Reese’s Cake

Dive into decadence with this three-layer chocolate Reese’s Cake. The homemade chocolate cake layers are guaranteed to wake-up your tastebuds with their deep chocolate taste, while the rich and creamy peanut butter frosting provides the sweet and salty contrast of flavor. It’s a chocolate peanut butter cup extravaganza!

What You’ll Love About this Chocolate Reese’s Cake

This special occasion cake is a stunner! It requires several steps to make, but don’t be intimidated, none of them are difficult. The end result is a chocolate peanut butter cup fans dream dessert. It features a rich chocolate cake recipe frosted with homemade peanut butter buttercream and a smooth chocolate ganache on top. It’s decorated with Reese’s cups giving the dessert lovers a hint to the flavors hidden inside. You’re guaranteed to impress your friends and family with this bakery style dessert made in your own kitchen. 

Ingredients to Make Reese’s Cake Recipe

Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Reese’s Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Dry Ingredients – All purpose flour sifted with unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking powder and salt forms the base of the cake batter.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar for sweetness.
• Chocolate Chips – One package semi-sweet chocolate chips. Half are melted and used for the cake batter and half for the chocolate ganache.
• Coffee – One cup of hot coffee adds a depth of flavor to the chocolate cake without making it taste like mocha.
• Flavoring – Vanilla extract balances the chocolate.
• Whole Eggs – Large eggs bind and stabilize the cake batter.
• Vegetable Oil and Sour Cream – The combination adds moisture to the texture of the cake.
• Frosting – Unsalted butter combined with creamy peanut butter, water and powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar).
• Ganache – One half of the bag of chocolate chips melted with heavy whipping cream, butter and light corn syrup for shine.
• Garnish – One 7.8 ounce package of mini Reese’s peanut butter cups.

How to Make the BEST Reese’s Cake Recipe

• Heat Oven and Prepare the Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of three 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Lightly grease the surface of the parchment paper. Dust with cocoa powder.
• Melt Chocolate: In a heatproof bowl, combine half of the chocolate chips with the hot (boiling) coffee and vanilla extract. Let the mixture sit for five minutes and then stir until smooth.
• Dry Ingredients: Use a whisk to sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Wet Ingredients: Combine the sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil in a separate large bowl beating with a handheld mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and melted chocolate.
• Fold in Dry Ingredients: By hand, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing until just combined after each addition. Do not over-mix the batter!
• Transfer Batter to Pans: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Oven: Bake per the recipe until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Remove the cakes from their pans, place them on a wire rack and cool, or refrigerate to speed up the process.
• Make the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter with a hand mixer until light and fluffy; add the peanut butter and remaining one tablespoon vanilla extract and continue beating until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar and the water, mixing just until combined.
• Assemble the Layers: Center the first layer on a cake plate. Spoon 1 ¼ cups of frosting on the cake layer and smooth it evenly. Repeat with the second and third layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake.
• Make the Ganache: Combine the heavy cream, butter and light corn syrup heating on low heat until the butter has melted and the cream is hot, but not boiling. Add the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate chips. Let the mixture stand for 3 to 5 minutes until the chocolate has melted, then stir until completely smooth. Cool to room temperature, but it should still be pourable.
• Pour Ganache Over Cake: Place the assembled cake on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and pour the ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Repeat using any ganache that has dripped onto the baking sheet. You can gently reheat the ganache as needed in a saucepan or in the microwave.
• Chill the Cake: Refrigerate the cake to allow the ganache to set.
• Garnish: Decorate the top of the cake with the remaining peanut butter frosting and decorate with Reese’s Miniature Peanut Butter Cups.
• Serve: Transfer to a cake stand or large serving plate and serve.

Tips for Making a Chocolate Reese’s Cake

• Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need: Stand mixer or hand mixer, large bowl, medium bowl, whisk, measuring cups, measuring spoons, medium saucepan, whisk, wire rack and sheet pan, offset icing spatula. You’ll also need a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip OR a plastic storage bag with the corner snipped to pipe frosting on the top.
• Divide the Batter Evenly: To make sure the cake layers are even thickness, you can use a measuring cup or a kitchen scale to measure the cake batter.
• Fully Prep the Pans: I like to dust the cake pans with cocoa powder instead of flour so it blends in with the color of the cake better. You can opt to use flour or baking spray, if you like.
• Level the Layers: If the cake layers form domes while baking you can trim the tops using a serrated knife. This will ensure the stacked cake is even on all sides.
• Reheat the Ganache to Thin: The ganache should pour well but still be slightly thick. To reheat ganache that has become cold and unpourable, place it in a saucepan on low heat and stir until warmed through.
• Cool the Cake Prior to Frosting: Why is my cake lopsided? If the cake layers haven’t properly cooled before adding the frosting, they will tend to move around. To avoid this, keep each frosted layer chilled for ten minutes before adding (and frosting) the next cake layer. In addition, it is important not to pour hot ganache over the frosting, as this will cause the frosting to melt. Finally, ensure your cake is properly chilled when the ganache is added, or the layers will shift.
  
  

Recipe Variations

• Chocolate: You can use dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips for the ganache.
• Why Use Corn Syrup? Although ganache can be made with just chocolate chips and heavy cream, adding corn syrup creates shine. It doesn’t change the taste profile, so you can leave it out if you don’t have any on hand or replace it with coconut oil.
• Peanut Butter: You can increase the amount of peanut butter to 3 cups for a more intense peanut butter flavor.
• Ganache: You can half the amount of ganache and use it to simply cover the top and drip down the sides of the cake leaving the peanut butter icing visible.
• Decorating the Top: If you’re not one to use a piping bag, you can use a large Ziploc bag to drop dollops of peanut butter frosting for decorating the top.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store leftover Reese’s Cake in an airtight container or loosely covered in plastic wrap chilled in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  days.
• Freezer: You can freeze this cake for up to 3 months. I recommend pre-slicing it and placing wax paper between each slice so you can easily remove one slice at a time.

More Layer Cake Recipes to Make

• You’ll love my recipe for Easy Strawberry Cake during berry season.
• A Southern classic Red Velvet Layer Cake with toasted pecans and cream cheese frosting.
• German Chocolate Cake frosted with a homemade Coconut Pecan Icing.
• Coconut Layer Cake is perfect for Easter or any special occasion.
• Patriotic Red White and Blue Ice Cream Cake.
• Banana Pudding Cake is a stunner!
• Pig Pickin’ Cake is filled with mandarin orange flavor.
• Cake Pops from Preppy Kitchen.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Stand Mixer
• Cooling Racks
• Measuring Set
• 8-inch Cake Pans

Print

Reese’s Cake

Course Cakes, Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chocolate-reeses-cake, reeses-cake, reeses-cups

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Chill Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 27 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 958kcal

Ingredients

• 12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips divided use
• 1 cup hot coffee
• 2 Tbsp vanilla extract divided use
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus 3 Tbsp for dusting pans
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• Frosting:
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 7 cups powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
• 3 Tbsp water
• Ganache: (Use Reserved Chocolate Chips)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp salted or unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
• Garnish:
• 1 7.8 oz package mini Reese's cups unwrapped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray or baking spray. Line them with parchment paper rounds. Lightly grease the surface of the parchment paper and dust with cocoa powder.
• Melt Chocolate: In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, combine 6 ounces of chocolate chips with the hot coffee and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Let the mixture sit for five minutes and then stir until smooth. Set aside.
• Cake Batter: In a large bowl, use a whisk to sift together the flour, ¾cup cocoa powder, baking baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• Combine the sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil in a separate large bowl beating with a handheld mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the sour cream and melted chocolate. Continue to beat on medium speed until fully combined.
• By hand, use a large nonstick rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing until just combined after each addition. Do not over-mix the batter!
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pans.  Place the cake pans in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cakes from their pans, place them on a wire rack, and cool completely or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Make the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat 1 ¼ cups butter with a hand mixer until light and fluffy; add the peanut butter and remaining one tablespoon vanilla extract and continue beating until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and the water, mixing just until combined. Set aside.
• Place a dollop of frosting in the center of your cake plate or cake stand. Position the first cake layer on top. Spoon 1 ¼ cups of frosting on the cake layer and smooth it out using an offset spatula. Repeat with the second and third layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Chill to set.
• Make the Ganache: In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy whipping cream, one tablespoon butter, and light corn syrup. Heat on low until the butter has melted and the cream is hot (but not boiling).  Remove the hot cream from the heat. Add the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate chips. Let the mixture stand for 3 to 5 minutes until the chocolate has melted, then stir until completely smooth.
• Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature, but it should still be pourable. Place the assembled cake on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and pour the ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Re-use any ganache that has dripped onto the baking sheet. Smooth the ganache-covered cake with an offset spatula. (You can gently reheat the ganache as needed in a saucepan or in the microwave.)
• Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours to allow the ganache to set. Pipe the top of the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate with Reese’s Miniature Peanut Butter Cups. Transfer to a cake stand or large serving plate and serve.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Special Note: To make the cake easier to move around, assemble the cake on an 8-inch cake board. These are inexpensive and can easily be found where baking supplies are sold. This will allow you to move the cake from the wire rack after drizzling with the ganache to the fridge and ultimately to a cake stand for serving without touching the cake.

Notes

• Chocolate: You can use dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips for the ganache.
• Why Use Corn Syrup? Although ganache can be made with just chocolate chips and heavy cream, adding corn syrup creates shine. It doesn’t change the taste profile, so you can leave it out if you don’t have any on hand or replace it with coconut oil.
• Peanut Butter: You can increase the amount of peanut butter to 3 cups for a more intense peanut butter flavor.
• Ganache: You can half the ganache and use it to simply cover the top and drip down the sides of the cake.
• Decorating the Top: If you’re not one to use a piping bag, you can use a large Ziploc bag to drop dollops of peanut butter frosting for decorating the top.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 958kcal | Carbohydrates: 119g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 89g | Vitamin A: 704IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 4mg

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