Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Incredibly moist, soft chocolate cake topped with a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter frosting is a dessert worthy of the most special occasions.

My husband often requests a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting for his birthday. However, with just a few people in our house, making large-layer cakes can be dangerous for my sweet tooth.

Especially when the cake tastes this amazing, it’s impossible to avoid eating a large piece with every meal – or even just substituting cake for our meal. We may or may not have a history of doing that in the past. But hey, birthdays demand cake – very good cake.

This cake is very likely to become your favorite go-to chocolate cake for special occasions. It is soft (and did I mention that it’s crazy moist?) and delivers a rich chocolate flavor.

That’s not even mentioning the light, fluffy frosting that will melt in your mouth. Just don’t question the amount of butter and be sure to save some for the cake. You will want to have a spoon handy for tasting as you’re making it.

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

I will admit, this recipe isn’t simple. It isn’t complicated to make as the directions are straightforward. But it requires multiple bowls, stovetop cooking, and careful mixing. A labor of love worth every bit of effort.

Let’s talk for just a moment about the science behind really good chocolate cake. This cake is over-leavened, meaning that at first glance, this cake recipe has too much baking soda in it. Over-leavening a cake will cause it to sink in the middle when baking.

The extra baking soda causes the air bubbles to enlarge to the point they pop, causing a flat, dense cake. However, the extra baking soda is what helps give the chocolate its rich taste and helps lend a darker color to the batter.

This is why the boiling step is necessary for the recipe. Boiling the baking soda, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar together allows the baking soda time to react with the cocoa.

This enhances the flavor of the cocoa and deepens the color. The boiling will also deactivate some of the baking soda. Resulting in the proper amount of leavening for baking.

The other unusual thing about this chocolate cake recipe is the instant coffee. I promise you will not be able to taste the coffee. The subtle flavors of the coffee enhance the cocoa leaving a richer chocolate taste.

Sorry for the long-winded explanation of baking soda, cocoa, and coffee. I think this pushes me into the category, of a “baking nerd”.

And I promise you don’t need to understand the chemical reactions that create this masterpiece. Measuring the ingredients correctly and following the recipe directions are more important to creating the perfect chocolate cake.

If you’re looking for a cake that’s a little simpler to whip up on a whim, this Ho Ho Cake is a family favorite from childhood and it’s a breeze to make.

Chocolate Cake with Instant Coffee

To make this decadent and delicious chocolate cake you will need the following ingredients:

• white sugar
• salt
• cocoa
• baking soda
• instant coffee granules
• water boiling
• vegetable oil
• vanilla
• all-purpose flour
• egg yolks
• eggs
• buttermilk

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

Creamy and delicious peanut butter buttercream is easy to make:

• butter 
• peanut butter
• powdered sugar
• milk

To make the frosting, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 2 minutes in a stand mixer until white and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and beat for another minute.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add enough milk until the frosting is a nice spreading consistency.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Recipes

Chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven. The salty-sweet combination is irresistible for those of us with a sweet tooth.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread is a fun way to use up that extra zucchini. This is a moist, chocolate zucchini bread with a peanut butter swirl.

These Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips are a dream come true for any peanut butter and chocolate lover. Perfectly soft and chewy, you can’t eat just one.

Creamy, smooth batches of chocolate and peanut butter fudge are combined to make this chocolate peanut butter swirl fudge. It’s an unforgettable holiday treat.

{originally published 5/30/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/14/23}