Peanut butter and chocolate: great when separate, but when they combine, they make an epic sheet cake! The Peanut Butter Cup Sheet Cake is a peanut-butter-infused cake that’s like eating a peanut butter cup in cake form… and who doesn’t love the sound of that?! The rich chocolate icing perfectly complements the cake’s nutty flavor and will have you licking it off the fork because you won’t want to let it go to waste! It’s a classic sheet cake recipe with a peanut butter twist that’s guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth. Whether you’re serving Peanut Butter Cup Sheet Cake for a special occasion or just because, this dessert is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks butter
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the frosting:
- 1 3/4 sticks butter
- 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, the sugar, and the salt.
Step 3 –In a saucepan, melt 2 sticks of the butter.
Step 4 –Add the peanut butter to the melted butter and stir them together.
Step 5 –Add the boiling water to the peanut butter mixture and allow it to boil for 30 seconds.
Step 6 –Transfer the peanut butter mixture from the heat, pour it over the flour mixture, and stir to slightly cool it.
Step 7 –In a measuring cup, add the buttermilk, the eggs, the baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Step 8 –Pour the buttermilk mixture into the batter and stir to combine.
Step 9 –Evenly spread the batter into an 18×13-inch sheet pan and bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Step 10 –Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan.
Step 11 –Add the cocoa to the butter and stir to combine.
Step 12 –Turn off the stove-top heat and stir the milk, the vanilla extract, and the powdered sugar into the cocoa mixture.
Step 13 –Add the pecans to the icing mixture and stir until they are evenly distributed.
Step 14 –Pour the icing over the cake.
Step 15 –Slice and serve.