Rich, decadent, dark chocolate cake layers with whipped peanut butter frosting make this cake hands-down the best chocolate peanut butter cake you’ll ever have! That’s a promise.

I love getting creative with my cake flavors and texture combinations, but there’s something about the classics that never get old. I shared a lot of classic cake flavors when I first started my blog a couple years ago. I’ve been meaning to revisit them ever since. I finally had a chance to work on several of them this past month and can’t wait to reintroduce you to many of them. 

The World’s Best Flavor Combination

First on my list is my favorite flavor combination: chocolate and peanut butter. I never get tired of this combo, in any dessert. It always works! I especially love this pairing in cake form. Bittersweet, rich dark chocolate cake, paired with a sweet and salty, whipped peanut butter frosting is like heaven on earth. Neither element over powers the other. They compliment each other so well.

Chocolate Cake

The chocolate cake is my High Altitude Friendly Chocolate Cake. It’s a cake I worked on perfecting for several months after moving to Utah and having the original recipe fail on me over and over. The recipe is pretty much fool proof at this point. And don’t worry if you’re in lower altitude or higher altitude. I’ve got you covered.

Altitude Changes

If you’re at low altitude, you won’t need to change a thing about this recipe. I’ve made it several times in Southern California and haven’t run into any baking issues. If you’re at higher altitude than Northern Utah, there’s a couple steps you can take to make sure you’re chocolate cake doesn’t sink.

1. For every cup of all-purpose called for in the recipe, add an extra tablespoon of flour (in addition to what I already have added).
2. For every cup of sugar called for in the recipe, remove a tablespoon of sugar (sugar tends to weigh cakes down at high altitude).
3. Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh (don’t use them if they’re over 6 months old).
4. Don’t over mix the batter! You only need to mix the batter on low speed, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting

For the frosting, you’ll want to make sure the heavy whipping cream is chilled before you start to beat it. It also helps the whipping cream to thicken quickly if you freeze your mixing bowl for about 15 to 20 minutes before you start beating. I also suggest using smooth peanut butter. And if we’re getting really specific, I also suggest using Skippy Peanut Butter – for no other reason than it’s my favorite!

Decorating Tips

As you start to decorate this chocolate peanut butter cake, there’s a couple things to remember:

1. You’ll want to level the cake layers, if needed, to ensure your cake stacks evenly.
2. Chill the cake layers for at least an hour in the freezer before frosting. Working with chilled cakes will make frosting the cake much easier – you’re less likely to get crumbs in your frosting.
3. Make sure to do a crumb coat before you frost the entire cake. The chocolate crumbs are moist and easily get stuck in the frosting if you don’t do a crumb coat. Remember, the crumb coat is just a thin layer of frosting that you freeze for 10 to 15 minutes to set. This will lock in the crumbs so your final coat of frosting is crumb-free.

Ok! I think you’re all set to go. Hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do!