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–+ servings
A slice of chocolate peanut butter cake.
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4.94 from 15 votes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake
Servings: 20 Servings
Calories: 380kcal

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 15.25 ounce chocolate cake mix
  • 3.9 ounce package instant chocolate pudding
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips

Peanut Butter Frosting

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounce package frozen whipped topping thawed

Garnish Option

  • Chocolate Sauce, Chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Chopped Peanuts

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 13"x9" cake pan.
  • 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.

Video

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 1/2 cups heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 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.
  • Be Mindful 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg
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