Who doesn’t love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate?! This vegan peanut butter cup cake will make all of your chocolatey, peanut butter-y dreams come to life! A sweet, lightly spiced sponge cake, sandwiched together with the most incredible peanut butter frosting and an ombre buttercream coating to finish! It’s of course perfect for any occasion, at any time of year, however the warming cinnamon addition makes it ideal for this time of year!
This recipe is completely plant based and can also be adapted to be gluten free. I haven’t experimenting with a refined sugar free adaptation, but you could try switching the caster sugar for coconut palm sugar if you so desire.
What will I need to make this peanut butter cup cake?
- Self raising flour: this will help give the cake a super fluffy, well risen texture. You can switch this for a gluten free flour if needed.
- Peanut butter: I’ve used smooth peanut butter in this recipe, as you want your buttercream to be nice and smooth.
- Caster sugar: This recipe calls for golden caster sugar, however if you wanted to experiment with a refined sugar free variation, you could try using coconut palm sugar. A liquid sweetener wouldn’t work in this recipe.
- Cacao/cocoa powder: As always, when using cocoa in a recipe, I would always recommend sourcing a high quality cocoa powder for that super rich, decadent flavour.
- Olive oil: I’ve used olive oil in place of butter or coconut oil for this cake. I find olive oil creates the fluffiest sponge cake texture and of course, keeps the recipe dairy free!
- Cinnamon: This is an optional addition, but perfect for something warming this time of year!
Why should you make this cake, today!
- It’s easy to make!
- Delicious!
- Completely plant based and can be adapted for GF diets!
- Makes for a perfect fall cake
- Contains the winning combination of chocolate AND peanut butter!
Peanut Butter Cup Layer Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup caster sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp Pic's smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup non dairy milk mixed with tsp cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cup self raising flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- Tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- Tsp cinnamon
Frosting
- 3/4 cup vegan stick butter
- 2 cup icing sugar
- 2 tbsp Pic's smooth peanut butter
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180c and lightly grease your cake tins. I've used two 20cm loose bottom cake tins here.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, peanut butter and sugar, then beat together until well combined. Whisk in your milk mixture.
- Fold your dry ingredients into the batter and divide this between your two cake tins. Pop into the oven for 30-35 minutes to bake.
- Once your cakes are cooked through, allow to cool on a wire wrack whilst you prepare the frosting.
- Using an electric whisk, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then gradually incoorporate your icing sugar and finally, the peanut butter.
- Spread a generous layer of the frosting onto one of the cakes and carefully sandwich the other on top.
- Divide the remaining buttercream in half and beat the cocoa powder into one half. Spread the icing over the entire cake (chocolate on the bottom), then smooth over using a palette knife to create an ombré effect.
