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chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting on parchment paper
5 from 1 vote
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Chocolate Snack Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

This chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting is pure chocolate pb heaven! It's a simple fudgy cake with a thick layer of peanut butter goodness.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings16 squares
Coursecake
CuisineAmerican
AuthorSloane

Ingredients

For the chocolate snack cake:

  • 30 g ( cup) dutch process cocoa powder
  • 12 g (1 ½ tablespoon) black cocoa powder
  • 100 g (3 ½ oz) bittersweet chocolate
  • 100 g ( cup + 2 tbsp) hot coffee
  • 140 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
  • 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 53 g (¼ cup) brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 65 g ( cup) neutral oil*
  • 56 g (¼ cup) whole milk, room temp
  • 56 g (¼ cup) plain whole milk greek yogurt, room temp
  • 2 eggs, room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the peanut butter frosting:

  • 113 g (½ cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
  • 405 g (1 ½ cups) peanut butter*
  • 170 g (1 ½ cups) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions

For the chocolate snack cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9x9 inch square pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powders, chocolate, and hot coffee together. If the chocolate does not fully melt, heat in the microwave in 20 second intervals until fully melted.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
  • To the dry ingredients, add the oil, milk, yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until fully combined.
  • Add in the chocolate mixture and whisk until fully combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Allow cake to cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the peanut butter frosting:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.
  • Add the peanut butter and mix until fully combined.
  • While mixing on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar.
  • Turn the speed up to medium, then add the salt and the heavy cream and beat until smooth.
  • Frost the cake as desired and enjoy!

Notes

  • Use any neutral oil, such as light tasting olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
  • I recommend only using a thick, creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. 
  • Store this cake in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1square | Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 229IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
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