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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Peanut Butter Snack Cake with Cocoa Swirl

A tender, nutty peanut butter crumb ribboned with a fudgy cocoa filling and topped with crunchy chopped dry-roasted peanuts.

Peanut Butter Snack Cake with Cocoa Swirl

Ingredients

  • 1¾ cups220 gAll-purpose flour
  • 1¾ tsp8 gBaking powder
  • ¾ tsp3 gBaking soda
  • ½ tsp3 gSalt
  • ½ cup130 gPeanut butter, no salt addedcreamy, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup70 gUnsalted buttersoftened, plus a little for the pan
  • ⅔ cup packed150 gBrown sugarpacked
  • ⅓ cup80 gGranulated sugar
  • 2 large100 gEggsroom temperature
  • 2 tsp8 gVanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240 ml)240 gButtermilk, low-fatroom temperature
  • ¼ cup25 gUnsweetened cocoa powder
  • ⅓ cup60 gSemisweet chocolate chips
  • 2½ tbsp40 gWaterhot
  • ⅓ cup45 gDry-roasted peanuts, unsaltedcoarsely chopped

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9x9-inch pan with a little of the butter and line it with parchment.
  2. Make the cocoa filling first: in a small bowl, whisk the unsweetened cocoa powder with the hot water until smooth, then stir in the chocolate chips until melted and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, the remaining softened butter, the brown sugar and the granulated sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
  6. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, mixing just until no dry streaks remain.
  7. Spread half of the batter in the pan. Spoon the cocoa filling over it in dollops and spread gently.
  8. Top with the remaining half of the batter, then drag a knife through in a few loops to swirl.
  9. Scatter the chopped dry-roasted peanuts over the top.
  10. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean of cake crumbs (a smear of melted chocolate is fine).
  11. Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 45 minutes, then cut into 12 slices.

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

Contains: Milk, Egg, Peanuts, Gluten. Some brands contain soy.

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

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