Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Ganache

This Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Ganache features a chocolate layer cake filled with creamy peanut butter ganache. It’s sure to be a new favorite dessert!

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We recently had dinner with friends, and they served a dessert with peanut butter ganache. As soon as I heard that, I turned around and said, “Do what!? Peanut butter…in a ganache?” I’ve made chocolate ganache plenty of times, but I’ve never made a peanut butter version. I was intrigued…and after one bite, I was hooked. I knew I needed to make a chocolate cake filled with peanut butter ganache!

This dessert has several different components, but none of them are particularly hard to make. They just take a bit of time and planning. Trust me when I say the result will be worth it. This cake earned a spot on my list of all-time favorites, and that means it’s amazing! Friends, hang on to this recipe. Make it soon. Then find another excuse to make it again…and again.

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Ganache

The cake portion of this dessert is my go-to chocolate cake recipe. It’s made with cocoa powder and oil, so it’s quite easy to mix together. No need for a stand mixer here! Sometimes I sub a little bit of coffee into this recipe in place of some of the water. Coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor without giving it a coffee flavor. Feel free to use coffee or just water. Either way, this is a moist chocolate cake that’s great for all sorts of recipes.

Peanut Butter Ganache

While the cake itself is mighty tasty, the star of the show here is undoubtedly the peanut butter ganache. This ganache is rich and creamy and packed with peanut butter flavor, but it’s not as heavy as a traditional peanut butter buttercream frosting. I could eat it with a spoon, although that might undo my workouts for an entire week. It might still be worth it!

And this peanut butter ganache is super easy to make, too! The secret ingredient? White chocolate melting wafers. These round discs get mixed with the peanut butter and then hot cream gets poured on top. The cream melts the wafers and peanut butter, and you’re left with a smooth and creamy ganache that could also be used in many different ways. In this instance, it was heading to the inside layers of a chocolate cake!

One note about the ganache: it does need to chill in the refrigerator to harden back up once it’s made. If you try to use it too quickly, it won’t stay inside the cake. The good news is the ganache can be made the day before and then just stored in the fridge overnight so it’s ready to go the next day when you bake the cake. Just a thought for planning purposes.

Peanut Butter Glaze

While the ganache is amazing, I didn’t want to use it both inside the cake and outside the cake. I felt like it might be too much. Instead of using a peanut butter frosting, the cake gets covered with a simple peanut butter glaze. Powdered sugar gets mixed with milk and peanut butter to create a thinner glaze that gets poured on top of the cake. Let that glaze drip down the sides for a fun, rustic appearance to this dessert.

Once again, planning ahead comes in play here. Once it’s poured on the cake, the glaze needs 1-2 hours to set. You could certainly cut it right away, but the glaze will still be wet which makes things a bit messier.

All together, this Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Ganache is one heck of a dessert! There’s a reason why so Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are so popular – chocolate combined with peanut butter is simply delicious. This cake channels those flavors, and the texture is amazing. One bite, and I think you’ll agree!

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Another option is to wrap the cake with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly against the cut sides of the cake. The ganache will harden back up in the fridge, so I recommend slicing the leftover cake and letting it come back to room temperature before serving.

Slices of this cake can also be frozen. Just wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to 4 months. Let the slices thaw at room temperature before serving. We have a bunch of slices of this cake frozen right now, and I can’t wait for upcoming weekend nights to pull out a slice!

If you’re looking for a dessert recipe that is sure to be a crowd pleaser, then this chocolate peanut butter cake is it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do here in our house! Happy Baking!

Did you bake this Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Ganache recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Ganache

This Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Ganache features a chocolate layer cake filled with creamy peanut butter ganache. It's sure to be a new favorite dessert!

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 55 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 slices

Calories: 527kcal

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Ingredients

For the Peanut Butter Ganache

• 1 cup white chocolate melting wafers see note
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ⅔ cup heavy cream can substitute whipping cream

For the Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ cups boiling water can substitute ¾ cup water and ¾ cup coffee
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 additional large egg yolks
• ¾ cup vegetable oil can substitute canola oil
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Glaze

• 1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• chocolate sprinkles for garnishing

Instructions

For the Peanut Butter Ganache

• Place white chocolate wafers and peanut butter in a medium heat-proof bowl; set bowl aside.
• Using a small saucepan, add whipping cream and place over medium heat.
• Heat cream, stirring often, until it just begins to bubble around the edges. (Note: Do not allow cream to come to a boil.)
• Pour hot cream into bowl with chocolate wafers and peanut butter. Let stand for 1 minute.
• Stir until wafers have completely melted and mixture is smooth.
• Press plastic wrap directly to the top of the ganache and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or overnight.

For the Chocolate Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease or spray (3) 9” round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.
• Using a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth; set aside.
• Using a large bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients (flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt); whisk until well combined.
• Add eggs, egg yolks, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla; whisk until well combined.
• Finally, add the cocoa powder and hot water mixture to the bowl in several additions, whisking well between each addition.
• Divide batter evenly into baking pans; tap pans lightly on countertop to release any air bubbles.
• Bake at 350°F for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
• Let cakes cool in pan for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack until completely cool. (Note: Remove parchment paper from bottom of cakes when transferring them to the cooling rack.)

For the Peanut Butter Glaze

• Using a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth.

To Assemble

• Place one layer of cake on large serving plate.
• Using an offset spatula, spread ½ of the peanut butter ganache on top of the cake.
• Repeat process with another layer of cake and remaining ½ of the ganache.
• Place 3rd layer on top of cake.
• Drizzle glaze over the top layer, letting some of the glaze drip down sides of the cake.
• Sprinkle chocolate sprinkles (aka chocolate jimmies) on top of the glaze while still wet.
• Let glaze set (~1-2 hours) before slicing and serving.

Notes

White chocolate melting wafers (sometimes called “candy melts”) can be found in some larger grocery stores, but I typically purchase them at craft stores.

Looking for more chocolate peanut butter dessert recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: