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!
This Reese’s Cake is perfect for someone who loves peanut butter and chocolate. A Reese’s lovers dream come true, this cake is the perfect combination. Layers of moist chocolate cake, rich peanut butter frosting, and chocolate ganache.
Peanut butter and chocolate are my favorite flavor combinations. When you taste how amazing Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake, you are going to want to make it ahead and again!
Also perfect for birthdays for a Reese’s or peanut butter lover! Serve with a tall icy cold glass of milk, or generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Related: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Peanut Butter Cup Cake Ingredients
For the Cake:
- Chocolate Cake Mix: We’re going to make it taste homemade with the ingredients listed below.
- Milk: I used whole milk. It will make the cake super moist.
- Eggs
- Butter: Adds a wonderful richness oil just can’t provide.
For the Easy Peanut Butter Buttercream:
- Butter
- Peanut Butter: Duh!
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla
- Salt: A pinch of salt helps balance out the sweetness.
For the Chocolate Ganache: Ganache is a chocolate glaze that can be used as a filling or a frosting. While it sounds complicated, ganache only requires two ingredients: chocolate and cream. When these ingredients are combined over low heat, it creates a shiny chocolate glaze that can poured. As it cools, it thickens. It can be used for many types of desserts, including this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake.
- Chocolate Chips
- Heavy Cream
Garnish:
- Chocolate Shavings: Great tutorial on this here.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Reese’s Cake Recipe
- 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 whipped cream. Pour over chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth. Add to top of cake and allow some to drip over the side. Pour remaining ganache into the center of the cake.
- Finishing touches: Pipe remaining buttercream on top. Add shaved chocolate and Reese’s cup if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How to Store Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake
This Reese’s cake recipe, is best stored in the fridge. Storing in the fridge will keep the ganache from melting. No need to worry about the cake drying out, the buttercream will keep in the moisture. An easy way to store the cake is in a cake stand with a lid. Any container with a lid or even a plate tightly wrapped with foil will also work.
2. Can you Freeze It?
Yes this keep freezes well. In order to freeze the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake, you will want to put it in the freezer first, uncovered for about 30 minutes. This freezes the frosting and ganache and prevents it from sticking to the plastic wrap or container. Once frozen, make sure the cake is wrapped well to prevent air from getting to it. This will prevent freezer burn. The cake will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
3. How Do You Get Smooth Frosting?
In order to get smooth frosting, you need to make sure the butter is softened. Start by using your mixer and mixing the butter and peanut butter until it is light and airy. When you add the sugar and liquids, you want to add it in slowly, giving it time to become completely incorporated. This prevents lumps from forming. When icing the cake itself I like to use an offset spatula and a revolving cake stand. Spin and scoop off extra frosting until you have a thin even layer.
More Decadent Cakes:
Reese's Cake
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
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.
Nutrition
What do you think of this Reese’s Cake? What is your favorite cake flavor?
This cake was amazing! I made it for my grandson’s baseball fundraiser and it brought in a little over $100 in the raffle and since the recipe made 3 9″ and 1 8″ round layers, I kept the 8″ layer for home and made 1 and a half times the buttercream. Omgoodness was this cake good! I used a devils food and a chocolate fudge cake mix…Omgoodness, my husband loved it! Thank you so much for sharing!❤
Hi Elaine,
So amazing that you used it for a fundraiser. So glad it was able to raise $$, and that you all enjoyed. Thanks for sharing! Hope to see you around the site again soon!
What chocolate cake mix do you use?
Thanks
I am partial to Duncan Hine’s Triple Chocolate one, but any one should work fine!
Duncan Hines is my Favorite Cake Mixes
Hi Camdyce,
So yummy! 🙂
You really need better direction on what order to add the ingredients while mixing the batter. The first time I tried making this I added every thing to the bowl like the directions said I attempted to mix in my stand mixer but ended up with the butter never incorporating and had to dump all the batter. My 2nd attempt went better but it was trial and error trying to figure out what and how much of the ingredients to mix in at a time. Loved the finished product tho!
Hi Susan! Thanks so much for your comment and suggestion. I always make my recipes that use cake mix like this, and have never had an issue. Was your butter softened?
Butter was definitely soft. I let it soften for over 24hrs before I attempted to use it. I put it in my stand mixer and then added all the eggs and milk and cake mix but when I tried to mix it the butter never incorporated and it was a clumpy mess. When I tried it a 2nd time I just put the butter in first and got that going in the stand mixer and added the eggs one at a time and then alternated adding the cake mix and milk and had a much better result
Glad to hear it worked better the second time! Thanks for making my recipes Susan! <3
I absolutely love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate in this cake. It’s so tasty! I only wish I could decorate it as well as you have.
You’re so sweet thanks Susan!
How do I add more stars to this recipe rating?!? This cake is amazing!! Peanut Butter and Chocolate are my favorite so this cake is now my favorite! Good to know that this can be frozen but I highly doubt any of it will make it to the freezer – it will all be in my belly!