As a devoted fan of Reese’s Cups and the irresistible combination of peanut butter and chocolate, I’m excited to share one of our favorite cake recipes: a homemade Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake. This cake pairs a rich chocolate sponge with a luscious peanut butter buttercream and a silky chocolate buttercream for the ultimate dessert experience.
Chocolate and peanut butter is a classic flavor combination for a reason: the deep, slightly bitter cocoa notes amplify the rich, salty sweetness of peanut butter. When you bake this cake from scratch, the textures and flavors come together in a way that keeps everyone asking for seconds. Whether you’re baking for family, friends, a special occasion, or clients, this cake reliably impresses.
All you need to make this show-stopping cake are three well-made components: a dependable chocolate cake base, a creamy peanut butter buttercream for the filling, and a smooth chocolate buttercream to finish. Below I describe how we assembled our version and highlight the recipes that produce the best results.
For this cake we baked three 8-inch layers of a classic scratch chocolate cake. When stacked, the three layers produced a tall, impressive cake of roughly five inches. The sponge is moist but sturdy enough to support multiple layers of filling and frosting without collapsing, and it offers the right degree of chocolate richness to balance the peanut butter.
After the layers cooled completely, we spread a generous amount of peanut butter buttercream between each layer. This filling adds a creamy, peanut-forward contrast to the chocolate cake. We then applied a smooth coating of chocolate buttercream around the exterior, using a cake comb to create a subtle ridged texture. The top was decorated with piped peanut butter buttercream rosettes using a Wilton 21 star tip, and a chocolate buttercream shell border piped with a 2D tip. To finish, we added a handful of mini Reese’s Cups for additional texture and that familiar candy flavor.
Key components for success
Classic Chocolate Cake – Choose a reliable scratch chocolate cake recipe that yields a moist crumb and stable structure. A good chocolate sponge should hold up well to filling and frosting, whether you’re covering it in buttercream or using fondant. This type of cake is versatile and works equally well for layer cakes and cupcakes.
Peanut Butter Buttercream – For this cake we recommend making one and a half times a standard peanut butter buttercream recipe to ensure you have ample filling and enough to pipe decorations on top. The buttercream should be smooth, fluffy, and deeply flavored with peanut butter; it pairs beautifully with chocolate and also holds its shape well when piped.
Classic Chocolate Buttercream – The finishing frosting should be silky, pipeable, and develop a light crust for clean decorations. A balanced chocolate buttercream provides the right chocolate intensity without overwhelming the peanut butter. It also creates a beautiful contrast in both color and flavor when paired with peanut butter rosettes and candy accents.
Assembly tips: level each cooled cake layer for even stacking, chill the filled cake briefly to set the crumb coat before applying the final coat of chocolate buttercream, and use a bench scraper or cake comb for smooth sides or decorative ridges. When piping rosettes, a chilled cake helps the designs hold their shape. Add the Reese’s Cups or other peanut butter-chocolate candies just before serving so they stay fresh and visually appealing.
This Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake is consistently a crowd-pleaser because it combines a tender chocolate sponge with two complementary frostings and familiar candy accents. Once you taste the balance of textures and flavors, it’s easy to see why this pairing remains a top choice for celebrations, dessert tables, and special orders. Give it a try—your family and friends will ask for the recipe again and again.