Pretty much everyone that knows me is aware of my love for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I'm surprised, and I'm sure they would be too, that it's taken me this long to make a Reese's Peanut Butter Cake. It's probably because I eat all the PB Cups before I get round to it! Well I finally managed it, and if you love PB Cups as much as me, you're going to love this cake! It's a peanut butter sponge, a chocolate and peanut butter buttercream, drizzled with Reese's Spread (which is a peanut butter version of Nutella that you NEED to try!) and of course topped with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
You can use regular caster sugar instead of golden caster sugar if you prefer.
I got the Reese's Spread from Sainsburys. If you can't find any, you could drizzle peanut butter between the layers. Or if you want it chocolatey, mix 1 tbsp cocoa powder into the peanut butter!
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Reese's Peanut Butter Cake

Make the sponge by mixing the butter, peanut butter and caster sugar together. Then whisk in eggs, followed by self raising flour.

Bake the cakes, then let them cool. For the buttercream, mix together butter, peanut butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk until smooth.

To decorate, pipe the buttercream between each layer and drizzle over some Reese's Spread. To finish the Reese's Peanut Butter Cake, decorate with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Mini Peanut Butter Cups.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How should the cake be stored and can it be frozen?

The cake should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place and will last for 3 days. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated. Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

Can you make the cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 4 + ½ teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this recipe be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additonal baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 4 + ½ teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add 1 tsp xanthan gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for both the cake and buttercream. You will also need to use dairy free alternatives to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Please check the labels of everything you use if you are serving this to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can this cake be made in different size cake tins?

Yes! If you would like to make this cake in different size tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.

More tips for making the Reese's Peanut Butter Cake:

I used Reese's Spread to drizzle between the layers and on top. If you can't find any, you can omit this step entirely, or drizzle peanut butter instead, or mix 1 tbsp cocoa powder into the peanut butter to make it chocolatey!
You could also decorate the cake with chopped peanuts if you prefer!
I used a Wilton 8B tip to decorate the cake, but use your favourite piping nozzle, or spread the buttercream on with a palette knife or spoon.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

Recommended equipment & ingredients*

*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!

More peanut butter recipes...