Peanut Butter Cake

Peanut butter cakes are usually dense with a mild flavor, but not this cake! It has lots of peanut butter flavor, is moist and super tasty. The peanut butter crumble on top takes it to the next level!

I’m a huge peanut butter lover. I mean, I could eat the stuff straight from the jar with a spoon (and sometimes I do). This peanut butter cake is anything but boring. It’s moist, decadent, and has so much peanut butter flavor. It’s topped with a yummy peanut butter crumble which adds great texture! You could even add some chocolate chips or drizzle chocolate ganache on top to add some chocolatey goodness!

How to make peanut butter cake

This cake is so moist, it melts in your mouth. I use both butter for flavor and oil for a super moist texture. It’s a great snacking cake to have with your coffee.

Start by making the peanut butter crumble

This delicious crumble is everything! It is made with peanut butter and roasted peanuts. The cake is delicious on its own so you don’t have to add the crumble on top, but if you ask me, it makes it so much better.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and brown sugar. Using a wooden spoon or a fork, stir in butter and peanut butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in peanuts and cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make the peanut butter cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease an 8×8-inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl mix milk and sour cream. Set bowls aside.
3. In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, peanut butter, oil, and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 additions, starting and ending with the flour. Be careful not to overmix.
4. Pour the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the peanut butter crumble evenly over the batter. It will look like a lot of crumbs, but use them all. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely.

Tips for making peanut butter cake

Don’t overmix the cake batter. This can make your cake dense and tough, which we don’t want. Instead, once you add the dry ingredients, only mix the ingredients until everything is incoporated.

To avoid a dry cake, don’t overbake your cake. Remove from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Use a non-natural creamy peanut butter. You can use natural peanut butter in this cake, but non-natural, like Skippy or Jif, has sugar and salt already added which adds flavor to the cake.

More of my favorite snack cake recipes

• Banana Nutella Cake: Moist banana cake swirled with thick ribbons of Nutella.
• White and Dark Chocolate Marble Cake: Two chocolatey cakes swirled together for amazing flavor.
• Plum Ginger Coffee Cake: A unique, delicious cake made with juicy plums, coconut, and fresh ginger.
• Chocolate Pecan Espresso Cake: The best way to wake up in the morning.
• Spice Cake: Perfectly moist and luscious spice cake topped with velvety-smooth cream cheese frosting.

3 from 3 votes

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Peanut Butter Cake

Moist, delicious peanut butter cake topped with crunchy, peanut streusel. This is the ultimate snack cake!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

YIELD 16 squares

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Crumble

• ⅓ cup (45g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (50g) light or dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (16g) creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup (50g) chopped roasted salted peanuts

Cake

• 1 and ½ cups (200g) all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
• ¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream (or buttermilk)
• ½ cup (1 stick/115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ⅔ cup (170g) creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teapoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Make the peanut butter crumble: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and brown sugar. Using a wooden spoon or a fork, stir in butter and peanut butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in peanuts. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease an 8×8-inch pan.

3. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl mix milk and sour cream. Set bowls aside.

4. In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, peanut butter, oil, and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 additions, starting and ending with the flour. Be careful not to overmix.

5. Pour the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle crumble evenly over the batter. It will look like a lot of crumbs, but use them all. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely.

6. Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cake is best served at room temperature.