Preppy Kitchen’s John Kanell presents a joyous, foolproof take on a chocolate peanut butter layer cake that blends classic comfort with show-stopping presentation. This article distills his step-by-step method into a friendly guide for home bakers who love great cooking, recipes, bon apetit moments. Expect moist, fudgy chocolate layers, a light and fluffy peanut butter frosting, and a silky chocolate ganache drip that finishes the cake with flair.
Why this recipe works
- Simple, two-bowl batter—no complicated equipment required.
- Room-temperature ingredients and a mix of oil + buttermilk yield a tender, refrigerator-friendly crumb.
- The hot liquid addition at the end (coffee or water) intensifies chocolate flavor and smooths the batter.
- A balanced frosting formula prevents weeping while staying creamy and light.
John emphasizes small, reliable techniques that improve the outcome—like sifting cocoa, leveling flour when measuring, and chilling layers before adding ganache. These little steps elevate the final cake and make it accessible to bakers of all levels who search for delicious cooking, recipes, bon apetit ideas.
Ingredients overview
For the chocolate layers
- Cocoa powder (Dutch or natural) for deep chocolate flavor
- All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- Buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla
- Hot coffee or hot water to finish the batter
For the peanut butter frosting
- Room-temperature unsalted butter and creamy, processed peanut butter
- Powdered sugar added in batches for structure and body
- A touch of milk or cream, salt, and vanilla
For the ganache and garnish
- Dark chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet) and heavy cream
- Mini peanut butter cups, halved, for decoration
John recommends using processed peanut butter for the smoothest texture; if using natural peanut butter, make sure it’s well-stirred so it blends evenly into the buttercream.
Step-by-step method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch pans and place parchment rounds in the center.
- Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. Keep ingredients at room temperature for even baking.
- Sift cocoa and measure flour (fluff then spoon into a cup if using cups). Combine dry ingredients with sugar, leaveners, and salt. Whisk to distribute evenly.
- Combine wet and dry until just a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in one cup of hot coffee or hot water and finish mixing to a smooth batter.
- Divide batter evenly into pans (use a scale or eyeball with a knife depth check). Bake with two racks in the oven; rotate pans after 20 minutes. Cakes are done when centers are set.
- Cool in the pan 15 minutes, invert onto a rack, and remove parchment. Cool completely before frosting.
- Make the peanut butter frosting: beat butter and peanut butter until light, add salt and vanilla, then add powdered sugar in batches with a bit of milk/cream until fluffy and spreadable.
- Assemble: spread ¾–1 cup frosting between layers, crumb-coat the outside, chill 20 minutes, then pour slightly cooled ganache onto the top and coax drips over the edge.
- Chill briefly, then pipe dollops of reserved frosting and top with halved mini peanut butter cups.
Tips, troubleshooting, and storage
- Want flatter, more even layers? Use cake strips wrapped around the pans to prevent doming.
- If ganache is too warm it will run; too cold and it won’t drip—aim for slightly warm and fluid but not thin.
- Reserve a cup of frosting for piping and stir it briefly before piping so dollops are smooth and not foamy.
- Store the finished cake in the fridge for up to five days. Sliced pieces can be wrapped and frozen up to two months.
Final thoughts
This chocolate peanut butter layer cake is a celebration of comforting flavors and smart technique. It’s ideal for bakers who want an impressive dessert without a complicated process—perfect for hosting or for savoring with family over coffee. With a few simple tips from John Kanell, anyone can achieve a bakery-worthy cake that combines the best of cooking, recipes, bon apetit delights.
Make it as a three-layer showpiece or scale down to a sheet cake—either way, this recipe brings big flavor and joyful results that match the spirit of modern home baking and approachable cooking, recipes, bon apetit inspiration.
This article was created from the video Amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe with the help of AI.
Amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe — cooking, recipes, bon apetit. There are any Amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe — cooking, recipes, bon apetit in here.
