (4 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups (480 g) buttermilk, at room temperature

For the Pretzel Crunch Filling

• 3/4 cups (90 g) crushed pretzels, mostly pulverized but some chunks are okay
• 3/4 cup (75 g) milk powder, divided
• 1/2 cup (80 g) salted peanuts, chopped
• 4 teaspoons (10.4 g) sugar
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 6 ounces (112.5 g) dark chocolate, meltef

For the Caramel

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 g) water
• 2 teaspoons (14 g) light corn syrup or honey
• 3/4 cup (180 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• 1 cup (250 g) peanut butter smooth
• 1 cup (230 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (62.5 g) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract

For the Buttercream

• 1/3 cup (77 g) heavy whipping cream
• 10 oz. dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly chilled
• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch pans with non-stick cooking spray, line the bottoms with parchment and spray again. Set aside.
• Place the pretzel sticks in a food processor or blender and pulse until the pretzels are finely ground and resemble flour. When you remeasure, you should have about a cup.
• In a medium-size bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until the ingredients are well-blended.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add half of the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Continue alternating the flour and buttermilk until it has all been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and slowly mix for another 20-30 seconds.
• Divide the batter evenly among your pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely.

For the Pretzel Crunch Filling

• Heat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine 1/2 cup milk powder, pretzel crumbs, peanuts, and sugar. Toss with a fork to mix. Add the melted butter and toss again, until the mixture starts to come together and form small clusters.
• Spread the clusters on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Cool the crumbs completely.
• Put the crumbs back in the medium bowl. Add the remaining milk powder and toss together until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
• Pour the melted chocolate over the crumbs and toss until your clusters are covered. Pour the chocolate covered clusters back onto the parchment paper to cool and set completely before using.

  The crumbs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.

For the Caramel

• Heat the cream in the microwave for about a minute. Set aside.
• Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and then stop stirring.
• You want the mixture to cook on its own. Stirring creates crystallization. If you notice sugar crystallizing on the sides of the pan, soak a pastry brush in warm water and run the brush along the sides of the pan where the sugar is building up.
• Once the mixture turns amber in color, remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the cream, while stirring the caramel.
• Add the vanilla and salt, and stir to combine.
• Cool to room temperature before using. The caramel will thicken as it cools. If needed, add more heavy whipping cream to thin consistency.
• Caramel can be refrigerated for up to two weeks in an airtight container.

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.
• Fold the peanut butter into the whipped cream.

  I like using this right away (so you can make it when you're ready to assemble your cake), but you can also make it ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. Allow to sit at room temperature for about a half hour to soften a bit.

For the Buttercream

• In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and the cream for about one minute. Stir until mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the cooled ganache. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then mix on medium-high speed for about a minute, until the mixture is smooth.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, followed by the vanilla and salt.
• Buttercream can be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.
• When you’re ready to frost the cake, bring the frosting back to room temperature and mix by hand with a wooden spoon to push out all of the air pockets.

Assembly

• Place the first cake layer, top side up, in the center of a cake board or cake stand.
• Evenly spread 1/2 cup of peanut butter filling over the cake layer, followed by 1/3 of the pretzel crunch filling and a generous drizzle of caramel.

  Don't pour the caramel too close to the edge of the cake layers or it will spill over the edges and make it difficult to frost the cake.
• Place second cake layer, top side up, on top of the layer of fillings. Repeat step 2.
• Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the second layer of fillings.
• Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• Once the crumb coat is set, finish frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream. You can use the remaining filling and caramel to decorate with, as well.

The post Delicious 3 Layer Reese’s Take 5 Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Brooklyn Light Show Cake (aka Death by Chocolate Cake)

This cake. Oh, my friends – this cake!

It’s rich, decadent, and incredibly delicious. And we can all thank my 13-year-old son, Westin, for it!

For one of his class projects this year in 7th grade, he had to make up an ice cream business and develop five ice cream flavors (so fun, right?). The other day he was telling me about his flavors and when he started telling me about his Brooklyn Light Show flavor, I stopped him, grabbed a pen, and started writing it all down.

For his ice cream flavor, he did a dark chocolate ice cream base, peanut butter cookie dough chunks, chocolate covered graham cracker chunks and swirls of fudge. Hello, delicious!

I couldn’t even help myself.

It had to be turned into a cake.

To turn these flavors into a cake, I layered my go-to, best ever dark chocolate cake recipe, eggless peanut butter cookie dough, chocolate covered graham cracker clusters and a rich, dark fudge frosting. Of course, we’re calling it Westin’s Brooklyn Light Show Cake (aka Death by Chocolate Cake).

Milk Bar Style Cake

You’ll see that this cake is a naked cake, stacked like a Milk Bar cake. If you’re new here or new to Milk Bar, you’re in for a treat. Christina Tosi’s genius of stacking cakes inside acetate strips takes away all the stress of decorating.

This is something you’ve likely seen me do with my Tonight Show Cake and my Chocolate Coconut Caramel Cake. Sometimes you need all the layers inside the cake to speak for themselves! That’s definitely the cake with Westin’s Brooklyn Light Show Cake.

Special Tools Needed for This Cake

To stack this cake “Milk Bar” style (i.e. as a naked cake), you’ll be baking the chocolate cake in a quarter sheet pan (which is basically the size of a 9″ x 13″ pan), cutting out the cake layers with a cake ring, stacking it inside acetate strips, and chilling it before serving. I love using this method of stacking cakes when I’m not using a traditional buttercream to hold up and cover the layers.

How to Assemble a Naked Cake

Although these pictures are from my Chocolate Coconut Caramel Cake, the process will give you a good idea for how to stack the Brooklyn Light Show Cake with the chocolate cake, peanut butter cookie dough, chocolate-covered graham crackers and fudge frosting.

FAQ About Making Naked Cakes

Can I use something other than acetate strips?

This is a common question when making Milk Bar style cakes and the answer is YES. I have seen readers use silicone baking mats, plastic folders, and even vases. Get creative, if you need to, or even stack all the layers in a trifle bowl!

How do I store this cake if I make it ahead of time?

The best way to store this cake is to keep the acetate strips on the cake and freeze it. The night before you want to serve it, move it to the refrigerator, strips still on, and then about 3-4 hours before you’re ready to serve, remove the cake from the fridge and remove the acetate strips.

More Posts You’ll Love

• Baking with Kids: Tips and Recipes to Make it a Fun and Stress-Free Experience
• Rich and Decadent Chocolate Blackberry Cake
• Black Chocolate Cake
• Decadent Dark Chocolate and Custard Nanaimo Bar Cake
• 6 Beautiful Ways to Top Off a Cake

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Westin’s Brooklyn Light Show Cake (Death by Chocolate Cake)

Dark chocolate cake with peanut butter cookie dough, chocolate covered graham cracker clusters and chocolate fudge frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Chocolate Cake, Chocolate covered graham crackers, Chocolate fudge frosting, Dark Chocolate Cake, Fudge Frosting, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake

• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (165 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons (175 g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (54 g) dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1/2 cup (120 g) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (54.5 g) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (118.3 g) hot water or coffee

For the Chocolate Covered Graham Cracker Clusters

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs (I buy the reground crumbs)
• 1/2 cup Malted Milk Powder THIS is what I used
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 ounces dark or semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

For the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (180 g) peanut butter
• 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (115 g) cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) milk

For the Fudge Buttercream

• 1 1/4 cups (169.5 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 3/4 cup (75 g) dark cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup (276 g) light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) vanilla extract
• 10 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) salt
• *** I used a lot of fudge frosting in my cake, but if you're worried about it being too much, you can cut the recipe in half.

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment and spray again. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix for about 30 seconds.
• In a separate bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients and whisk for a few seconds.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Once all the wet ingredients are added, continue to mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 15 to 30 seconds. Don’t over beat this batter.
• Pour the batter into a quarter sheet baking pan. Bake the cake for 15-20 minutes.

For the Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, malted milk powder, brown sugar, and salt.
• Pour the melted butter into the bowl and toss to coat the crumbs until they are “wet.”
• Spread the crumbs over the parchment paper and bake for 7 minutes, at which point you’ll toss the crumbs with a fork, and bake again for another 7 minutes.
• When the crumbs are done baking, toss the mixture again and then allow the crumbs to cool completely.
• Combine the cooled graham cracker crumbs / clusters and the melted chocolate into a mixing bowl. Toss to coat the graham crackers.
• Pour the coated graham crackers over a sheet of parchment paper to set.

For the Cookie Dough

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
• Mix in the brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and salt and continue to mix until combined.
• Gradually add the milk and mix. The texture will be a lot like cookie dough and you'll likely have to use your hands to spread it out onto the cake when stacking.

For the Fudge Buttercream

• In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips in the microwave for about a minute. Stir until smooth and silky.
• In food processor, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt. Mix until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl about half way through.
• Add corn syrup and vanilla and mix until just combined, about 20 to 30 seconds.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then add the melted chocolate. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
• This frosting will get darker as it sets.

Assembly

• Put a piece of parchment on the counter. Invert chocolate cake onto it and peel off the parchment from the bottom side of the cake. Use a 6-inch cake ring to stamp out 2 circles from the cake, one on each corner area of the cake. You’ll then stamp two half circles from the remaining areas.
• Clean the cake ring and place it in the center of a sheet pan lined with clean parchment. Use 1 strip of acetate to line the inside of the cake ring. (This is essential, as it is going to support the cake as you layer all the amazing elements.)
• Place the two half circles inside the ring. Use extra scraps to fill in the center of the circle, using the back of your hand to push the cake crumbs into place.
• Take 1/3 of the peanut butter cookie dough and spread/shape over the chocolate cake, making sure to spread up against the acetate.
• Sprinkle 1/3 of the chocolate graham cracker cluster evenly over the cookie dough and use the back of your hand to anchor them in place.
• Use the back of a spoon to spread about 1/2 cup of the fudge frosting evenly over the graham cracker cluster layer.
• With your index finger, gently tuck the second strip of acetate between the cake ring and the top 1/4 inch of the first strip of acetate, so that you have a clear ring of acetate 5 to 6 inches tall – high enough to support the height of the finished cake.
• Set a full chocolate cake round on top of the graham cracker crumbs and repeat these steps above (cake, peanut butter cookie dough, graham cracker clusters, fudge frosting, last cake layer, peanut butter cookie dough, graham cracker clusters, fudge frosting).
• Transfer the sheet pan to the freezer and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours to set the cake and the fillings. The cake will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
• At least three hours before you are ready to serve the cake, pull the sheet pan out of the freezer. Using your fingers and thumb, pop the cake out of the cake ring and gently peel off the acetate.

The post Westin’s Brooklyn Light Show Cake (Death by Chocolate Cake) first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Snickers Cake

Say hello to one of my favorite candy-inspired cakes! My Snickers Cake is a candy bar in a cake and I couldn’t be happier about it. 

We have dark chocolate cake layers baked on a shortbread cookie crust, filled with peanut butter nougat and salted caramel, and topped with a peanut butter buttercream. 

Sounds amazing, right? 

It absolutely is!

When planning my cake (four years ago for my birthday), I ran some ideas by my bestie, and one of my favorite taste testers, Lisa. We have similar taste when it comes to sweets, so I knew if my idea sounded good to Lisa, it would be a hit. Among my grand cake ideas was a candy bar inspired cake – something sweet and salty, with a combination of textures and flavors.  

Candy Bar Cake

I love so many candy bars but narrowed down the inspiration for this cake to two of my all-time favorites – Twix and Peanut Butter Snickers. I love the shortbread cookie inside the Twix bar, so I baked my favorite chocolate cake on top of a the shortbread cookie crumbs I used in my Samoa Cake.

To fill this cake like a Twix and Peanut Butter Snickers, I used Milk Bar’s peanut butter nougat recipe with roasted peanuts and my homemade salted caramel sauce. The combination is truly incredible! I then topped the cake with my favorite peanut butter frosting, chocolate ganache and tons of Snickers.

This cake is a serious winner! In fact, both my mom and Lisa claimed it as their new number one cake!

Hope you love it as much as we do!

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Snickers Candy Bar Cake

Chocolate cake layers baked on a shortbread cookie crust, filled with peanut butter nougat, roasted peanuts and salted caramel, and topped with a whipped peanut butter frosting.

 

 

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Prep Time 3 hours hours

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Author Courtney Rich

Ingredients

FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST

• 1/3 cup (66.6 g) granulated sugar
• 12 tablespoons (169.5 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (375 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (88.5 g) dark cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ( 3 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120 g) vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (236 g) hot water or hot coffee

FOR THE NOUGAT (adapted from Milk Bar)

• 4 tablespoons (50 g) granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons (44.25 g) water
• 6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons (44.25 g) water
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup (125 g) creamy Skippy peanut butter
• 1 cup (150 g) chopped roasted peanuts
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt

FOR THE CARAMEL

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (59 g) water
• 1 teaspoons (18.75 g) corn syrup
• 1/3 cup (77 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoons (5.6 g) kosher salt

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 1/4  cup (57.75 g) heavy cream, cold
• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 1 cup (250 g) creamy peanut butter, I like Skippy
• 1 tablespoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• Generous pinch of coarse salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line each pan with parchment and spray again. Set aside.
• Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy. Stir in the flour. If the mixture is too crumbly, you can add another tablespoon of butter.
• Evenly divide the shortbread cookie crumbs into each cake pan. Using the back of a spoon, press the shortbread cookie crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
• Bake for about 10 minutes.

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix for about 30 seconds.
• In a separate bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients and whisk for a few seconds.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Once all the wet ingredients are added, continue to mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 15 to 30 seconds. Don’t over beat this batter. It will be thin.
• Pour the batter evenly onto the already baked shortbread crusts (about 15 to 16 ounces of batter in each 8-inch pan or 12 ounces in each 6-inch pan). Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes.

FOR THE NOUGAT

• Combine the first measures of sugar (4 tablespoons) and water (3 tablespoons) in a small saucepan. Gently stir together until it feels like wet sand. Do the same thing with the second measures of sugar (6 tablespoons) and water (3 tablespoons) in another small saucepan.
• Place both saucepans on the stove and begin to heat them up. Heat the first saucepan (the one with 4 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons water) over medium heat. Heat the second saucepan (the one with 6 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons water) over medium low heat. Heat the first sugar water mixture to 115 degrees C (239 degrees F), keeping track of the temperature with an instant-read or candy thermometer.
• While the sugar is heating up, whip the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until soft peaks form. If the egg whites reach medium soft peaks before the first sugar hits 115 degrees C (239 degrees F), slow your mixer down and let the sugar catch up. Or, if you notice that the sugar is nearly at 115 degrees C (239 degrees F) and the egg whites are still a ways from becoming soft peaks, turn the heat way down under the first measurement of sugar water. Ideally, you want the egg whites to reach a soft peak at the same time the sugar water hits 115 degrees C (239 degrees F).
• Once the first sugar measurement reaches this temperature, remove it from the heat and very carefully pour it into the egg whites while the mixer is on low. 
• When all of the sugar is successfully added to the egg whites, turn the mixer speed back up and turn the heat under the second sugar water mixture to medium. You know what this mixture of sugar water to reach 120 degrees C (248 degrees F). Once it reaches this temperature, remove it from the heat and very carefully pour it into the egg white mixture. Let the egg white mixture whip until cool. 
• Once the egg white mixture has reached room temperature, turn the mixer off and fold in the peanut butter and chopped peanuts. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 

FOR THE CARAMEL

• Mix sugar, water and corn syrup in a small saucepan.
• Bring the water and sugar mixture to boil over medium heat, but DO NOT STIR. (Stirring encourages crystallization). Let the mixture cook until it caramelizes into a golden brown color. It happens quickly, so keep an eye on it.
• Remove the caramelized sugar syrup from the heat and slowly mix in the cream. Pour in just a tiny bit at a time, especially at the beginning, and mix to combine. You can start adding more and more as you go along.
• Mix in salt and vanilla. Stir to combine.
• Set the caramel sauce to the side and let cool to room temperature before using.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In a bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 45 seconds.
• Add the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl and mix in, slowly at first until incorporated, then increasing the mixer speed to high. Blend in the vanilla extract, salt and heavy whipping cream and continue to whip on high speed until very fluffy, about 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
• With a wooden spoon, mix frosting to remove air bubbles.

ASSEMBLY

• Spread a small dollop of frosting on your cake board. Place the first cake layer on the board, with the shortbread cookie crust on the bottom.
• Spread about half of the nougat filling on top of the cake layer. Make sure to get eye level with the cake to ensure it is level. Drizzle some of the salted caramel over the nougat.
• Place the second cake layer, shortbread cookie crust on the bottom, on top of the nougat and caramel. Repeat step 2.
• Place the final cake layer, shortbread cookie crust on the bottom, on top of the second layer of nougat and caramel. If the cake feels too unstable to crumb coat, place the naked cake in the freezer for about 15 minutes to set the fillings and stabilize the cake.
• You’ll then spread a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake to lock in any crumbs. This is called the crumb coat. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to ensure the crumbs get locked into this coat of frosting. After the frosting is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining peanut butter frosting. 

The post Decadent Snickers Candy Bar Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Peanut Butter Pie Cake

Ok, friends! Your taste buds are in for a real treat! My new Peanut Butter Pie Cake is filled with so many delicious elements! Inspired by my Peanut Butter Pie, this cake has the crust, the chocolate, the peanut butter, and the caramel all piled into a three layer 8-inch cake that will knock your socks off!

Let’s take a look at all the elements of this incredible Peanut Butter Pie Cake:

Pretzel Graham Cracker Crust

While I’m not one for a pastry pie crust, I love a cookie crust, a pretzel crust, or a graham cracker crust. Combine any of those two elements, and you’ve got yourself a serious winner in my book! We’re using mixture of a graham cracker and pretzel crumbs to maximize the sweet and salty flavor combinations.

To make the crust, you’ll simply combine all of the ingredients and mix until you have a “wet, sand-like” texture. Once the crust is made, you’ll press the crumbs firmly into the cake pans. We’re not baking this crust before we bake the cake layers on top, so set the pans to the side until the batter is ready to go.

NOTE: I doubled the crust after making the cake in these pictures. I think you’ll love having more of this texture and flavor. The amount I used simply wasn’t enough

Chocolate Cake

For the chocolate cake layers, I created a slightly new chocolate cake recipe. This one is a hybrid of my dark chocolate cake and my milk chocolate cake. I felt like my go-to dark chocolate cake wouldn’t hold up as well as the texture of my milk chocolate cake with everything going into this Peanut Butter Pie Cake. So, we’re using more of my milk chocolate cake recipe, but using dark chocolate cocoa powder instead of regular cocoa. I think you’ll really like how the cake layers hold up with the crust and fillings.

Check out the FAQ section below for a link to my favorite dark cocoa powder.

How to Make Tall, Moist Cake Layers

When making the cake layers, don’t forget to follow my go-to tips for getting your cakes to rise and bake well:

• Preheat your oven for 30 minutes prior to baking.
• Use good quality pans like Fat Daddio.
• Spray your pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
• Beat the butter, sugar, eggs for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed, until nearly double in volume and smooth.
• Don’t over mix your cake batter once you add the dry ingredients.
• Use room temperature wet ingredients.
• Use fresh baking powder.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

Peanut Butter Filling

The inspiration for this decadent peanut butter filling that I originally used in my Peanut Butter Pie comes from Magnolia Bakery. The original Magnolia Bakery recipe has three blocks of cream cheese in the filling! Three! It was a little too much cream cheese for my taste, so I lowered the amount of cream cheese in my recipe to one 8-oz block of cream cheese. I really want the peanut butter to stand out, rather than the cream cheese.

To make the filling, you’ll start by whipping the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Next, grab another bowl and combine the cream cheese and peanut butter, and mix until combined. To finish, fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture.

Garnishes

In addition to the salted caramel drizzle between the chocolate cake layers and peanut butter pie filling, I’ve added chopped salted peanuts and Reese’s peanut butter cups. Not even sure that part needs explaining… more peanuts and peanut butter cup flavor??? Yes, please!

Salted Caramel

If you haven’t made homemade salted caramel yet, you’re in for a serious life-changing experience! Once you make caramel from scratch, I think it’s pretty safe to say you won’t be going back to store bought.

Here are some steps to keep in mind when making homemade caramel for your cakes.

• You’ll start by combining the sugar, water, and corn syrup (or honey) over the stove on medium heat.
• Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and then step back!
• Allow the mixture to boil and cook. Stirring the sugar mixture at this point will encourage crystallization and we don’t want that!
• It will take a few minutes for the mixture to change color, but once it does, stay close by.
• You’re looking for the mixture to turn a dark golden brown, amber color. Check the pictures below for guidance.
• Once you’ve reached the right color and your mixture is about 380 degrees F., you’re ready to start SLOWLY adding warm heavy whipping cream.
• Using warm heavy whipping cream will decrease the chance the mixture hardens.
• Once you’ve added all the cream, you can stir in the vanilla and salt.
• Allow the mixture to cool completely before using in your buttercreams and cakes.

Caramel Buttercream

Once you’ve made the caramel and let it cool completely, you’re ready to make your caramel buttercream. You’ll be adding about a half cup of the caramel to the butter, powdered sugar, and heavy whipping cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make any of the cake elements ahead of time?

Absolutely!

• Cake layers – The cake layers are a great element to make ahead of time. I like to let me layers cool to room temperature and then wrap them well with plastic wrap. Let the layers thaw for about an hour before you decorate the cake.
• Buttercream – the buttercream recipe can be made a week ahead of time and stored in airtight containers in the fridge. Make sure to let the buttercream gets back to room temperature and beat it again for a few minutes to restore the fluffy texture.
• Caramel – the salted caramel can also be made ahead of time. I store mine in a mason jar in the fridge. You’ll need to reheat slightly before using to soften the caramel.

How do I store leftovers?

I like to cut the remaining cake into slices, wrap each individually with plastic wrap, and then freeze. Doing so allows for fast thawing when you’re ready to eat the cake again, as well as easy sharing!

How do I freeze an entire cake?

If you make the entire cake ahead of time, which I often do, you can freeze the entire cake. Check out THIS blog post for all my tips for freezing and thawing cakes.

What is the best dark cocoa powder for baking cakes?

I’ve tried many and my absolute favorite is Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder. The flavor is rich and decadent and this cocoa helps to create a moist cake.

Other Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cakes You’ll Love

• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
• Peanut Butter Graham Cake
• Ultimate Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
• Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
• Peanut Butter Oreo Cake

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Peanut Butter Pie Cake

Inspired by my Peanut Butter Pie, this cake has layers of pretzel and graham cracker crust, chocolate cake, peanut butter pie filling, chopped peanuts, Reese's peanut butter cups, homemade salted caramel, and caramel buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword caramel, caramel buttercream, Chocolate Cake, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Pie Cake, Reese’s Take 5 Cake, Take 5 Cake

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• 2 cups (200 g) finely ground pretzel crumbs
• 2 cups (200 g) finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE

• 3 1/4 cups (400 g) cake flour
• 1/2 cup (50 g) dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 3/4 cup (169.5 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 2 cups (480 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1/2 (120 g) cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 g) white distilled cooking vinegar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (10 g) baking soda

FOR THE FILLING

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup (250 g) peanut butter smooth
• 1 cup (230 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (62.5 g) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract

FOR THE CARAMEL

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 g) water
• 2 teaspoons (10 g) light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup (115.5 g) heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons (12 g) salt

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1/2 cup caramel, recipe above
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

Garnish and Filling

• Salted peanuts
• Chocolate peanut butter cups

Instructions

For the Crust

• Spray three 8-inch round cake with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
• Mix together the finely ground pretzels, graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar. Stir until the mixture resembles “wet sand.”
• Evenly divide the crumbs between the three cake pans (about 8 ounces in each). Firmly press the crumbs onto the bottom of each pan to create a crust.
• Set aside.

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk the cake flour, dark cocoa powder, and salt to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition. Continue to beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
• Turn the mixer to low speed and add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until just incorporated and then add half of the buttermilk, followed by another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the second half of the buttermilk and lastly, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. The mixture will bubble. Add the mixture to the cake batter and stir on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another 20 seconds.
• Gently fold in the sour cream.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans with the pretzel crust (about 20 ounces in each pan) and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Reminder: we’re baking the cake and pretzel crust together.
• Remove the cake pans from the oven and let the layers cool in pans for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely.

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• In a medium size bowl, combine the peanut butter and cream cheese and mix until combined. Mixture will be slightly thick. Set aside.
• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. Allow to sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften a bit.

For the Caramel

• Mix sugar, water and corn syrup in a small saucepan.
• Bring the water and sugar mixture to boil over medium heat, but DO NOT STIR. (Stirring encourages crystallization). Let the mixture cook until it caramelizes into a golden brown color. It happens quickly, so keep an eye on it.
• Remove the caramelized sugar syrup from the heat and slowly mix in the cream. Pour in just a tiny bit at a time, especially at the beginning, and mix to combine. You can start adding more and more as you go along.
• Mix in salt and vanilla. Stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature.

For the Buttercream

• In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter on medium-high for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to medium and gradually add the caramel. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again until the caramel is incorporated.
• On low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Remember to mix the frosting by hand with a wooden spoon or large spatula to push out the air to create a silky-smooth frosting.

FOR THE ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer on a cake board, crust side down, on your cake board or cake stand. Pipe a rim of caramel buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Fill the center with 1 cup of the peanut butter pie filling.
• Top with chopped peanuts, peanut butter cups and a generous drizzle of caramel.
• Place the second cake layer on top and repeat these steps.
• Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the second layer of filling.
• Apply a thin coat of caramel buttercream around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• After the crumb coat is set, continue frosting and decorating the cake with remaining buttercream. Use any remaining fillings as part of your toppings.

The post Rich and Decadent Peanut Butter Pie Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Peanut Butter Obsession

By now, you probably know my deep love for peanut butter. Correction – obsession for peanut butter would be more accurate! I could eat it with just about anything. Once, I even had it on a burger at Lucky 13 in Salt Lake. And it was so good! 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy peanut butter is in a traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My go-to method is with smooth Skippy peanut butter, strawberry jam and white bread. Hmmm. (I’m having flashbacks to my childhood just thinking about it). I never get tired of a PB&J sandwich! So, turning it into a cake was the obvious next move for me.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake

A couple years ago, I tried a couple peanut butter cake recipes, but wasn’t impressed with them. The recipes I tested came out dry and didn’t have enough peanut butter flavor. I decided to come up with my own recipe by combining ideas from others and adding a few things of my own. I’m so pleased with how the cake layers came out! 

To make sure the cake layers came out tender, I used cake flour. From the other recipes I tried, I noticed that all-purpose flour with the peanut butter created a cake that was too dense. In my recipe, I also use buttermilk, a generous serving of peanut butter and a teaspoon of cinnamon! Oh man! That cinnamon is a game changer. It’s just a hint but I think makes the cake what it is.

The cake is also moist with the perfect peanut butter flavor.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

For the filling, I use my mom’s homemade strawberry jam. There’s nothing else like it, if you ask me. If you don’t have homemade jam on hand, don’t worry. Your favorite store bought jam will work great too.

For my peanut butter frosting, I adapted one I already use and love from Annie Eats. Instead of whipping the cream and folding it in at the end, I just added a little cream at the end and whipped the frosting mixture like I usually do. It’s still creamy and smooth, and just as delicious – it just has a little more stability to it. 

One bite of this cake and I think you’ll agree, it’s definitely a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in cake form! What could be better than that? Look at these layers!

I can’t wait for you to try it out! If you love peanut butter, you’re going to go nuts for this cake!

And here’s a quick look at how to assembly this cake:

Similar Recipes You’ll Love

• Easy Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
• The Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
• Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
• Sweet and Savory Honey Fig Goat Cheese Cake

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake.

Peanut butter cake layers with strawberry jam and peanut butter frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 23 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 23 minutes minutes

Author Courtney Rich

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (345 g ) cake flour
• 3 teaspoons (12 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5.6 g) coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon (2.6 g) cinnamon
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup (250 g) peanut butter
• 2 cups (400) g granulated sugar
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (13 g) vanilla extract

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, slightly chilled
• 1 cup (250 g) creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon (13 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of coarse salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

Extras

• Seedless strawberry jam
• Lightly salted peanuts optional

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.  
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and peanut butter until creamy. Add in the sugar and mix on medium for about 3 minutes. 
• Decrease the speed to low and add in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• With the mixer on low, add in half of the flour mixture, then stream in the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Add in the remaining flour and mix until combined. 
• Evenly divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before removing the cakes from their pans.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 45 seconds.
• Add the powdered  sugar to the bowl and mix in, slowly at first until incorporated, then increasing the mixer speed to high. Blend in the vanilla extract, salt and heavy whipping cream, and continue to whip on high speed until very fluffy, about 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
• To remove air bubbles from the frosting, use a wooden spoon to stir and push out the air bubbles.

ASSEMBLY

• Place your first layer on the cake board. Spread about 1/2 cup of peanut butter frosting on the cake and then pipe a border of the peanut butter frosting around the edge to create a wall for the jam. Fill the center with about 1/2 cup strawberry jam and carefully spread it around. Don’t add too much jam or the cake will be unstable as you continue to stack and frost.
• Place the second layer of cake on top of the first layer and repeat step one.
• Place the third layer of cake, bottom side up, on the second layer and spread a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake to create a crumb coat. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 to set the crumb coat.
• After the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining frosting. 
• If you use a cake board on top of the cake like I did in my video above, you’ll want to freeze the cake again for another 20 to 30 minutes after you’ve frosted the sides and before you take the cake board off the top. This will ensure you get sharp edges when you cut it off with a knife. You’ll then add frosting to the top of the cake after you’ve removed the cake board.

The post Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Decadent Peanut Butter S’mores Cake

Alright, peanut butter lovers! This cake is for you!

I made a Peanut Butter S’mores Cake YEARS ago for my sister’s birthday. It was basically my Ultimate S’mores Cake but with peanut butter buttercream instead of chocolate buttercream. It was delicious, but it wasn’t something that stood out on it’s own. I recently decided to rethink this cake and came up with a totally new version!

Graham Cracker Cake Layers

• The cake layers for this cake are my graham cracker cake layers from my Peanut Butter Graham Cake (another must-try if you love PB!). I love the hint of cinnamon these layers add to the cake.
• I then used the chocolate ganache/drip, toasted marshmallow filling and toasted graham crackers from my Ultimate S’mores Cake.
• And instead of chocolate buttercream, we’re using peanut butter!

So nothing is really new in this cake – just the combination of all these different elements. I think it’s so fun to play around with flavor combinations, and taking components from different cake recipes is the perfect way to try it out!

How to Cake It: The Perfect Drip

I know getting the perfect consistency for your drip can be tricky, so let’s talk about how to make the perfect drip!

Nail the cream to chocolate ratio

• For dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, you’ll need more cream than any other type of baking chip. I recommend you start with 3/4 cup heavy cream for 1 cup of your chips. You may need to add an extra 1/4 cup cream to make it a little thinner.
• For any other type of baking chip, you’ll only need 1/4 to 1/3 cup heavy cream for 1 cup of the chips.

How to melt the chocolate

• To melt your chips, I suggest heating your cream first and then pouring the hot cream over your chips. Let the cream sit for a minute on the chips and then stir to create a silky, smooth texture. If the chips don’t melt all the way at this point, microwave the mixture for 10 seconds and stir again.
• If you try to heat your chocolate and cream together in a microwave, you’ll likely seize the chocolate.
• An alternative to the microwave is a double boiler.

Making sure your consistency is perfect

• When I use the drip in between the cake layers, like you see above, I let the mixture get completely room temperature – for a couple reasons: 1.) the drip thickens as it cools, and 2.) I don’t want warm chocolate in between my layers melting buttercream.
• But when I’m ready to use the drip for the actual drip, I want it to be a little thinner and slightly warmer than what I used in between the layers. To do this, I usually heat that extra 1/4 cup cream till it boils and then add it to what’s left of my room temperature drip that I used in between the layers.

How to Assemble the Peanut Butter S’mores Cake

• After you’ve chilled your crumb coated cake in the freezer for about 15 minutes, you’re ready to continue frosting your cake with the remaining buttercream and drip.

HOW TO MAKE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

To get a light and fluffy homemade buttercream frosting, make sure you follow my tips over at: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

These steps are written up for my vanilla buttercream, but are supposed to be applied to any of my buttercream recipes.

• Sift your powdered sugar
• Use slightly cold butter
• Use heavy whipping cream
• Beat for 5 minutes
• Stir by hand

You’ll want to check out the post linked above for more details on each step.

Other Cakes You’ll Love

• Ultimate S’mores Cake
• Banana Nutella S’mores Cake
• Banana Peanut Butter Caramel Cake
• Peanut Butter Dream Cake

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Peanut Butter S’mores Cake

Graham cracker cake layers with toasted marshmallow filling, toasted graham crackers, chocolate ganache and peanut butter buttercream

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword chocolate, graham cracker, Graham Cracker cake, marshmallow, Peanut Butter

Servings 20 people

Ingredients

FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS

• 3 cups (360 g) finely ground graham crackers 27 full rectangles
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter melted
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup (120 g) finely ground graham cracker crumbs 9 full rectangles
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 tsps. (7 g) baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. (3 g) baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. (2 g) ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. (2.5 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups (270 g) granulated sugar
• 4 large or extra large eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups (480 g) buttermilk at room temperature

FOR THE TOASTED MARSHMALLOW FILLING

• 24 marshmallows regular size
• 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. (2 g) vanilla extract
• 1 jar (200 g) marshmallow fluff

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE/DRIP

• 1 cup (175 g) dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 to 1 cup (170 to 230 g) heavy whipping cream

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM

• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter slightly cold
• 1 cup (240 g) creamy peanut butter I use Skippy
• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
• 1 tbsp. (13 g) vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (57 g) heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

Instructions

FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a food processor, combine the graham cracker, melted butter and sugar. Blend/mix until the mixture resembles wet sand.
• Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs onto the prepared parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Let cool completely before using in the cake. Can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer in an airtight container.

FOR THE CAKE LAYERS

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and then line with parchment. Spray again.
• Place the graham crackers in a food processor or blender and pulse until the cookies are finely ground and resemble flour.
• In a medium-size bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until the ingredients are well-blended. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
• With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add half of the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Continue alternating the flour and buttermilk until it has all been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and slowly mix for another 20-30 seconds.
• Divide the batter evenly among your pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely. 

FOR THE MARSHMALLOW FILLING

• Place the marshmallows on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place on the middle rack of the oven, and broil the marshmallows until golden brown on top, about 30-60 seconds. Keep your eye on them!
• Remove the pan from the oven and gently turn the marshmallows over and broil them again until they are golden brown on the other side.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and powdered sugar and beat on low until blended. Add the vanilla and mix on medium speed for about three minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the marshmallow cream and (cooled) toasted marshmallows, and mix for about one minute.
• Can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIP

• In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream for about one minute.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for a couple minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted. If needed, heat for another 30 seconds to melt the chocolate chips completely. Let cool to room temperature before using using in the cake.
• Follow instructions above for making the mixture thinner for the outer drip.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the powdered sugar to the bowl and mix in, slowly at first until incorporated, then increasing the mixer speed to high once all of the powdered sugar has been added. Blend in the vanilla extract, salt and heavy whipping cream, and continue to whip on high speed until very fluffy, about 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Stir by hand with a wooden spoon to push out air pockets.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer on a cake board, bottom-side down. Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge and fill with about 1 cup of the toasted marshmallow filling.
• Sprinkle about 1/2-1 cup of the graham crackers on top and pat into place with your hand. Drizzle the chocolate drip on top, making sure to not let the chocolate go outside of the buttercream rim you piped.
• Repeat these steps with the second cake layer.
• Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the final layer of fillings. Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake. This is the crumb coat. Freeze the crumb coated cake for about 15 minutes.
• Once the crumb coat is set, finish frosting the cake and apply the drip. Remember to refer to the tutorial above for tips for the drip.

The post Decadent Peanut Butter S’mores Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Peanut Butter Pie with Graham Cracker and Pretzel Crust

I know you’re scratching your head thinking, “what on earth is a pie recipe doing on Courtney’s blog?!” Yes, it’s true, I’m not a huge pie lover, HOWEVER, a pie with a graham cracker and pretzel crust is a pie I can stand behind!

Years ago I made a Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Pie that filled a deep-dish 9-inch pie pan with a Nilla wafer crust, peanut butter and cream cheese filling and caramel. It was heavenly! I haven’t had it in years and suddenly started dreaming about it. As I thought about looking for the recipe, I wondered if I could create my own version. I remember thinking the original was a little too rich for me (like, how is that even possible?).

So instead of hunting down the recipe, I decided to create my own version of this decadent dessert!

Pie Crust

While I’m not one for a pastry pie crust, I love a cookie crust, a pretzel crust, or a graham cracker crust. Combine any of those two elements, and you’ve got yourself a serious winner in my book! Magnolia Bakery uses a Nilla wafer crust, but I decided to go with a mixture of a graham cracker and pretzel crust to maximize the sweet and salty flavor combinations.

To make the crust, you’ll simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a “wet sand-like” mixture. Once the crust is made, you’ll press the crumbs firmly into a pie pan. I used a deep-dish 8-inch pie pan, but a standard pie pan will work beautifully since this pie isn’t as thick as the original.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Filling

The original Magnolia Bakery recipe has three blocks of cream cheese in the filling! Three! It was a little too much cream cheese for my taste, so I lowered the amount of cream cheese in my recipe to one 8-oz block of cream cheese. I really want the peanut butter to stand out, rather than the cream cheese.

To make the filling, you’ll start by whipping the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Next, grab another bowl and combine the cream cheese and peanut butter, and mix until combined. To finish, fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture.

Caramel

Before adding this incredible filling to the pie, you’ll first coat the crust with homemade caramel (see picture above). Again, just another element of sweet and salty that makes this pie so dang amazing!

To top it off, sprinkle on salted peanuts, chopped chocolate peanut butter cups and more salted caramel.

This one is best served cold, so it’s a great dessert to make ahead of time. Just be sure to cover it and store in the refrigerator.

Truly an easy pie recipe you’ll love even if you don’t love pie!

Other Recipes You May Like

• The Most Delicious Caramel Cake
• Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake
• Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Untraditional Carrot Cake with Apricot Filling and White Chocolate Buttercream
• Chocolate Pretzel Cake

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Peanut Butter Pie

Graham cracker and pretzel crust, topped with caramel sauce and peanut butter cream cheese filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pie

Keyword Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Pie, Pie

Servings 16

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• 1 cup crushed pretzels
• 9 graham crackers full rectangles
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

FOR THE FILLING

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup peanut butter smooth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

FOR THE CARAMEL

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 Tbsp water
• 2 tsp light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt

Garnish

• Salted peanuts
• Chocolate peanut butter cups

Instructions

For the Crust

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch pie pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
• In a food processor, combine the pretzels, graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar. Pulse until the mixture resembles "wet sand."
• Firmly press the crust into the pie pan, pushing it up against the sides a bit.
• Bake the crust for 7 minutes and then remove from oven to cool completely before assembly.

For the Filling

• In a medium size bowl, combine the peanut butter and cream cheese and mix until combined. Mixture will be slightly thick. Set aside.
• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until smooth. (See picture above).

For the Caramel

• Mix sugar, water and corn syrup in a small saucepan.
• Bring the water and sugar mixture to boil over medium heat, but DO NOT STIR. (Stirring encourages crystallization). Let the mixture cook until it caramelizes into a golden brown color. It happens quickly, so keep an eye on it.
• Remove the caramelized sugar syrup from the heat and slowly mix in the cream. Pour in just a tiny bit at a time, especially at the beginning, and mix to combine. You can start adding more and more as you go along.
• Mix in salt and vanilla. Stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature.

Assembly

• Once the crust is cooled completely, pour about 3/4 of the caramel onto the crust and spread on the bottom and the sides with the back of a spoon.
• Pour all of the filling into the pie pan, on top of the caramel, and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle the top with peanuts, chocolate peanut butter cups and the remaining caramel.

The post Decadent and Delicious Creamy Peanut Butter Pie with Pretzel Crust first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

I LOVE peanut butter. I could honestly eat it with just about anything. And I am always looking to see what it would taste good with! So, you can imagine how happy I was when I created such a delicious and smooth peanut butter buttercream for my cakes. And, you guys, I can honestly say this is the best peanut butter buttercream frosting for cake! 

This post shares my infamous peanut butter buttercream frosting recipe along with some of my favorite cakes where I use the buttercream for them. I hope you find some favorites and enjoy baking and eating your new peanut butter cake creations!

The Best Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting Recipe

I’m in love with my peanut butter buttercream frosting recipe. I think it is so light and silky smooth, which makes the perfect addition to a cake! If you love peanut butter too, I think you’ll really love this buttercream recipe! 

To make the peanut butter buttercream frosting, you’ll need:

• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter slightly chilled
• 1 cup (250 g) peanut butter smooth
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp (13 g) vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

First, beat the butter and the peanut butter for about 3 to 5 minutes in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. You want it to lighten in color and be smooth in texture. 

Next, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla, salt, and cream while your mixer is on low speed. Stir all of the ingredients to combine.

Lastly, beat your mixture for an additional 5 minutes with your mixer on medium-high speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times during the process to make sure it all gets mixed together well. The buttercream will become lighter in color and should take on a fluffy texture. 

Top 3 Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosted Cakes

As promised, here are three of my favorite peanut butter buttercream frosted cakes you’ll love! After making this list I think it’s time for me to go whip one of these up in the kitchen. The only problem is deciding which one to do first! 

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosted Cake #1: Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Filled Fluffernutter Cake

My Fluffernutter Cake is made up of tender and fluffy white cake layers with banana cream filling and toasted marshmallow filling, covered in peanut butter buttercream. Did you grow up on fluffernutter sandwiches like me and my family? It’s a sandwich with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff! How could you go wrong? And my mom would always add a layer of banana in there too. So this cake is a representation of those cherished sandwiches I had as a kid!

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosted Cake #2: Peanut Butter Dream Cake

My Peanut Butter Dream Cake is the ultimate peanut butter lover’s cake. It has peanut butter cake layers, peanut butter marshmallow filling, and peanut butter buttercream frosting. (Yes, I love peanut butter that much.) I made this cake for one of my birthdays and it did not disappoint! I think if you love peanut butter or even just like it, this cake will put a huge smile on your face! 

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosted Cake #3: Peanut Butter Oreo Cake

Is it just me or do peanut butter and oreo really belong together? Dipping oreos in peanut butter has always been a thing in my house, so it was only a matter of time before I turned this sweet snack into a cake! This Peanut Butter Oreo Cake has SIX layers! I just wanted to make sure you got to taste the cake, cream filling, and buttercream in every bite. But you don’t have to do six. Check out my original post here to see how you can condense it down. 

The Best Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting for Cake

Alright, which one of these cakes is getting you most excited to use the best peanut butter buttercream frosting for cake? I can’t wait to see which ones you love the most! And I’d love to know what you think of the peanut butter buttercream. Come let me know over on Instagram! You can follow me @cakebycourtney where I share all the tips and tricks for baking cakes and more!

Similar Recipes You’ll Love

• The Best Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting for Cake
• Tiramisu Cake with Mascarpone Custard and Coffee Buttercream
• 5 Quick and Easy (non-cake) Desserts
• Lady Baltimore Cake
• Easy Green Shamrock Shake Bundt Cake

The post The Best Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting for Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

What is Reese’s Toast Cake?

As commedian and social media content creator Elyse Myers would say:

“Great question. I’d love to tell you.”

Reese’s Toast Cake is made up of the best white cake recipe from scratch you’ll ever try, plus peanut butter buttercream, chocolate ganache and an insanely delicious and addictive peanut butter toast crunch topping!

All of this deliciousness was inspired by a simple breakfast treat Elyse Myers made one morning on Instagram.

CHECK OUT HER VIDEO HERE.

Simple, yet delicious, right?

One of our IG community friends tagged me in that post, saying: “cake inspo?”

To which I responded, “absolutely!”

And I got to work…

The Best White Cake From Scratch

This white cake recipe is incredibly fluffy and so delicious. You’re going to love using it as the base of so many cakes.

The key to getting this light and fluffy texture? Let’s walk through them:

• Use room temperature ingredients: you hear me say this with every post, and it’s because this tip is SO IMPORTANT. To help get really tender and fluffy cake layers, you have to use ROOM TEMPERATURE ingredients. Not even the slightest bit cold. Why? Room temperature ingredients better blend together (you should see that the butter, sugar and eggs create a silky and smooth texture once you’re done mixing those ingredients for the given time) AND the dry ingredients better absorb the wet ingredients when they’re room temp (which creates a more even, higher rise in the layers).
• Start with medium-high speed: When you start making your batter, it’s critical that you are mixing your butter, sugar, and eggs long enough and at a high enough speed. I recommend 6-8 on your Kitchen Aid. You’ll start by mixing the butter and the sugar until the texture is light and fluffy (you should not see any clumps of butter at this point). Then, you’ll start adding your egg whites (or whole eggs, depending on the recipe). Mix well between additions, and THEN, after all the eggs are added, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue to mix on medium to high speed for another 3-ish minutes. You’re looking for the texture of the mixture to get silky smooth, and the color should appear lighter than when you started. I even notice the volume increases at this point.

Peanut Butter Buttercream / Frosting

As many of you know, this peanut butter buttercream is what dreams are made of. Good luck not eating half the batch as you make it!

Make sure you have your favorite smooth peanut butter on hand (I like Skippy), some heavy whipping cream, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.

You’ll love how easy this peanut butter frosting recipe is to make.

Peanut Butter Toast Crunch

This is where things get special and your life will change. PEANUT BUTTER TOAST CRUNCH!

To make this crumble topping, I adapted Christina Tosi’s technique for making some of her fillings. Once you learn the basics of this, you’ll be able to adapt it for so many cakes and flavors.

How to Make Peanut Butter Toast Crunch

• Toast white bread – I actually double-toasted mine to get it nice and crunchy, but not burnt.
• Process the toast in a food processor – you’re creating fine crumbs but also want some larger toasted bread pieces.
• Combine the toast crumbs with milk powder, brown sugar, and melted butter.
• Bake the mixture for about 20 minutes – making sure to toss and mix the crumbs halfway through to get an even bake
• Cover the toasted crumb mixture with Reese’s peanut butter baking chips (you WANT these chips because the flavor is so much better than any other peanut butter chip.
• Toss with a little more milk powder
• Let cool

Cake Assembly

As you decorate this simple 9-inch x 13-inch cake, cover it generously with the crunch topping. You’re going to want as much of that in each bite as possible. You’ll then drizzle chocolate ganache over the top, again – generously

I also sprinkled some Reese’s Pieces over the cake, but that’s totally optional.

Other Peanut Butter DessertsYou’ll Love

• Peanut Butter Dream Cake
• Peanut Butter Oreo Cake
• Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Cake
• Easy Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
• The Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

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Reese’s Toast Cake

Fluffy white cake with a whipped peanut butter buttercream, peanut butter toast crunch, and chocolate ganache.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword classic white cake, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Buttercream, Vanilla CAke

Servings 20 people

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 1 tbsp. (10 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp. (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tbsp. (13 g) vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (360 g) buttermilk, room temperature

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER TOAST CRUNCH

• 4 slices (100 – 110g) white bread
• 2 tbsp. (25 g) brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (94 g) milk powder, divided
• 4 tbsp (56.5 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 5 ounces Reese's peanut butter baking chips

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 1 cup (250 g) peanut butter
• 5 cups (626 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1 tbsp (13 g) vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt

FOR THE GANACHE

• 1/2 cup (85 g) dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (120 g) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9" x 13" cake pan with nonstick spray. Optional, line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again if you want to remove the cake before decorating the top.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until the texture is light and fluffy.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg whites on medium speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between addition. Once all of the egg whites are added, turn the mixer back to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. The texture should be smooth and the color should look lighter than when you started. Stir in the vanilla.
• With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk. Repeat the additions, 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 buttermilk and the final 1/3 flour mixture. Only mix until the flour mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for another 20 to 30 seconds on low.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Tip: spray your wire cooling racks with nonstick spray).

FOR THE CRUNCH TOPPING

• Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Toast the bread until it is golden brown and crispy. Process the toasted bread in a food processor to create fine crumbs and chunks of toast.
• In a medium bowl, combine the toast crumbs, 1/2 cup milk powder, and brown sugar. Toss to mix.
• Pour melted butter over the mixture and toss to coat.
• Spread the mixture over the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring the mixture half way.
• Melt the peanut butter chips in the microwave and then pour the melted peanut butter chips over the toast crumb mixture. The crumb mixture should be coated well with the peanut butter chips.
• Sprinkle in the remaining milk powder over the crumbs and toss to mix. Spread the mixture onto parchment paper to cool completely.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy and pale in color.
• With the mixer on slow, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla, and pinch of salt.
• Once all of the ingredients are combined, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a couple minutes more.
• Before using the buttercream, make sure to beat it by hand with a wooden spoon or large spatula to help push out the air pockets.

For the Ganache

• Heat the cream and the chocolate chips in the microwave until melted. Stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature before using on the cake.

ASSEMBLY

• Spread the peanut butter buttercream across the cake. Sprinkle generously with the peanut butter toast crunch. Drizzle with chocolate ganache
• Reese's pieces, optional

The post Reese’s Toast Cake with the Best Peanut Butter Frosting first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Reese’s Potato Chip Cake

I’m not sure if you’ve seen this yet, but Reese’s recently launched their Reese’s Potato Chip Big Cups. The new peanut butter filled treat is also filled with potato chips, creating a sweet and salty heaven!

When I heard about the new peanut butter cups from my older brother, I knew we needed a cake inspired by them. Here’s what you can expect in this cake:

• Dark chocolate cake layers
• Creamy peanut butter filling
• Potato chip and peanut butter crunch filling
• Chocolate buttercream

Sounds delightful and decadent, don’t you agree?!

How to Make Moist Chocolate Cakes From Scratch

To start, you’ll be making two, thick 8-inch dark chocolate cake layers. I love using the 8-inch by 2-inch Fat Daddio cake pans. This cake batter will fill the pans to create 2-inch high cake layers, but don’t worry, it won’t overflow them.

Ingredients You Need For The Chocolate Cake Recipe

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Dark cocoa powder
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Buttermilk
• Vegetable oil
• Water
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs

One of the many things you’ll love about this chocolate cake recipe is how EASY it is to make! You’ll simply mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, and then combine them.

Just make sure you don’t over mix your cake batter. As you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, make sure your mixer is on the lowest speed. Mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

NOTE: this cake batter is thin. Don’t let that worry you. It’s incredibly moist!

How to Make the Peanut Butter Filling

The peanut butter filling is similar to my peanut butter buttercream, but you’ll notice there’s less butter and more peanut butter. I really want the peanut butter flavor to stand out. We’re also using less powdered sugar in this recipe.

Ingredients You Need for the Peanut Butter Filling

• Unsalted butter
• Peanut butter
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Salt

Tip: Make sure the butter is room temperature when you make the filling so it easily blends with the peanut butter for a silky, smooth texture.

How to Make the Potato Chip Filling

Here’s where the salty element comes in. Potato chips! Ruffles to be exact.

I like using Ruffles potato chips because of the ridges and thickness. These chips hold their crunch within the peanut butter coating really well.

To make the potato chip filling, we’re going to coat the potato chips with milk powder, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter – AND THEN, we’re going to bake it! Baking the mixture allows it to get crispy and hold its crunch. Just make sure to cool it completely before storing or using in the cake.

Can I make and assembly the cake ahead of time or will the filling get soggy? You can certainly make all the elements of the Reese’s Potato Chip Cake ahead of time, but I wouldn’t assemble it too far in advance. If the potato chip filling sits in the cake too long, it will eventually lose it’s crunch.

How to Make the Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• Sift your powdered sugar: I know it adds a little time to the process, but it’s worth every extra second. It really is so crucial to making sure your chocolate buttercream is silky smooth. You’ll first measure your powdered sugar and then whisk it through a mesh strainer to get a super fine granule. I think this is the fastest, easiest way to sift powdered sugar. Here is a great option for sifters from Orson Gygi.
• Use semi-cold butter: I wish I could shout this one out to the world! Using semi-cold butter is key to ensuring your chocolate buttercream actually holds well and doesn’t fall from your spatula or off your cake. I recommend taking the butter out of your fridge about 30 minutes prior to making your buttercream. The butter should still be cold to the touch, but you’ll be able to make a slight imprint with your finger.
• If the butter still feels too cold, just cut it into cubes and add to your mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. We’re going to let the mixer soften the butter for us, without the butter getting too warm. It’s when the butter is too warm that it creates major problems for our chocolate buttercream. Run the mixer at medium speed for about two minutes to beat the butter. You’ll notice it gets lighter in color and looks fluffy and smooth. This is perfect. Scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl and mix again for another 30 to 60 seconds.

• Heat the cream and chocolate chips together to create a ganache: While the butter is beating, combine your cream and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high, using 30-second intervals. Stir until smooth. The heavy whipping cream is the star of the show here! I use it in all of my buttercream recipes and it’s such a game changer. A few tablespoons will do, unless otherwise stated in my recipes. Once the cream and chocolate are well mixed and silky smooth, slowly add the mixture to the butter while the mixer is on medium speed.
• Gradually add powdered sugar: You’ll now want to turn your mixer to low speed. We’re going to gradually add our powdered sugar, about a half cup at a time. This tip just helps you make less of a mess. Once you’ve added the powdered sugar, add a pinch of salt and some vanilla.
• Beat the buttercream on medium-high speed: With your heavy whipping cream added, it’s time for another critical step to making the best chocolate buttercream. Turn your mixer to medium-high speed and beat the buttercream for five minutes.
• Mix by hand: The final step to making the best chocolate buttercream is actually mixing your frosting by hand. Grab a spatula or big wooden spoon and stir the frosting for a few minutes. You’re trying to push out the air that the electric mixer created. Doing this will help so that you don’t have all the air pockets (holes) in your frosting while you smooth the sides with your scraper.

Other Chocolate Cakes You’ll Love

• Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cake
• Triple Chocolate Banana Cake
• Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Cake
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
• The Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Print

Reese’s Potato Chip Cake

Rich, dark chocolate cake layers with whipped peanut butter filling, peanut butter and potato chip filling, and chocolate buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Intermediate, Peanut Butter Buttercream, Potato Chip, Reese’s

Servings 1 3-layer, 8-inch cake

Author Courtney Rich

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (88.5 g) Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder (or similar premium brand)
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 3 large or extra large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 cup (236 g) hot water
• 1/2 cup (109 g) vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 2 cups (456 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1 tablespoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of coarse salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

For the Potato Chip Filling

• 2 cups (100 g) Ruffle potato chips, broken up into big pieces and then measured
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/4 cup (15 g) powdered milk
• 1/4 cup (50 g) packed brown sugar

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (250 g) peanut butter
• 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the dry ingredients.
• In a separate medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, water, oil and vanilla.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Batter will be thin. Scrape sides and mix for another 30 seconds. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes (you may need more time depending on your oven), until toothpick comes out almost clean. Cool on wire racks for 10-15 minutes, then gently invert onto racks until cooled completely.
• When cakes are completely cooled, I like to wrap each cake layer individually with plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator or freezer until I’m ready to frost. The cake will be easier to work with if it’s cooled a bit. If I’m making the cake a day or two before I actually need to frost it, I put it in the freezer to ensure freshness. If I’m frosting same-day, I’ll just put it in the refrigerator to chill until needed.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream and the chocolate chips for about a minute. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
• In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cooled chocolate ganache. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat until the mixture is smooth and silky.
• Slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla and salt. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed until lighter in color and texture, about 3 minutes.
• Use a wooden spoon to mix frosting to get rid of air bubbles.

For the Potato Chip Filling

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter. Stir to combine. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the potato chips, milk powder, and brown sugar. Toss to mix.
• Pour the melted butter and peanut butter over the mixture until it forms clusters.
• Spread the clusters on the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
• Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix until smooth and silky.

Assembly

• Place the first cake layer, top side up, in the center of your cake board or cake plate.
• Pipe a rim of the chocolate buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Spread about 1/2-2/3 of the peanut butter filling across the cake layer.
• Sprinkle with a generous amount of the potato chip filling.
• Top with the second cake layer, top side down.
• Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of chocolate buttercream. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• When the crumb coat is set, continue frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream. Top with the remaining peanut butter filling and potato chip filling.

The post Sweet and Salty Reese’s Potato Chip Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.