Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
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If you have a peanut butter-loving family, they will love this Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting recipe from the first melt-in-your-mouth bite. It features a tender peanut butter-flavored cake made from scratch with a deliciously creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting.
The only thing better than a homemade peanut butter cake is a peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting. I am grateful to my dear family friend, Kate Burhop, for sharing her grandmother’s recipe with me and I was so excited to make it for my peanut butter-loving family. This is similar to my old-fashioned yellow cake with peanut butter fudge icing.
However, this time we’re making a cake from scratch that includes peanut butter, sugar, butter, eggs, and buttermilk (it’s the Southern way) for ultimate tenderness and moistness. Yes, this cake melts in your mouth, even without the frosting.
The other difference is that instead of an old-fashioned peanut butter icing, this peanut butter frosting is made with cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. That cream cheese twang really differentiates the two and this one is creamier compared to the other icing’s fudge consistency.
It may sound like there’s a lot going on, but let me tell you, this is such an easy peanut butter cake recipe. You just have to slowly combine the cake ingredients together, which takes no time at all. Then bake them for about 35 minutes and while cooling, mix the frosting ingredients together. Then you can ice the cake however you want.
I just know you’re going to love this Peanut Butter Cake recipe as much as I do. The peanut butter flavor is so good, y’all. The in your life will fall head over heels for it! It’s the first cake Kate learned to bake from scratch and her most requested dessert recipe. In just one bite you’ll know exactly why! Just don’t forget to serve it with a glass of milk (trust me).
Recipe Ingredients
- Self-rising flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Creamy peanut butter
- Cream cheese (check out our recipe for easy-peasy homemade cream cheese)
- Powdered sugar
- Unsalted butter or margarine
- Eggs
How to Make Peanut Butter Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting
Place sugar…
Butter…
Peanut butter…
And eggs in a mixing bowl.
Mix with an electric mixer until well combined and smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine the self-rising flour with baking soda.
I don’t sift. Neither did Mamaw. A spoon works just fine for this.
Then alternate between adding the to the …
With adding the buttermilk as well.
When you’ve finished mixing your ingredients, the cake batter should look something like this.
Now using cooking spray, grease your pans. This cake is enough to fill three 8-inch cake pans.
You can also bake it in a 9×13 baking dish if you’d prefer a and just ice it right in the pan.
However, today I have a bit of time on my hands and have decided to go with my “intuition” for something special.
If using three 8-inch pans, bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.
Time may vary slightly if you decide to use differently sized pans.
Allow them to cool for 10 minutes in the pans before turning out to cool completely.
Making the Peanut Butter Frosting
For the frosting, combine the peanut butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
Then add the powdered sugar…
And the milk.
You may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of milk if the mixture is too thick. Alternatively, if the mixture becomes too runny for your tastes, add extra powdered sugar.
Then add the frosting between the cooled cake layers and cover the entire cake.
You can even pipe on some little accents if you’re feeling extra fancy.
But really, frost your cake however you wish!
I assure you it will taste just as good, if not better, slopped on the cake as it will when neatly decorated.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to dive into this delicious slice of Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting.
Storage
- Store leftover Peanut Butter Cake in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. It tastes delicious when served chilled, so if you live in a warmer climate like here in the South, I recommend storing it in the fridge.
- You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
- If you like, top your cake with a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips, chopped roasted peanuts, crushed peanut brittle, , or pieces of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
- You want to use creamy peanut butter and not crunchy peanut butter, as the texture won’t work for the cake or frosting.
- If you’d prefer a , substitute the for my creamy chocolate frosting.
Check out these other peanut butter treats:
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Icing
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Easy Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Fudge Icing
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cake
- 2 2/3 cups self-rising flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1.5 cups peanut butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Place sugar, butter, peanut butter, and eggs in a mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well combined and smooth.2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1 cup peanut butter, 2 eggs
- Mix together dry ingredients (self-rising flour and baking soda) in a separate bowl. Combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.2 2/3 cups self-rising flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 2 cups buttermilk
- Bake in three cake pans at 350 for about 35 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in their pans before turning out to cool completely.
Frosting
- Combine peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. You may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of milk if the mixture is too thick. Alternatively, if the mixture becomes too runny for your tastes, add extra powdered sugar.4 cups powdered sugar, 1.5 cups peanut butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, 2 tbsp milk
- Spread between the cooled cake layers and around the entire cake.
Video
If you aren’t grateful, you’re not paying attention.
Yum! I was never wild about peanut butter when I was younger, but I’ve learned to appreciate it over the years. Now it is one of my favorite flavors! The cake sounds sublime!
We always called it frosting – but, we always said we were going to “ice” the cake. This cake sounds wonderful – might try it this weekend!
Right on, Cindy. Around my house we “frost” the cake with “icing.” =-)
i call it icing and pronounce it like this: eye-sin
and if I ever say frosting i might be talking about ice in the winter time but we don;t get much of that out here in New Market.
Love the way your cake looks on the cake plate…fancy fancy!
Looks absolutely divive w/that FROSTING!! 🙂 Thanks for posting! We say frosting unless it is cooked, then say icing.
I’ve looked at this 3 times now, and finally stopped drooling long enough to comment. Oh.my.stars.!!! This looks absolutely delicious and I cannot WAIT to try it. Thank you so much for sharing your story and the recipe Kate 🙂 There were more than a few dishes I had to learn to make by watching because nobody measured, your family has done a fabulous job getting this on paper. Now I’m going to text my son to pick up cream cheese on the way home.
YUMMY! Will have to make this SOON!! I just went out and bought the ingredients for the Butterfinger cake today so this one will be next on the list!
Oh my,I am on a diet right now but printed the recipe…….my mouth is watering !!!
I feel your pain, Sandra!! I’m on a very calorie restricted diet as well. I did print the recipe though and may make it for my family anyway. I made them some old fashioned banana pudding tonight (with meringue on top) and they loved it!