This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake tastes almost like a Snickers Cake! It is a soft and moist vegan chocolate cake filled with a rich and creamy peanut butter frosting. It’s a delicious recipe and makes the perfect dessert for a birthday or any occasion!
I should probably admit that I’m a little bit obsessed with chocolate Cakes, haha! But let’s be honest, who doesn’t love chocolate? Especially when it’s paired with Peanut Butter because this combo is my most recent addiction! Whether I put it in a creamy oatmeal, or use it as topping for pancakes, either for breakfast or for dessert – it always comes right! And since my Brownie Cheesecake was so delicious, I wanted to create another Cake with that heavenly Peanut Butter Chocolate combo.
Vegan Snickers Cake
Actually, I wanted to make a vegan snickers cake, but for some reason, I couldn’t decide exactly how I wanted to do that. There are so many possibilities because you can make it as a snickers cheesecake or snickers cake with layers etc. Anyways, this cake is almost a vegan snickers cake, the only thing missing is the caramel sauce, but you can drizzle it on top, if you want, so you have a snickers cake!
As for the little story behind this creation, my friend Sabine (@alsothecrumbsplease) inspired me to assemble my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake this way. When she shared her gorgeous Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, I immediately fell in love with the styling and wanted to create the vegan version of hers. She’s a very lovely person, by the way, and will also start doing workshops soon!
Soft and moist Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter
Making this vegan chocolate cake is very easy! Start by stirring the vinegar into the non-dairy milk and set aside to create vegan buttermilk. Then simply combine the wet and dry ingredients. Pour it into your prepared cake pans and bake! That’s it!
Actually, this recipe is pretty similar to my Best Vegan Chocolate Cake that I shared a while ago here on my blog. I just changed a couple of things to make it more moist and flavorful. For example, I also added applesauce which gives this cake more moisture and brings out the fudginess. Also, I added a bit of strong brewed coffee because it tastes absolutely amazing in this Chocolate Cake! Anyways, if you don’t want to add coffee, you can also substitute more non-dairy milk or water instead.
Make sure not to overbake your Chocolate Cake!
If you want a soft and moist Chocolate Cake, it is very important to have the right oven temperature and not to overbake it! I’ve figured out that most ovens often vary in temperature, so if your oven is not accurate and it’s hotter than it shows, your cake will probably get overbaked. In this case, it will get dry and crumbly instead of soft and moist. Anyways, you don’t have to buy a new expensive oven because of that, but I recommend you to test your cake with a skewer to avoid overbaking. So when a toothpick in the center comes out clean, you can remove it. Otherwise, as another option, you can also buy an oven thermometer to make sure your oven has an accurate temperature.
Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
While buttercream is often made with just butter and sugar, I made mine a bit “healthier” and used non-dairy cream cheese instead of butter. This not only reduces the amount of fat but it also makes it creamier and lighter in taste. Just in case you can’t find non-dairy cream cheese, it is absolutely okay to use coconut cream instead. And don’t worry, you won‘t taste the coconut flavor because the peanut butter and the chocolate will definitely overpower it.
How to make Vegan Buttercream with Peanut Butter
Making the creamy peanut butter frosting is very easy! Simply mix the soft vegan cream cheese with a handheld mixer until creamy. Then stir in the creamy peanut butter and vanilla and sift in powdered sugar. The peanut butter frosting should become very creamy and spreadable during mixing. If it is too firm, you can add a tiny bit of non-dairy milk. And if it is too soft, you can add more powdered sugar.
I hope you’ll love this Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake too! It is:
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Chocolatey
- Moist
- Soft
- Rich
- with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Can be turned into Cupcakes, Muffins
- The perfect Cake to impress your guests!
The perfect Chocolate Cake for any occasions!
This chocolate cake is great for birthdays, cozy afternoons, or any other occasion when a rich and delicious chocolate peanut butter cake is welcome. So basically all the time and every day, haha. And if you are looking for more Vegan Cake Recipes, you can also check out my Best Vegan Chocolate Cake, Brownie Cheesecake, Vegan Brownies, or one of my favorite Vegan Cheesecake and Vegan Crumble Cake Recipes.
If you try this chocolate peanut butter cake, please leave me a comment below sharing how it turned out for you! And if you take a photo of your recreation and share it on Instagram, please do not forget to tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka , so I won’t miss it! Happy baking!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Author:You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 ⅓ cups non-dairy milk at room temperature (320m)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (320g) *or sub gluten-free flour
- 1 tbsp soy flour or cornstarch (optional)
- 1 ⅓ cups organic cane sugar (270g) or sub granulated sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (65g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup coconut oil melted (160ml)
- ¾ cup applesauce unsweetened (180g)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup strong brewed coffee or sub more non-dairy milk (120ml)
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 2 cups non-dairy cream cheese softened (450g)
- 8 tbsp creamy peanut butter melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted (100g or more to taste)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 4,5 oz vegan dark chocolate chopped (120g)
- 5 tbsp non-dairy milk or non-dairy cream
Topping
- 1 cup salted peanuts
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (175˚C) and grease two 8-inch (20cm) cake pans. (You can also line them with parchment paper for easier removal).
- In a measuring jar, add non-dairy milk and vinegar. Stir to combine and set aside until it curdles to create vegan buttermilk.
- Sift the flour, cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and give a good whisk to combine.
- Add the melted coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla, and vegan buttermilk. Mix on medium speed using a handheld mixer until well combined. Lower the speed and pour in the hot coffee, continuing to mix until combined. (If you like the cake sweeter, add more sugar to taste).
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Please do not overbake, if you want a moist chocolate cake).
- After baking let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and let them cool completely before frosting.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- Mix the non-dairy cream cheese with a handheld mixer until creamy. Then stir in creamy peanut butter and vanilla. Sift in powdered sugar and mix until well combined and creamy. (If it’s too firm and not spreadable, stir in a bit of non-dairy milk. If it is too soft, add more powdered sugar).
Assemble the cake
- Cut the cakes horizontally in two equal layers.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about 1/4 of the peanut butter frosting in an even layer over the top, then place the second cake layer on top and repeat this step with the 2 following layers. Place the last cake layer on top and spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. (Optionally, save a small portion of the frosting for the decoration and fill into a piping bag). Chill the cake at least 4 hours in the fridge or overnight.
Chocolate Ganache
- Slowly, melt the chocolate over a water bath (or microwave½), stirring occasionally.
- Add a bit of non-dairy milk, stirring to combine until smooth and creamy. Let cool slightly, then carefully, spoon melted chocolate around the sides with a teaspoon, and let it drip off. Pour the rest of the melted chocolate on top of the cake, smoothing out evenly.
- Place the cake in the fridge for 5 minutes or so to firm up.
- Optionally, make pipes on top of the cake with the remaining peanut butter frosting and decorate with salted peanuts!
- If you want to serve it as a snickers cake, drizzle over caramel sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free: To make this cake gluten-free, I recommend using a gluten-free flour blend 1:1.
- Sugar-free: To make this cake reduced in sugar, you can use a sugar substitute or coconut sugar.
- Cream Cheese: Instead of using cream cheese, you can also make the buttercream frosting with ½ cup vegan butter (mix until creamy), then add 1 cup coconut cream (mix again) and stir in 1 cup creamy peanut butter + vanilla. Sift in powdered sugar and mix again until creamy. Simply refrigerate a can of coconut milk overnight. Then scoop out the solid part from the can which should have the same consistency as cream cheese (this is the coconut cream).
- PB: Please make sure to use CREAMY peanut butter and no oily! Otherwise, your frosting will be too runny.
- Storage: You can keep the leftover cake covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or you can freeze the un-frosted cake for up to 1 month. Then thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Muffins/Cupcakes: You can also turn the batter into cupcakes or muffins. Fill the pans ⅔ full and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Frosting Variations: If you’re making this cake without the peanut butter frosting, you can top it with a simple chocolate frosting or enjoy it plain. It also tastes delicious when you serve a scoop of vegan ice cream, coconut yogurt, or whipped coconut cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce on top of your slice.
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Hi, what if I want to bake in 3, 8” cake pans to not have to cut the cakes after I bake them – how long should I bake them for? I’m guessing less time?
Thank you,
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
I think the baking time will be around 25 minutes.
You can check after 20 minutes with a skewer.
Greetings,
Bianca
Can i use instead apple sauce greek yogurt or something else? And can i substituite coconut oil with butter?
Yes for both! 🙂
This was great! Instead of diving the two cake halves to make four, I separately baked three cake pans and it came out perfect! This will definitely be made again
So glad it turned out great! 😀
Thank you very much for your feedback! ♡
Merry Christmas! 🎄🎁
This cake was made by my husband for my birthday! Due to health reasons, he is avoiding gluten so there aren’t many options for us out there that are vegan, GF and most importantly, delicious!! This cake was simply amazing!!!
So glad you love it! ❤️
Thank you so much! 🙂
This recipe is awesome! What an impressive cake! I had to replace some of the cream cheese with vegan butter and that worked well for the frosting. Will definitely make this again!
So glad you love this recipe! Thank you so much for your great feedback! 🙂
Hi! This looks amazing! I am going to make it for my partner’s birthday on 12/24. He loves peanut butter cups, so it will be perfect! I am planning on making it the day before and will refrigerate over night. Quick question though: after I make the cake should I add the ganache before I refrigerate it? Or should I add the ganache and toppings the next day right before I serve the cake? Thanks!
Hi Vanessa,
it’s easier to cut and assemble the cake when you leave it in the fridge overnight.
But you could also finish it the day before – That’s up to you!
Best, Bianca 🙂
Easy to make and delicious.
Unfortunately mine collapsed at the very last layer so I put it in a form and couldn’t serve it as a pretty cake but the taste is incredible!
I also recommend cutting the cake with a string, not a knife.
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Thank you so much for your feedback!
Best, Bianca <3
Another absolutely scrumptious recipe! Made cupcakes instead of a full cake and used coconut cream version of the cream cheese frosting and it was so light and delicious I was in vegan heaven on first bite. Thanks again!
Yay, that’s amazing! I am so glad you made cupcakes and enjoyed them! Thanks for the great feedback! 🙂
This cake is delicious. The chocolate batter tastes amazing, it’s moist but not too fragile or crumbly, it was easy to work with while assembling the cake. The frosting is great too, even though I had to adjust the recipe a bit. I couldn’t find any vegan cream cheese cause it was out of stock everywhere for some reason, so I just used the coconut cream. I ended up using a whole jar of peanut butter cause the one I got seemed too bland for this recipe, so I’ll probably try a different brand next time. Also cut the sugar amount in half and put a pinch or two of salt in it too. I was afraid it would end up too runny because of it, but it set nicely after few hours in the fridge. I will definitely be doing this recipe more often as everyone in the family finally enjoyed my vegan creation 😀
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback!
So glad you enjoyed this cake! 🙂
Hope you’ll try it again soon!
Much love,
Bianca ♡
Hello Bianca, I have a question regarding the frosting. Does the PB have to be melted? And if so, I do I do it? And second, when assembling the cake, should the frosting be refrigerated, or should I assemble the cake as soon as I make the frosting?
Thanks in advance for your answer.
*how do I do it
Hi Tereza,
the peanut butter should be soft and creamy but not completely melted.
If it’s too firm you can gently reheat in the microwave.
You can assemble the cake once the frosting is prepared.
If your peanut butter was too liquid, the frosting will be a bit runny after you prepared it.
But when you chill it for a few minutes it’ll get firmer again.
Best,
Bianca
Hello Bianca, many thanks for this recipe, the cake is so delicious. I have made it already few times, but the base was always very breakable. I will definitively try it again, as it tastes so amazing… i guess, will try to keep it on banking paper until assemble it…Wouldnt you have any other advise how to cope with this? Maybe, i also kept it too long in the oven… But the taste is my favourite and i am not even a vegan 🙂
Hi there,
You can keep the cake in the fridge overnight so it will set completely and will be less breakable. The next day, you can cut and assemble the cake as instructed.
A freshly baked vegan cake is always pretty soft and delicate. But when it’s well chilled, then it’ll be easier to assemble.
Hope this helps! 😊
The juiciest, softest and most delicious chocolate I’ve ever eaten! And it’s even vegan 🙂
And the peanut filling is also amazing!
So glad you love this chocolate cake! Thank you so much for your feedback! 😊
Hiya,
Really excited to try baking this cake for my bfs birthday next week. Just wanted to check. If there is a good swap for apple sauce as i am allergic to apples!?
Thanks
Soph
Hi Sophie,
you can use mashed banana or pumpkin puree instead! 🙂
I made this cake for my hubby’s birthday and it was just amazing! He and all who tried it was so impressed and couldn’t believe me that it’s completely vegan😄 I love it and from now on it will be my signature cake for all future holidays or should I try other recipes as well🤔 now I need a paper version of all recipes here🙈
So glad everyone loved this recipe! Thank you so much for your amazing feedback! ❤️
Do you have a recipe for applesauce?
Or if you can tell me how to make it, would be a great help. 😀
Not yet, sorry! 😃
Hi, I’d love to make this cake ,but I was wondering about the cream cheese for the frosting, will any vegan cream cheese work? Will cream cheese be too salty? I’m so scared it’ll taste weird 😕
You can use any plain cream cheese!
Angela, I used Tofutti Cream Cheese and it worked well. Yes this cake has a slightly salty taste, but it offsets the sweetness and works well with the peanut flavor.
The coconut oil makes it very moist. I made this for my husband’s birthday. He said it was the best birthday cake ever, and he couldn’t believe it was vegan!!
So glad your cake turned out amazing!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback!
Best, Bianca 😊
For your next cake, I have found the Daiya Cream cheese to by the best tasting, followed by Kite Hill! I made a cream cheese frosting for a vegan carrot cake, and the tart cream-cheese flavor from Daiya was on! point! And, the texture is almost identical! My .02$ 🙂
Thank you so much for your amazing feedback! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! 😊
I don’t even know how to describe with words how delicious this cake is! My Mom described it as “every piece is like your favorite praline”, my sister thinks it’s “highly addictive” and I have to say, this recipe is well described and therefore easy to make and absolutely delicious! Love it!
Thank you so much for your wonderful words! So glad you love this recipe! 🙂
Hello,
I made this and it turned out amazing. The frosting is awesome, and also i increased the frosting by 30%, to make sure i had enough for the layers.
I made a vegan banana cake and used this frosting recipe and that came out crazy good.
Next, ill be making your blueberry lemon cake recipe….can’t wait to taste that one. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Patricia! So glad you love this recipe! Best, Bianca ❤️
Do you think this would work with a layer of jam/fruit in the middle, like peanut butter and jelly?
Yes, that sounds great!
The recipe is really good! The frosting tastes amazing and the cake is rich and moist.
So glad you love this recipe! Thank you 😊
I made this cake today and it came out delicious, I substituted vegetable oil for coconut oil in the cake batter. I decorated the cake with chopped peanuts and piped some peanut butter stars on top. Everyone just loved it, including my dad who is not vegan!
So glad you love this recipe! Thank you so much! 🙂
Made this for hubby’s bday. It was amazing!
For the frosting: I’m not crazy about the taste of the vegan cream cheese we have around here, so I used half cream cheese (tofutti–one 8oz container is half the recipe), the other half I used coconut cream. Then I used what was left of the can of coconut cream in place of the non-dairy milk in the ganache. SOOOOOO GOOD!
So glad you love this chocolate peanut butter cake so much! Thank you for your amazing feedback and for sharing your experiences regarding the ganache! Lots of love to you! 🙂 <3
When I added the melted coconut oil to the batter, it hardened up. I beat the batter for a long time trying to break down the big chunks of solidified oil, and I left the batter out on the counter so it would soften. I just pulled the cake out of the oven and both layers are flat and look terrible. I have to throw them out and find another recipe. It’s my son’s birthday and I’m extremely frustrated I wasted time and ingredients on this. Please change the recipe to use a different oil that does not solidify, or state clearly that the milk must be at room temperature.
Hi Polly, I’m sorry to hear that. Please make sure to use hot coffee and milk at room temperature.
I just made this recipe yesterday for my boyfriend’s birthday. I am vegan, he is not. I didn’t want to buy animal products, and he loves Reese’s so I made this. I was a little skeptical because of the coconut oil and when it came out of the oven it smelled coconutty, but after it was all done and he blew out the candles and he ate it, it was delicious! What a great recipe! Thank you, Bianca! I’m putting this on my list of cake recipes to make again.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, Celina! 🙂 <3
So I loved the chocolate cake and the ganache but I did not like the frosting. The only vegan cream cheese I could find was by daiya, and I really don’t like the brand. I tried it anyway and thankfully I tasted the frosting before putting it on the cake, I ended up tossing it. Do you recommend any other substitute way of making the frosting without the cream cheese portion or brand of vegan cream cheese? Thank you!! I do love your recipes though 😇
I used Trader Joe’s brand vegan cream cheese.
Thanks for letting us know! 🙂
Hi Nash, so glad you enjoyed the chocolate cake. So sorry to hear that you don’t like the cream cheese you use. I buy non-dairy cream cheese here in Germany so I think it’s not available where you live. But maybe you could try Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese?
This looks amazing! I want to make this but I only have 9 inch pans, will I have to adjust the cooking time? Thanks!
Hi Emily, unfortunately, I haven’t tried this recipe using 9-inch pans. However, I suggest you must increase the baking time when using more batter and larger pans. I recommend checking after an hour by inserting a skewer into the center of a cake. If it’s still too wet, bake another 10 minutes, then test again. Continue like that until the cake is done. Let me know how it turned out for you! Lots of love, Bianca <3
Omg😍😍😍
I tried this recipe
It’s amazing 😍😍😍😍 thanks for the recipe 😍😍😍 the best vegan cake eveeeeer!!!
Hi Anett, so glad your peanut butter chocolate cake came out perfectly and that you enjoy it! Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! Lots of love, Bianca <3
This cake taste amazing, love this recipe Bianca !
So glad that you liked it! Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
I LOVE IT!!!!!! I was a bit worried after I finished it but the next day after a night in refrigerator it looked amazing and it tastes like heaven!! Everybody loved it even though they aren’t vegans. It’s so rich and moist. I have never eaten a better cake
So glad that you liked my cake, too 🙂 Thank you so much!
The peanut butter cake with chocolate is delicious. The recipe is clear.
Thank you 🙂
What an amazing recipe ! I loved it ! I did it for my parter’s birthday and everyone was so surprised ! That’s definitely my favorite cake !
Thank you for sharing it !
So happy that you liked it! Thank you 🙂
My friend made this and I LOVED it: really tasted like Snickers and looked a-ma-zing!!!!
So glad that you like it! Thank you so much! ?
Such a yummy and delicious recipe!! Absolutely loved it <3 <3
So glad that you liked it! Thank you! ?
So ein tolles Rezept! Habs gleich ausprobiert,.. nur die creme abgewNdelt mit fruchtpulver !!
Megalecker!
Danke für die inspo!!?
Das freut mich sehr, liebe Daniela! Vielen Dank für den Kommentar 🙂 <3
This looks luscious!
I actually want to make it with dairy products, I’m trying to adopt a plant based diet but my family prefer dairy based at the moment although we are all egg-free, would it be possible to swap the plant based ingredients with the dairy/cow’s milk alternatives and get the same results?
Thank you!
Yes, sure! Of course, you can use dairy ingredients. Have fun trying! 🙂
I almost licked my screen when I saw this cake on Instagram, and I almost licked my computer screen now! 🙂 Looks wonderful Bianca! Hugs xx
Haha, thank you, Anna! So glad that you like my recipes. ? <3
This cake looked so beautiful I had to give it a try! I didn’t have any cream cheese so I went with the second frosting option with the coconut cream and butter, however it turned out very wet. Maybe I didn’t get all of the water out of the coconut cream, or perhaps the “natural” style of peanut butter is too oily. I found that I had to dab the frosting with paper towels in order to work with it, and when trying to pipe it fell apart. I did add extra powdered sugar to try and absorb some of the liquid but the frosting just wouldn’t come together for some reason. Other then that cake cake out beautiful!
Hi Lauren,
I’m so sorry to hear that. It is very important to use only the firm part of coconut milk. It should be as firm as cream cheese. Also, the peanut butter must be creamy. If you want to try it again, please make sure to buy CREAMY peanut butter and no oily.
Lots of love,
Bianca <3
Such a masterpiece! It looks amazing and I bet it tastes heavenly! 🙂
Much love, Ela ?
Thank you so much! <3
Oooh it’s so beautiful and sure good! If I don’t want use vegan butter for the frosting is it possible use only coconut cream (and peanut butter?) thank you 😉
Yes, you can try that! The texture will be like a peanut butter mousse then. Just make sure to use creamy peanut butter and no oily.
Bianca, that cake is stunning! I love just everything about it. You make me so curious about vegan baking that I have to try your cake. A masterpiece!
Thank you so much, Sabine! I hope you’ll like it. Let me know what you think. 🙂