This Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is made with store-bought cake mix that's been reinforced with pudding mix. A homemade peanut butter frosting using cream cheese makes for the most addicting icing in the world. This cake is truly a recipe that will be requested over and over again.
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil, and water. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for or with a whisk just until blended, about 45-60 seconds.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Fold in the peanut butter chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
For the frosting, blend the cream cheese and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until well combined.
Add powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Fold or with a mixer on low speed, incorporate half of the whipped topping. Once combined, add the remaining whipped topping.
Spread evenly over the top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
When ready to serve, garnish as desired.
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Notes
Expert Tips for Recipe Success
Homemade Chocolate Cake: If you want to substitute with a homemade cake mix, here are the ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar,. ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa or dark cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt
Homemade Whipped Cream: Frozen whipped topping can be substituted with homemade. Simply whip together 1 ½ cups heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
Homemade Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix: You can opt for a homemade instant pudding mix. DO NOT substitute the mix for a packaged cooked chocolate pudding mix.
BeMindful of Mixing Time: Mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing can lead to a tough cake.
Preheat Your Oven: Ensure that your oven is fully preheated before baking. Consistent temperature is crucial for even baking.
Check for Doneness: Use the toothpick test to check for doneness. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Let it Cool Properly: Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cooling too quickly can lead to a collapsed cake.