Rich Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe

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An easy two-layer dark chocolate cake covered in creamy peanut butter frosting. No mixer required for the cake!

As someone whose career in food blogging and baking instructing started in cake baking, cakes are my bread and butter, and where my expertise lies in teaching others how to bake from scratch.

When I made cakes for hire, this dark chocolate cake was a staple in my orders. With one bite, folks were drawn to the amazing and deep flavor and the mega moisture, and I was always glad when people ordered this cake because it is so easy to make, it’s virtually foolproof.

Rest assured I have personally made this cake more than 100 times, and it has wowed people from baby showers all the way to weddings, and you are going to love how simple it is to make.

That said, the ingredient list for this dark chocolate cake is very straightforward.

COCOA MIXTURE

Dutch processed? Dark cocoa powder? Does it matter?

In an ingredient sense, no. It doesn’t matter which kind of cocoa powder you use here, because the recipe has been tested with several kinds of cocoa powder. Personally, I prefer Dutch processed cocoa powder because it brings with it a much deeper and darker chocolate color, and it boasts a smoother taste.

You may certainly use natural unsweetened cocoa powder, but because of the nature of this chocolate cake, and the fact that it is, indeed, a dark chocolate cake, I urge you to pick a dark chocolate cocoa powder (Hershey’s special dark cocoa is my favorite) or just stick with the Dutch processed cocoa.

If you need them, here are many more of my recipes that use Dutch processed cocoa powder.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

The peanut butter frosting, which is what I love to pair this dark chocolate cake with, uses five simple ingredients.

• creamy peanut butter
• unsalted butter
• powdered sugar
• vanilla extract
• milk, cream, or water

I use anything from cream to milk to water, all depending on what I have on hand, and I don’t necessarily prefer one over the other. Since the peanut butter itself brings a creamy texture to the frosting, go ahead and use whatever you’d like.

How to make Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Filling

What I really love about this cake, and what I think makes it deserving of the title as the best chocolate cake recipe that I have on my site, is that it it doesn’t require a mixer (until we get to the frosting).

HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Now. The most important player here in this cake game: the peanut butter buttercream.

BELIEVE ME when I tell you that this frosting is a little gift from the cake gods.

It is absolutely irresistible, and I can tell you from experience that you may find yourself with several dirty spoons and way less frosting than you thought you had once you have one lick of this stuff (oops).

To say it’s incredible is somehow an understatement. And the best part? It’s so freaking simple.

Cream together the peanut butter and butter, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and whichever liquid you’ve chosen to thin it out.

It’s very straightforward, and in my personal experience, I think you should try it on pretzels, graham crackers, a yellow cake (don’t knock that combo– it’s delish!), brownies…

Truly anything that pairs well with peanut butter can use some peanut butter frosting on top. No judgment if it never sees anything other than your dark chocolate cake and a spoon, though…

That’s a pretty good chocolate cake recipe if I do say so myself.

More Frosting Ideas to go with this Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe

While I do love me a good chocolate + peanut butter combination, there are several frosting recipes on my site that would pair nicely with these dark chocolate cake layers. Try these: standard vanilla buttercream, dulce de leche buttercream, or cream cheese frosting

You can also turn this cake into a chocolate lover’s dream by using my traditional chocolate buttercream, chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, or simply pour some chocolate ganache over the whole thing.

Then again, if you want to be adventurous, I would highly support your endeavor to put strawberry buttercream on this rich chocolate cake and just turn it into something wild and crazy and awesome and delish.

Regardless of which frosting or buttercream you choose, know that this delicious chocolate cake recipe is going to be your new favorite, as it is mine, and if you need to keep making it again and again to try out all those frosting combos, that wouldn’t be the worst thing, eh?

Now that you have this go-to cake recipe in your lineup, grab some of my other favorite chocolate cake based recipes: simple chocolate cupcakes, mocha cake, chocolate bundt cake, or Texas sheet cake.

5 from 5 votes

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Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Filling

An easy two-layer dark chocolate cake covered in creamy, dreamy peanut butter frosting, all from scratch!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Bake Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

• ▢ 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup (200g) firmly packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
• ▢ ¾ cup (72g) Dutch processed or dark cocoa powder¹
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ ½ cup (113mL) vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 and ¼ cup (300mL) brewed coffee

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

• ▢ 1 and ½ cups (375g) creamy peanut butter not natural
• ▢ ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• ▢ 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ⅓ to ½ cup (80-120mL) milk, cream, or water²

Need to keep track of your ingredients?Check out my Printable Ingredient List!

Instructions

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and flour (or use homemade cake release) two 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (200g) firmly packed light brown sugar, 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (72g) Dutch processed or dark cocoa powder1, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
• In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until completely combined.
  4 large eggs, ½ cup (113mL) vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisk until the batter starts to come together, then add the coffee, and whisk again until batter is smooth.
  1 and ¼ cup (300mL) brewed coffee
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool in the pans completely on a wire rack before removing and assembling.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

• In a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth (about 3 minutes).
  1 and ½ cups (375g) creamy peanut butter, ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
• Decrease mixer speed to low. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk/cream/water. Increase mixer speed to to high and beat until completely combined (approximately 2-3 minutes). If frosting is too thick, add more liquid to desired consistency.
  3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅓ to ½ cup (80-120mL) milk, cream, or water2

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

• Trim cooled cake layers to create a flat surface. You can do this with a large serrated knife or a cake leveler. Place one layer on a plate or cake stand and cover the top with peanut butter frosting. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups, if desired.
• Place second layer on top, cut surface down. For a sturdier cake, refrigerate at this point for about 10 minutes. When cake is slightly chilled, remove from refrigerator and spread more frosting on the top and around the sides. Decorate with more chopped peanut butter cups, if desired. Serve. Leftovers stay fresh, covered tightly, at room temperature up to 5 days and in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
• Make ahead: prepare cakes and frosting up to 1 day in advance. Cover cakes tightly and keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. Refrigerate prepared frosting in an airtight container until ready to use. Unfrosted cake layers may be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling. Frosted cake can be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

1. Cocoa powder: either kind of cocoa powder is fine here. I prefer Dutch processed as it has a smoother taste, and I encourage you not to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder (traditional “regular” cocoa powder). 
2. Liquid for frosting: this is totally based on what you have on hand. I have used all of these ingredients and don’t prefer one over the other, as the creaminess comes mostly from the peanut butter.

 

Adapted from King Arthur

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 708kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 481mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 327IU | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg