Reese's Cake
My Reese's cake features moist chocolate cake with rich peanut frosting and a silky smooth ganache. This decadent dessert tastes like Reese's in cake form!
I love chocolate and peanut butter together. I originally made this cake for my Mom's birthday as she's a chocolate peanut butter fanatic. Besides birthdays it's great for potlucks, reunions, and anytime you're craving a sweet treat.
I've shared recipes like this before such as peanut butter cupcakes, and peanut butter blossom bars This Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake might top them all, though! Just like my cosmic brownies it is even topped with chocolate ganache. It uses my secret box cake mix hack for bakery flavor in minutes. Serve with a tall icy cold glass of milk or generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
For the Cake
- Chocolate Cake Mix: I'm partial to Betty Crocker's chocolate fudge, but feel free to use your favorite.
- Milk: Use whole milk instead of the water called for on the box for the moistest cake.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs; they'll incorporate more smoothly.
Use Butter Instead of Oil
It adds a wonderful flavor and richness that oil just can't provide.
For the Peanut Butter Buttercream
- Butter: Quickly soften butter by cutting it into smaller pieces.
- Peanut Butter: I used Jif. Use regular, not natural peanut butter, which can cause your buttercream to split.
- Heavy Cream: You can also use milk if that's what you have on hand.
How to Make a Reese's Cake
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cake pans with baking spray.
- Make Cake: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Bake in round cake pans for 25-30 minutes.
- Prep Cake: Cut domes off of cake so they are flat.
- For the Frosting: Cream butter, peanut butter, salt and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and heavy cream until you reach your desired consistency.
- Assemble: Place cake layer on plate. Evenly spread with frosting. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Frost sides and top of cake as well.
- For the Ganache: Heat heavy whipping cream. Pour over chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth. Add to the top of the cake and allow some to drip over the side. Pour the remaining ganache into the center of the cake.
- Finishing touches: Pipe the remaining buttercream on top. Add shaved chocolate and Reese's cups if desired.
FAQ
How Can I Get Flat Layer Cakes?
To ensure to cake won't fall or slide apart, cut off cake domes with a cake leveler or sharp bread knife. You can also buy cake strips at craft store or online to prevent this problem altogether.
️Krystle's Tips️
- Weigh Batter: Use a food scale to get perfectly even layers with no guesswork.
- NonStick: Line your cake pans with parchment paper for easy removal every time.
- How To Tell When Cake Is Done: Insert a toothpick near the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it's done.
- Do a Crumb Coat: Use around 1 cup of frosting and thinly frost the outside of the cake. Scrape off any extra with a bench scraper. Discard or save this for graham crackers as we don't want that frosting going back on our cake.
- Use a Cake Board: This will make it so much easier to move or transport from counter to table.
How To Get SUper SMooth Frosting
Frost with an offset spatula and revolving cake stand. Spin and smooth until you have a nice even layer.
More Decadent Cakes To Try
📖 Recipe
Ultimate Reese's Cake
Reese's Cake: Moist chocolate cake with rich peanut peanut frosting and a silky smooth ganache. If you like Reese's you'll love this cake!
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Servings: 12
Calories: 1223kcal
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 Boxes Milk Chocolate Cake Mix
- 2 ½ Cups Whole Milk
- 2 Cups Butter Softened
- 6 Eggs
For the Peanut Butter Buttercream
- 2 Cups Butter Softened
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons Heavy Cream
- ½ Cup Peanut Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Pinch Salt
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 1 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
Garnish
- 1 Hershey Bar
- Reese's Cups
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Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 3 9 inch round cake pans with Pam baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all cake ingredients together until fully combined.
- Divide batter between the 3 baking pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Once cooled, remove cakes from cake pan and cut the top domes off so they are flat.
For the Peanut Butter Buttercream
- In a large bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter ,vanilla and salt. Stir in powdered sugar a little at a time. Add heavy cream until you reach your desired consistency.
For the Ganache
- In a small saucepan, heat heavy whipping cream until steaming. While heavy whipping cream is heating up, place chocolate chips into a heat-proof bowl.
- Once the heavy whipping cream is heated, pour over the chocolate chips.Allow to sit for 1 minute before whisking until smooth.
- Pour ganache into a squeeze bottle.
Assemble
- Place the first cake layer onto a serving plate. Scoop 1 cup of frosting onto the first layer and spread it out. Repeat steps with remaining cake layers. Frost top and sides too.Scoop remaining frosting into a piping bag with a star tip ,and set aside
- Using the squeeze bottle, to create a drizzle effect around the top of the cake. Squeeze some ganache over the side allow the chocolate ganache to drip down.Pour remaining ganache onto the center of the top of the cake and smooth evenly to coat the top.
- Allow to sit for 10 minutes to allow ganache to harden.Pipe dollops of frosting onto the top cake.
- Take the potato peeler and run it along the edge of the chocolate bar like you're peeling an apple to create shavings.Place the Reese Peanut Butter Cups in between the frosting dollops.
Notes
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
-
- Chocolate Cake Mix: I'm partial to Betty Crocker's chocolate fudge, but feel free to use your favorite.
- Milk: Use whole milk instead of the water called for on the box for the moistest cake.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs; they'll incorporate more smoothly.
- Butter: Use butter instead of the oil called for on the box. It adds a wonderful flavor and richness that oil just can't provide.
- Peanut Butter: I used Jif. Use regular, not natural peanut butter, which can cause your buttercream to split.
- Heavy Cream: You can also use milk if that's what you have on hand.
- Weigh Batter: Use a food scale to get perfectly even layers with no guesswork.
- NonStick: Line your cake pans with parchment paper for easy removal every time.
- Get Flat Layers: To ensure to cake won't fall or slide apart, cut off cake domes with a cake leveler or sharp bread knife.
- How To Tell When Cake Is Done: Insert a toothpick near the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it's done.
- Do a Crumb Coat: Use around 1 cup of frosting and thinly frost the outside of the cake. Scrape off any extra with a bench scraper. Discard or save this for graham crackers as we don't want that frosting going back on our cake.
- Super Smooth Frosting: Frost with an offset spatula and revolving cake stand. Spin and smooth until you have a nice even layer.
Nutrition
Calories: 1223kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 92g | Saturated Fat: 50g | Cholesterol: 267mg | Sodium: 1243mg | Potassium: 515mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 66g | Vitamin A: 2280IU | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 4.8mg
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I've made this cake at least 10 times all of my family and friends request it at their birthdays .... my friend just requested it in cupcake form ...is there anything g different I should do?
I would like to make this cake but am curious if 2 cups of butter is the right amount as opposed to two sticks of butter. If this is correct, I need 4 sticks of butter for the cake and 4 sticks of butter for the frosting. Is this correct?
Hi Kerstin! Yes thanks for double checking. The recipe is correct as written as it has several layers.
You had me a reeses! This cake is delicious and one of my favorites to make
I made the Reese's Cake for my son's birthday, and it was a total hit! The rich peanut butter and chocolate combination was perfection, and everyone loved how decadent it tasted.
This Reese's Cake is amazing! The peanut butter and chocolate are a perfect match, and the frosting is super creamy.
I have not made this yet. Filed it for later, a friend/coworker LOVES peanut butter.
I would love to make this reeses cake for my grandsons birthday. Did you use salted or unsalted butter. Thank you.
HI Joann! Great question. I try to bake with unsalted butter, but cakes are really forgiving on this!