Go Back
Chocolate peanut butter cake
No ratings yet

Chocolate Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting (baseball cap cake)

Chocolate cake frosted with a simple peanut butter buttercream. Use this cake recipe to create a baseball cap cake! Cake recipe can also be used to build a regular stacked layer cake.
Yield: four layer 8-inch cake
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 886kcal
Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Ingredients

Chocolate Layer Cake (four -8 inch rounds)

  • 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
  • 1½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
  • 2 ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temp
  • 2 ¼ cup whole milk, room temp
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, or vanilla paste

Peanut Butter Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
  • ⅔ cup smooth peanut butter
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 3 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar) sifted
  • ¼- ½ cup heavy cream ,adjust according to desired consistency

Instructions

Chocolate Layer Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and lightly flour 4- 8 inch cake rounds. Line with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Make sure there are no cocoa powder lumps. If desired, sift ingredients together. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until lightened in color and fluffy in texture. Scrape down bowl as necessary.
  • Add eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is incorporated before adding the next one. Scrape bowl as necessary to ensure even mixing.
  • Add vanilla extract to milk.
  • Add 1/3 of dry flour mixture to mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until almost combined. Follow with 1/2 of milk mixture. Repeat and end with last 1/3 of flour mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined and there are no streaks of flour left.
  • Divide batter evenly between four 8-inch cake rounds. (If you only have two cake rounds, divide by two and split cake layers after baking.) Use a mini offset spatula to even out the cake batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cakes are done and toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
  • Let cakes cool for 5-10 minutes before unmolding. Let cake cool to room temperature on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Frosting

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and peanut butter until smooth and combined. Slowly add sifted powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add cream and mix until desired consistency is achieved.

Notes

Chocolate Layer Cake adapted from Baking Illustrated
I only use Massa Fondant from Albert Uster Imports and Food Gel Coloring from AmeriColor

Nutrition

Calories: 886kcal, Carbohydrates: 102g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 52g, Saturated Fat: 29g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 175mg, Sodium: 591mg, Potassium: 357mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 75g, Vitamin A: 1419IU, Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 103mg, Iron: 3mg