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Peanut Butter M&M Cake

A delightful cake combining the flavors of peanut butter and chocolate, perfect for busy weeknights or special occasions.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 400
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 1.5 cups 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cups ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 0.5 cups ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp ½ tsp baking soda
  • 0.25 tsp ¼ tsp salt
  • 0.5 cups ½ cup M&M's (plus more for decoration!)
For the Frosting
  • 1 cup 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 0.5 cups ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 0.25 cups ¼ cup milk
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (about the same temperature as your summer road trip dreams!). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the creamy peanut butter and softened butter until smooth and fluffy. Add in the granulated sugar, and mix until fully combined.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then drop in the vanilla extract.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to your peanut butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until everything is just combined (a few lumps are okay).
  6. Carefully fold in ½ cup of M&M's into the batter.
Baking
  1. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  2. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Frosting
  1. In a medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter and softened butter until smooth.
  2. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix well; then pour in the milk and vanilla to achieve your desired consistency.
  3. Frost the top of one cake layer, stack the other layer on top, and then decorate with the remaining frosting and M&Ms.

Notes

If there are leftovers, store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The flavors improve over time. For a fun activity, let kids decorate the top with M&Ms!