This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cake is three layers of brownie, cookie, and chocolate cake with peanut butter and chocolate frosting. Basically heaven on a fork.
Do you remember last week when I shared my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake and told you that more chocolate peanut butter amazingness was around the corner?
Here we are, friends!
This is a serious cake, my friends.
The first layer is a brownie with peanut butter chips in it. The second layer is a a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie (!!!!) and the third layer is a really simple and totally amazing chocolate cake.
You guys. This cake is bananas.
(Ooooo . . . . . I need to make a chocolate banana layer cake! I’m like a kid chasing butterflies when it comes to food.)
The frosting in between the layers and decorative on top is a peanut butter buttercream frosting that is totally amazing. It’s thick and perfect for piping, but totally delicious.
The frosting all around the outside of the cake is my BEST Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. You guys, this frosting brings me to my knees each and ever single time I make it. It really is the best.
And if you haven’t been making your frosting from scratch, you really have to start. I’m not a die hard everything must be from scratch person. Except when it comes to frosting. Nothing beats from scratch frosting.
If making a layer cake scares you, I’m begging you to give this one a shot. Yes. You are making three different batters. But! It is deliciously messily perfect. If you don’t get the frosting just so, it won’t really matter because there is so much going on with this cake. Everyone is going to dig into it anyway! And when you are done, you get to cover the bottom and all of it’s imperfections in crumbled cookies!
Winner winner cake dinner!
If you are looking for a perfectly fantastic tutorial on how to frost a cake and where to get all of the supplies, I highly recommend this one from my friend, Lindsay. She is a master at cake decorating.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cake
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup peanut butter chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Cookie Cake Layer
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips I used milk chocolate chips
Chocolate Cake Layer
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 2 TBSPs
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup skim milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup water or coffee
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips melted
- 2 tsps vanilla
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
For Assembling the Cake
- mini chips ahoy
Instructions
Brownie Layer
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 inch spring form pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1 cup sugar until fully combined. Whisk in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 large eggs.
- In a medium bowl whisk together 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup all purpose flour. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, run a knife around the edge of the pan and then remove the side of the pan. Remove the bottom of the pan and allow to cool completely.
Peanut Butter Cookie Cake Layer
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt.
- In a large stand mixer, cream together 1 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Then beat in the 1 cup peanut butter until combined, scrapping down the sides as needed. Beat in the 2 eggs one at a time, and then beat in the 2 tsps vanilla.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour until just combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the mixer and then using a spatula gently fold in the 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Add the batter to the pan.
- Bake on the middle rack for 19 to 24 minutes or until the edges of the cake begin to turn golden brown. (The center will still have a slight wiggle to it.)
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for twenty minutes. Gently run a knife between the cake and the edge of the pan, then remove the side of the pan. Cool completely. Carefully, using a serrated knife, level the cake so the top is flat.
Chocolate Cake Layer
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cups + 2 TBSPs flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Then mix in the 1 egg, 3/4 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 cup water. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 – 27 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of the pan comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, run a knife around the edge of the pan and then remove the side of the pan. Remove the bottom of the pan and allow to cool completely.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- To make the peanut butter frosting beat together the butter and peanut butter until combined in a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar and then the milk, followed by the vanilla extract. If not smooth and creamy, add a tiny bit more milk.
Chocolate Frosting
- To make the chocolate frosting beat the butter in a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand held mixer.
- Add in the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Then add in the heavy cream.
- Store in an airtight container until you are ready to use.
Assembling the Cake
- To assemble the cake, first place the brownie layer on a large plate, cake stand, or 10 inch cake circle . Add a small amount of the peanut butter frosting, adding more as needed to create a nice even 1/4 layer.
- Add the cookie layer, another layer of the peanut butter frosting and finally the chocolate cake layer.
- Add a thin layer of the chocolate butter cream frosting. Add another, thicker layer of chocolate frosting.
- Pipe on decorative peanut butter frosting. Add mini chips ahoy to the top. Add some crumbled chips ahoy to around the base of the cake.
- Cut and serve!
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averie @ averie cooks says
This is ridic good-looking and I’d love a huge piece!
Lisa Longley says
Thank you Averie!
Harmony says
I made this cake for our 20 year anniversary and it was so good. I made the layers Monday night and froze them, Tuesday I made the frostings and refrigerated the cake overnight for Wednesday. The whole dessert was so good. I loved the frosting, especially the peanut butter frosting. In fact I doubled the peanut butter frosting recipe. Thank you for such a unique, delicious dessert.
Lisa Longley says
Harmony, this comment made my weekend! Thank you so much! I love hearing great feedback on my recipes and I love how you did it in steps!
Katherine says
This looks delicious!!! All my favorite things in a cake. Saving to try.
Carolyn says
My husband requests chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting every year for his birthday. I usually make it similar to his mom’s. This cake looks like it might top anything I’ve made for him yet, 28 years! And (no bragging), I’m a fairly good cook and baker. Known for it and make many specialty cakes, cookies for events. Thank you for a new take on chocolate and peanut butter!
Dawn says
Peanut butter layer crumbled even before placing cake on top… currently skim coated and chilling hoping to get it to stick together enough to add last layer and frost…
Lisa Longley says
I’m so sorry to hear this! Is it possible it was baked a little too long?
Katelin says
Is it unsweetened cocoa powder in the brownie layer the same as the cake ?
Lisa Longley says
Correct