Chocolate Snack Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

"I made the cake it was sooo good! I added peppermint chips to half of the cake and it was good." - Mary Ann

Ok. So look, I love a good snack. AND I love cake. AND I love chocolate. So chocolate snack cake is going to be a winner for me, no question.

But also, I just love the idea of snack cake. Who doesn't want to live in a house with a cake in the kitchen that is for snacking???

I do! I do! 🙋🏻‍♀️

As an eater of snack cake, I'm all in for whatever you're offering.

As the baker of said snack cake, I have some requirements: It must be super easy to make, it must be just as delicious plain as it is frosted, and it must stay fresh for at least a couple of days.

This one checks all the boxes. You can make it in under an hour and don't even need to get out your electric mixer. It's rich and chocolatey enough to eat all by itself or take it up a notch with a thick layer of 5-minute peanut butter frosting.

I mean, come on. We're never going to go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.

This cake will stay soft and delicious for a couple of days as long as you cover it or store it in an airtight container. Obviously, it makes a good dessert. But, my favorite time to eat it is in the middle of the afternoon, standing in the kitchen, cake crumbs and a smile on my face.

xo

-Rebecca

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Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe

• Cake flour ensures that the texture of this cake is super soft and light. No cake flour? No problem. Scroll down for a substitute.
• Granulated white sugar
• Baking soda and salt
• Buttermilk gives this cake a tender texture and works with the baking soda to keep it light and fluffy.
• Eggs: 2 eggs + 2 yolks. And yes, I know there are only two eggs in this photo. It was an oversight. And before you ask me if those extra two yolks are really necessary, let me assure you with a resounding YES. It took a few iterations of this recipe to dial up the rich and creamy texture of this cake and those extra egg yolks are key.
• Vanilla extract
• Strong brewed coffee. You might think that adding coffee to chocolate cake will make it taste like a coffee flavored cake rather than a chocolate flavored cake. But that's not what happens. Coffee serves to emphasize the flavor of chocolate, intensifying the flavor and adding balance to the sweetness of sugar.
• Butter, preferably unsalted.
• Cocoa powder.

Additions and substitutions

• If you don't have cake flour, make this easy substitution: Measure out 1 cup (120 grams) of all-purpose flour then remove two tablespoons (15 grams) of the flour and replace them with two tablespoons (14 grams) of cornstarch.
• To make this cake gluten free, use a gluten free flour mix instead of the cake flour. My favorite brands are Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour and King Arthur Gluten Free Flour.
• To make this cake dairy free, use vegan butter or use vegetable or canola oil instead. Swap out the buttermilk for any kind of plant based milk plus some acid: Measure 1 ½ cups and remove one tablespoon replacing it with a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
• If you'd like to add some additional texture and flavor to the cake, stir in some chopped roasted nuts, mini chocolate chips, or toasted coconut.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

Coat the inside of a 9x13-inch rectangle pan with a thin layer of vegetable shortening or butter then shake some flour around inside the pan until the bottom and sides are coated.

Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl and use a wire whisk to stir.

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, add the buttermilk, eggs and egg yolks, and vanilla. Use a fork or a whisk to mix together.

Add the coffee, butter, and cocoa powder to a saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth and bubbling around edges of the pan.

Remove the cocoa mixture from heat and pour it into the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or wire whisk to stir just until everything is combined.

Pour in the buttermilk and egg mixture and stir just until combined. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes.

When done, the cake will be pulling away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake will emerge without any raw batter on it.

Allow the cake to cool completely, then cover with a thick layer of peanut butter frosting - or any kind of frosting your little heart desires.

Frosting options for chocolate snack cake

Chocolate and peanut butter are a delicious combo, obviously, and this peanut butter frosting is rich and creamy, full of peanut butter flavor and not overly sweet.

But, chocolate snack cake is delicious with many different kinds of frosting, not just peanut butter. Here are a few other delicious options:

How to make a smaller chocolate snack cake

Sometimes we want chocolate cake but we don't want a LOT of chocolate cake. I get it. If that's your current situation, and you'd like to make an 8-inch square cake instead of a 9x13-inch rectangle cake, for 6-9 servings instead of 12, here are the ratios:

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (135 grams) cake flour
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, OR ¼ teaspoon table salt
• ¼ cup (57 grams) buttermilk
• 1 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cups (6 ounces) strong brewed coffee
• 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 3 tablespoons (16 grams) cocoa powder

A simple, indulgent serving suggestion from my childhood

When I was a child, my mom used to make chocolate cake in a 9x13 pan with chocolate chips sprinkled over the top of the batter before baking.

She would slice it while it was still warm, and serve it with pats of butte on the top. The butter would slowly melt from the heat of the cake, melting into the warm cake, and it was heaven.

THIS is the cake for which you can do the same thing, if that also sounds like your definition of paradise. ❤️

More recipes for chocolate lovers to obsess over

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment for me.

Happy baking!