Description

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for a Crowd is a decadent and rich dessert perfect for large gatherings. Featuring a moist chocolate cake with a fluffy peanut butter frosting, topped with mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and finished with a luscious drizzle of melted chocolate and peanut butter, this recipe is designed to impress and serve 20 to 25 people. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is perfectly balanced with a hint of salt, making each bite outrageously delicious.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

1 3/4 cups plain / all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda)
2 cups white sugar (or caster/superfine sugar)
1 tsp cooking / kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup milk (low or full fat)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or other plain flavored oil like canola, grapeseed, rapeseed, sunflower)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)
1 cup boiling water

Frosting and Topping

250g / 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 cups (500 g) soft icing sugar / powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (120 g) smooth peanut butter (spread, not pure)
1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
1 tbsp milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips or melts (semi sweet)
2 tbsp cream (thickened/heavy or pure, not low fat)
3 tbsp peanut butter, warmed in microwave to make runny
120g / 4 oz mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
10+ miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, halved
1/4 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

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Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C fan-forced. Grease a 23 x 33cm (9 x 13″) metal cake pan thoroughly with butter, then line it with baking paper allowing for an overhang to make removal easier. If using round pans, refer to special instructions in notes.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until well combined.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and instant coffee powder (if using) until smooth.
Create the Cake Batter: Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing gently. Then carefully stir in the boiling water until the batter is smooth and well combined; the batter will be thin, which is normal and helps create a moist cake.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan before frosting.
Prepare the Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar, beating well after each addition to avoid lumps. Add the smooth peanut butter, salt, and 1 tbsp milk, and continue to beat until the frosting is fluffy and spreadable.
Assemble the Cake: Once the cake is fully cooled, spread the peanut butter frosting evenly over the top.
Make the Chocolate Drizzle: In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the chocolate chips with the cream together until smooth. Drizzle this melted chocolate over the frosted cake.
Drizzle Peanut Butter: Warm the 3 tbsp of peanut butter in the microwave until runny and drizzle over the chocolate layer for extra flavor and decoration.
Add Toppings: Arrange the mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on top of the cake, and scatter the halved miniature cups and finely chopped salted peanuts for a crunchy, delightful finish.
Serve: Lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into small slices to serve 20 to 25 people, as the cake is rich and decadent.

Notes

This cake is perfect for feeding a large crowd and is very rich, so smaller slices are recommended.
The cocoa powder is unsweetened to let the chocolate flavor bloom beautifully when combined with boiling water.
Instant coffee powder is optional but enhances the depth of chocolate flavor.
For round cake pans, adjust baking time accordingly and consider using two or three pans for layering the frosting.
The peanut butter used in frosting should be a spreadable style, not pure peanut butter, for the best texture and taste.
The touch of salt in the frosting complements the sweetness and intensifies the overall flavor.
Watch the cake closely towards the end of baking to avoid overcooking; moisture is key to richness.
You can substitute salted peanuts with other nuts if desired, but salted peanuts add the perfect finishing crunch and flavor contrast.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 395 kcal
Sugar: 41 g
Sodium: 258 mg
Fat: 21 g
Saturated Fat: 8 g
Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
Trans Fat: 0.3 g
Carbohydrates: 51 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 38 mg