Eggless Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Chocolate and peanut butter have always been one of my favorite flavor combinations for dessert.

This eggless chocolate peanut butter cake gives you rich chocolate layers paired with a creamy peanut butter frosting.

Because this is a completely eggless recipe, it is a great option for anyone who has an egg allergy or chooses to cook without eggs.

You do not need any special egg substitutes either, since standard pantry items keep the cake soft and moist.

To finish it off, a smooth chocolate ganache and mini peanut butter cups on top make every slice feel special.

Why You’ll Love It

Incredible Moisture – The buttermilk and yogurt keep every bite soft, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth moist without any eggs.

Intense Chocolate Flavor – Hot coffee blooms the cocoa powder to give you an exceptionally deep, rich chocolate taste.

Dreamy Peanut Butter Frosting – Real peanut butter and heavy cream whip up into a fluffy, silky frosting that tastes amazing.

Showstopper Look – The glossy chocolate drip and mini peanut butter cups make this cake look straight from a bakery.

Ingredient List

For the Cake

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
• 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk, Room Temperature
• 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt, Room Temperature
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Hot Coffee

For the Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp Salt

For the Ganache

• 2/3 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

For Garnish

• 1/2 cup Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until no cocoa lumps remain.

Step 3

Add the buttermilk, yogurt, oil and vanilla and beat on medium for 1 minute until thick and smooth.

Step 4

With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the hot coffee and mix until combined. The batter will be thin, which is exactly what makes this cake so moist. Divide it evenly between the pans.

Step 5

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Step 6

For the frosting, beat the butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt, then beat on high for 2 minutes until fluffy.

Step 7

Place one cake layer on a plate, spread with frosting and top with the second layer. Frost the top and sides smoothly, then chill for 20 minutes.

Step 8

For the ganache, heat the cream until steaming, pour it over the chocolate chips and let sit for 3 minutes. Stir until smooth and let cool for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.

Spoon the ganache over the top of the chilled cake, nudging it to the edges so it drips down the sides, then top with the peanut butter cups.

Tips

Use Standard Commercial Peanut Butter

For the frosting, I recommend sticking with regular commercial peanut butter instead of the natural kind where oil separates on top.

Natural peanut butter can easily split and make your frosting greasy or runny.

Standard creamy peanut butter gives you that sturdy, fluffy texture that holds up well between the cake layers.

Bring Your Dairy to Room Temperature

You’ll get the best results if you take the buttermilk and yogurt out of the fridge an hour before baking.

Cold dairy makes the vegetable oil firm up, which prevents the wet ingredients from blending smoothly.

In an eggless recipe, an even batter is super important for giving the cake a soft and uniform rise.

Use Freshly Brewed Hot Coffee

I’ve found that hot coffee does two very important things in this batter.

The hot liquid blooms the cocoa powder for a deep chocolate flavor, while the acidity helps activate the baking soda to lift the cake without eggs.

The baked cake will not taste like coffee at all, but you can swap it for hot water if you prefer to avoid caffeine.

Try These Next

• Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes
• Eggless Fudgy & Rich Chocolate Brownies
• Eggless Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
• Eggless One Bowl Chocolate Cake
• Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies

Questions You Might Have

Can I replace the hot coffee with something else?

Yes, you can use hot water or warm milk instead if you want to avoid caffeine.

The coffee does not make the cake taste like coffee, but it naturally boosts the rich chocolate flavor in this eggless recipe.