Description
Indulge in decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake – rich chocolate, creamy peanut butter, easy to make, perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (use conventional, not natural)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare Your Baking Area Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13×9-inch baking pan thoroughly, then line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the cake out later. This preparation ensures your Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake won’t stick and will be easy to serve.
- Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Make sure there are no lumps in your dry ingredients to ensure a smooth cake batter. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
- Step 3: Create Chocolate Mixture In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, cocoa powder, and coffee. Stir constantly until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. This process blooms the cocoa powder, intensifying the chocolate flavor in your cake. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Step 4: Combine Wet Ingredients Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until smooth. The buttermilk adds tenderness while the eggs provide structure to your Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake. Make sure the chocolate mixture isn’t too hot to avoid cooking the eggs.
- Step 5: Finish the Batter Pour the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Don’t worry about a few small lumps—they’ll bake out. The batter will be relatively thin, which is exactly what you want for a moist sheet cake.
- Step 6: Bake the Cake Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking, as this is the number one cause of dry cake. The cake will continue to cook slightly as it cools.
- Step 7: Make the Frosting While the cake cools, beat the butter and peanut butter together until creamy and lightened in color, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, alternating with heavy cream. Add the vanilla and salt, then beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Step 8: Frost and Serve When the cake has cooled for about 10 minutes, spread the peanut butter frosting evenly over the warm cake. The residual warmth will allow the frosting to melt slightly into the top of the cake, creating that signature sheet cake texture. Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares and serving your perfect Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450 calories
- Sugar: 35 grams
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 25 grams
- Saturated Fat: 12 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 50 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Protein: 7 grams
- Cholesterol: 70 mg