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Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
 
This homemade Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake recipe is an easy peanut butter cake swirled with a sweet cream cheese filling. Topped with crushed peanuts and peanut butter chips, this earthquake cake is a peanut butter lover’s dream!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake
Servings: 12 slices
Author: Michelle
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cake
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy all natural or Jif)
  • 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (light can be substituted)
  • 3 eggs, large
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 Tbsp half & half (you can use milk or heavy whipping cream)
Additional Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups peanuts, salted (I used half regular and half honey roasted)
  • 2/3 cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
  2. Sprinkle peanuts and 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips all over the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl with a stand mixer (or a hand mixer), cream the peanut butter and vegetable oil together until well combined.
  4. Add in the granulated sugar and brown sugar, creaming the mixture with your mixer until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes (this helps your cake be light and not nearly as dense).
  5. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  6. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  7. Alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mix the flour mixture and the buttermilk in with the peanut butter batter, until just combined.
  8. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
  9. Pour the batter into the baking dish, smoothing in an even layer. Set aside.
  10. In a separate bowl, whisk (by hand or with a mixecream cheese, melted butter, powdered sugar and half & half together.
  11. Once combined, drop the batter by spoonfuls all over the top of the peanut butter cake batter.
  12. With a knife, swirl the cream cheese filling and the peanut butter cake batter together.
  13. Sprinkle the remaining peanut butter chips on top.
  14. Bake for 35-37 minutes. The cake should be set on top, but the center should jiggle slightly when the cake pan is gently moved.
  15. Allow the peanut butter earthquake cake to cool before serving. I prefer this cake cold, but you can serve warm, at room temperature or cold.
  16. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge.