This giant Reese’s cake features moist chocolate cake, creamy peanut butter filling, and a crunchy chocolate ganache shell. It’s basically a giant Reese’s peanut butter cup in cake form!
There’s no flavor combination quite like peanut butter and chocolate. We’ve made monster bars and marbled cookies to name a few. Today we’re adding another recipe- this Reese’s peanut butter cake!
This Reese’s cake is a must-try for any Reese’s or peanut butter lover. It’s different from the typical layered cake and is perfect for various occasions, including birthdays and Christmas!
If you love this chocolate cake recipe, try my chocolate strawberry cake next!
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Chocolate Reese’s Cake
- It looks and tastes like a giant Reese’s cup.
- A layer of moist chocolate cake in the center- made in one bowl with a handful of simple ingredients.
- Ultra creamy peanut butter filling.
- A crunchy chocolate shell that covers the entire cake!
- Bakery-worthy cake that’s perfect for birthdays, holidays, and more!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Oil: For a super moist and tender chocolate cake. Use a flavorless oil like canola oil or vegetable oil for best results.
Cocoa powder: Super rich chocolate cake starts with Dutch-processed cocoa powder. I don’t recommend using regular cocoa powder, as I found when testing it doesn’t give the cake a rich Reese’s flavor.
Coffee: Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without adding a coffee taste- substitute it with equal parts hot water. This is the secret to all of my chocolate cake recipes, like my chocolate coffee cake.
Chocolate: Use chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate bars for the magic chocolate shell, rather than chocolate chips, which have a coating that doesn’t melt as well. This creates the crunchy Reese’s candy shell on the cake!
Peanut butter: Opt for a natural, creamy peanut butter, like Jiffy Natural Peanut Butter, for the ideal texture in your Reese’s cake. Other types will be too firm or oily to work with.
Heavy cream: This is the base of the peanut butter filling. Leave the cream in the fridge until right before you are ready to use it so it stays cold. Warm cream will not whip up properly!
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
Recipe Instructions
Lightly oil the tart pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
Step 1: Make and bake the chocolate cake. In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Then whisk in the dry ingredients and hot coffee. Pour the cake batter into an 8-inch cake pan and bake.
Step 2: Make the peanut butter filling. In a stand mixing bowl, whisk the peanut butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar together until creamy.
Stream the heavy cream into the bowl, whisking until the mixture is thick and fluffy.
Step 3: Assemble the Reese’s cake. Add the chocolate cake layer, spoon the whipped peanut butter filling on top of the cake, and spread it evenly to fill the pan. Freeze for 4-6 hours until the filling is firm.
Step 4: Remove the cake from the pan. Place the Reese’s cake upside down on a wire rack and remove the sides and bottom of the pan. See the video in the recipe post below for visual guidance.
Step 5: Cover the sides of the cake with the chocolate ganache drip. Slowly pour the melted chocolate ganache over the edge of the cake so it drips down the sides and covers it completely.
Step 6: Cover the top of the cake. Flip the cake over onto your serving platter. Pour more of the ganache over the top and quickly spread it to the edges to completely cover the peanut butter filling.
Garnish with flaky sea salt and chopped peanut butter cups.
Expert Tips for Success
Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the “metric” button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card. If you do not have a scale, use a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup.
This cake is best served chilled– it has an ice cream consistency straight out of the fridge! As the cake warms to room temperature, the filling will be too soft to cut.
Cut with a sharp knife while it’s still very cold for clean cuts.
For a make-ahead option, bake and chill the cake one day prior. The next day, prepare the filling and assemble it. Alternately, assemble the cake and apply the chocolate topping the following day.
Cake Decorating Tips
Instead of peanut butter cups, decorate the top with chopped peanuts, Reese’s pieces candy, or peanut butter chips.
FAQs
It’s a deep dish tart pan; you can buy it on Amazon!
This cake is best stored in the fridge until serving. It will be soft straight out of the fridge with an ice cream-like consistency. Store leftover slices in an airtight container with parchment paper in between slices.
Yes! Store the cake in an airtight container. If storing for longer than a few days, I recommend waiting to cover it in the chocolate ganache. Over time, the chocolate starts to weep and melt in the freezer, losing its crunchy texture.
Definitely! Follow the instructions on the back of the box and bake one 8-inch cake layer.
I recommend using a no-stir natural peanut butter. It’s much creamier and less oily, which is why I prefer it in most of my desserts- like my nutter butter bars.
More Chocolate and Peanut Butter Desserts
Reeses Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, *See notes for measuring below*
- 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup hot coffee, substitute hot water
Peanut Butter Mousse
- 1 cup no-stir creamy natural peanut butter, I like Jiffy
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- flaky sea salt, for finishing
- chopped peanut butter cups, for finishing
Instructions
- Before you start. Line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom. Lightly oil the sides of the tart pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (110 g) all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup (38 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- Mix in the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, and milk. Then whisk in the dry ingredients until just combined.1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1/4 cup (52 g) canola oil, 1 (50 g) large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup (113 g) whole milk
- Mix in the hot coffee. Whisk in the hot coffee until just combined.1/3 cup (80 g) hot coffee
- Bake the cake. Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Let the cake pan cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then knock out the cake to finish cooling on the rack before assembling.
- Make the peanut butter mousse. In a stand mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, mix the peanut butter, sugar, and powdered sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy and the sugar dissolves. Stream the heavy cream and vanilla into the peanut butter. Once added, increase the speed to medium high and beat until light, fluffy, and thick.1 cup (245 g) no-stir creamy natural peanut butter, 2 tbsp (30 g) granulated sugar, 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar, 1 1/2 cups (335 g) heavy whipping cream, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Assemble! Place the chocolate cake layer on the bottom of the tart pan. Spoon the peanut butter filling in between the sides of the cake and on top of the cake, smoothing it to evenly fill the pan. Tap the pan 3-4 times on the counter so that the filling settles into the sides all the way to the bottom. Chill in the freezer for 4-6 hours minimum.
- Melt the chocolate ganache. Over a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the chocolate and oil together until smooth and runny. Pour the chocolate into a container with a spout for easy pouring.7 ounces (7 oz) bittersweet chocolate, 2 tbsp canola oil
- Remove the cake from the pan. Take the cake out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Firmly press the bottom of the cake pan up to release the sides of the pan. Don't fully take the pan off it yet! Place a wire rack on top of the cake and flip it over so that the bottom of the cake is now the top. Then remove the sides and bottom of the pan. Place a sheet pan underneath the wire rack to catch the excess chocolate.
- Cover the cake with the melted chocolate. Pour the chocolate ganache slowly over the edge of the cake so that it falls down the sides and covers the peanut butter filling. You can scrape any excess chocolate back into the container to pour over the cake. If it starts to solidify, gently rewarm it in the microwave until runny. Once the sides are fully covered, chill the cake in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Garnish and serve! Place your cake stand or serving platter on top of the cake and carefully flip it over so that the wire rack and exposed peanut butter filling are now the top. Pour more of the ganache over the top of the cake, quickly spreading it to the edges before it sets. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt and chopped peanut butter cups if desired. Chill the cake in the freezer once more for 30 minutes before serving.flaky sea salt, chopped peanut butter cups
- This cake is best served chilled. Cut with a sharp knife, wiping it clean in between cuts for best results! Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. If freezing for longer than a few days, I recommend waiting to cover it in the chocolate ganache so that it doesn't lose its crunchy texture.
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Just curious if a springform pan would work for this instead? Thanks!
Absolutely!
It says to bake the cake for 20-30 minutes but at what temperature??
Sorry about that! The cake is baked at 350F, I just updated the recipe.
Not very pretty, but oh so delicious!!
This was so fun to make! I brought it to work for our Halloween party and the whole office enjoyed it.