Peanut Butter Cake with Strawberry Frosting

Moist, tender peanut butter cake is topped with a smooth strawberry buttercream frosting. This cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion and will be requested again and again!

If you are a peanut butter lover, or even if you aren't, you have to give this cake a try! Creamy peanut butter is mixed right into the cake batter and the frosting is made with freeze-dried strawberries to give it a robust strawberry flavor and a beautiful pink color. Serve this moist, flavorful cake once, and it will be on repeat in your home just as it is in mine!

Ingredients You Need to Make This Cake

Peanut Butter Cake

• All-purpose Flour. I recommend a good quality all-purpose flour for this cake such as Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur. The high protein content in these flours helps the cake bake up super tender. This recipe calls for two cups of flour.
• Baking powder and baking soda. These are leavening agents used to help the cake rise. Be sure your baking powder and baking soda are no more than six months old. Old leavening agents can result in a dense cake.
• Salt. A small amount of salt in the batter highlights the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Vegetable oil. I recommend a light flavored vegetable oil such as canola or regular vegetable oil for this recipe. The oil ensures that our cake turns out very moist.
• Brown sugar. Brown sugar is just granulated sugar with molasses. The molasses provides extra depth and moisture to the cake.
• Granulated sugar. Brown sugar is combined with granulated sugar in this cake for the perfect amount of sweetness, richness, and moisture.
• Creamy peanut butter. I recommend regular creamy peanut butter for this cake. Natural peanut butter will not work well.
• Eggs. This recipe calls for 3 large eggs. Make sure the eggs are room temperature. Do not substitute a different size egg as this can negatively affect the moisture content in the batter, resulting in a dry cake.
• Vanilla extract. I recommend good-quality vanilla for this recipe to get the best flavor. This brand is one of my favorites.
• Buttermilk. You can use low-fat or full-fat buttermilk for this cake. The buttermilk provides a subtle tanginess and helps the cake remain tender. I have not tested this cake with another type of milk but whole milk should also work fine.

Strawberry Frosting

• Freeze-dried strawberries. Freeze-dried strawberries give the frosting a rich strawberry flavor and beautiful color.
• Unsalted butter. This recipe calls for one cup of softened unsalted butter. Soften butter by leaving it out at room temperatue for at least two hours or overnight. You can also use salted butter, just eliminate any additional salt in the frosting.
• Powdered sugar. This recipe calls for four cups of powdered sugar.
• Half and half or milk. This ingredient is used to thin the frosting out a bit and make it smooth and creamy.
• Vanilla extract. I recommend good-quality vanilla for the best flavor. Do not use imitation vanila flavor.
• Salt. A small amount of salt highlights the other ingredients in the frosting. Omit if using salted butter.

How to Make This Cake

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177°C). Spray a 9x13 baking pan with baking spray and set aside.

• To a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the ingredients to combine and set aside.

• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter. Mix the ingredients on medium (5-6 on a stand mixer) until combined, about 2-3 minutes.

• Add in the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Beat on medium-low after adding each egg until no more egg is visible.

• Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the peanut butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Beat on medium after each addition just until ingredients are combined. This means until no more dry flour or buttermilk are visible in the batter. Add vanilla and beat until just combined.

• Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out in an even layer with a silicone spatula. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no wet batter.

• Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Do this by very carefully turning the cake out onto parchment paper then carefully flipping it onto a parchment-lined wire cooling rack.

• While the cake is cooling add the freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor and pulse until they form a fine powder and set aside.

• Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high (speed of 7-8) until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add strawberries, powdered sugar, half and half or milk, vanilla, and salt to the mixer bowl and beat on low then gradually increase speed as powdered sugar mixes into the frosting.

• Continue to beat until ingredients are combined and the frosting is smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Do not overmix the frosting as this can cause it to separate.

• Spoon frosting out on top of the completely cooled cake and use a frosting spatula to smooth frosting out into an even layer over the cake. Slice and enjoy!

Can I Make This a Layer Cake?

You can make this a layer cake by dividing the batter up into two 8-inch round cake pans. There is no need to adjust the measurements or baking time.

Frost the layer cake by adding about a cup of batter to the first layer and smoothing it out evenly. Place the second cake layer on top upside down and press down gently to get an even top. Spoon the remainder of the frosting over top and smooth evenly over the top and down the sides of the cake using an offset spatula.

Do I Have to Use Freeze-Dried Strawberries?

You can use fresh strawberries for the frosting instead of freeze-dried. To do so add 1 ½ cups of fresh chopped strawberries to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Add the puree to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it comes to a slow boil. Stir the puree consistently to keep it from burning and cook until it has thickened and reduced to about 6 tablespoons, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer the strawberry reduction to a large measuring cup and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Add the strawberry reduction to the frosting in two batches, mixing until the frosting reaches a smooth consistency. There is no need for cream or milk in this version.

Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions

You can bake the cake a day ahead of time and wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap until ready to frost. The cake can be kept at room temperature.

I do not recommend making the frosting ahead of time as it has the best consistency when fresh. However, if you are in a pinch and need to prep the frosting ahead of time, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for no more than a day, and beat it with about a tablespoon or two of milk before frosting the cake.

Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for two days and in the refrigerator for up to five days.

A Few Notes for Making This Cake

• Measure flour properly. Fluff the flour with a fork in the bag or container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Improperly measuring flour can completely change the consistency of the cake, causing it to be dry or dense.

• Do not overmix the batter. Vigorously beating the batter at a high speed for an extended period of time can result in a dense, tough cake. Only mix until each ingredient is fully combined, meaning it is no longer visible in the batter.

• Do not open the oven while baking. Leave it alone! I know you are in anticipation and the smell is irresistible, but let that cake bake! Do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes to allow the cake to properly rise.

Recommended Tools for This Recipe

• Stand mixer
• 9x13 baking dish
• Mixing bowls
• Silicone spatula
• Whisks
• Offset spatula

Check Out These Other Irresistible Cake Recipes Before You Go!

📖 Recipe

Peanut Butter Cake with Strawberry Frosting

Ashley Boyd

Moist, tender peanut butter cake is topped with a smooth strawberry buttercream frosting. This cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion and will be requested again and again!

4.88 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings 24 servings

Calories 373 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand mixer
• ▢
  9x13 baking dish

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Peanut Butter Cake

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour - spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 3 large eggs - room temperature
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ ¾ cup buttermilk - room temperature

Strawberry Frosting

• ▢ 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
• ▢ 1 cup butter - softened
• ▢ 4 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup half and half - or milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 °C). Spray a 9x13 baking pan with baking spray and set aside.
• To a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the ingredients to combine and set aside.
• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter. Mix the ingredients on medium (5-6 on a stand mixer) until combined, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Beat on medium-low after adding each egg until no more egg is visible.
• Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the peanut butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Beat on medium after each addition just until ingredients are combined. This means until no more dry flour or buttermilk are visible in the batter. Add vanilla and beat until just combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out in an even layer with a silicone spatula. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no wet batter.
• Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Do this by very carefully turning the cake out onto parchment paper then carefully flipping it onto a parchment-lined wire cooling rack.
• While the cake is cooling add the freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor and pulse until they form a fine powder and set aside.
• Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high (speed of 7-8) until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add strawberries, powdered sugar, half and half or milk, vanilla, and salt to the mixer bowl and beat on low then gradually increase speed as powdered sugar mixes into the frosting.
• Continue to beat until ingredients are combined and the frosting is smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Do not overmix the frosting as this can cause it to separate.
• Spoon frosting out on top of the completely cooled cake and use a frosting spatula to smooth frosting out into an even layer over the cake. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

• Soften butter by leaving it out at room temperature for at least two hours or overnight.
• Measure flour by fluffing it with a fork in the bag or container, spooning it into the measuring cup, and leveling it off with a knife.
• Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for two days and in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 47.2g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 19.6g | Saturated Fat: 7.5g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 236mg | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 34.6g | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

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