Every Helping
Sign in

Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Peanut Butter Layer Cake with Cocoa Fudge Filling

Tender, nutty peanut butter layers sandwich a silky cocoa fudge filling under a fluffy peanut butter frosting, finished with crunchy chopped roasted peanuts.

Peanut Butter Layer Cake with Cocoa Fudge Filling

Ingredients

  • 2 cups250 gAll-purpose flour
  • 1¾ tsp8 gBaking powder
  • ¾ tsp3 gBaking soda
  • ¾ tsp4 gSalt
  • 1 cup250 gPeanut butter, no salt addeddivided: 130 g for the cake, 120 g for the frosting
  • 1 cup200 gUnsalted buttersoftened; divided: 85 g for the cake, 30 g for the filling, 85 g for the frosting (grease the pans from the cake portion)
  • 1 cup packed200 gBrown sugarpacked
  • 3 large150 gEggsroom temperature
  • 1 tbsp12 gVanilla extractdivided: 8 g for the cake, 4 g for the frosting
  • 1 cup (240 ml)240 gButtermilk, low-fatroom temperature
  • ½ cup40 gUnsweetened cocoa powdersifted
  • ½ cup100 gGranulated sugar
  • 2½ tbsp20 gCornstarch
  • 1⅓ cups (320 ml)330 gWhole milkdivided: 300 g for the filling, 30 g for the frosting
  • 1½ cups180 gPowdered sugarsifted
  • ⅓ cup60 gDry-roasted peanuts, unsaltedchopped

Steps

  1. Make the cocoa filling first so it can chill: in a saucepan whisk the granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder and cornstarch, then slowly whisk in the 300 g filling portion of whole milk until smooth.
  2. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it bubbles and thickens like pudding, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the 30 g filling portion of butter. Press plastic wrap on the surface and chill at least 1 hour, until set.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round pans with a thin smear taken from the 85 g cake portion of butter and line the bottoms with parchment.
  4. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  5. In a large bowl, beat the rest of the 85 g cake portion of butter, the 130 g cake portion of peanut butter and the brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the 8 g cake portion of vanilla.
  6. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, mixing on low just until combined.
  7. Divide the batter between the pans and bake 28–32 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
  9. For the frosting, beat the remaining 85 g frosting portion of butter with the remaining 120 g frosting portion of peanut butter until creamy. Beat in the powdered sugar, the remaining 4 g of vanilla and the remaining 30 g of whole milk until light and spreadable.
  10. Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread a ring of frosting around the edge, then spoon the chilled cocoa filling inside the ring and spread it level.
  11. Top with the second layer and cover the top and sides with the rest of the frosting.
  12. Press the chopped dry-roasted peanuts around the top edge. Chill 20 minutes to set, then cut into 12 slices. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Peanuts, Gluten.

Cook mode Log it in Today

Made it

Made it? Share how yours turned out.

Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

Want one that fits your numbers?

Pick the meal, the pan and your targets, and the Every Helping recipe generator writes a recipe with every number worked out. Free on the web.

Make a recipeMore from the recipe book