This Peanut Butter Sheet Cake is an unbelievably moist, rich, peanut butter cake with creamy peanut butter frosting poured on top. Similar to Texas Sheet Cake, but for the peanut butter lover instead!
Love Peanut Butter? Be sure to try our thick and fudgy Peanut Butter Brownies. Swirls of peanut butter in the batter. Speaking of swirls, our Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars have swirls AND puddles of peanut butter. What’s not to love?
Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake
Almost everyone’s had Texas Sheet Cake before, right? I first tried Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake when I was a kid and fell in love with the fudgy texture covered with melty frosting.
We’re serious peanut butter lovers at this house, so I decided I needed to figure out a version of sheet cake that would deliver that swoon-worthy fudgy moist texture along with serious peanut flavor.
We love our easy Peanut Butter Cake around here but I was in the mood for something more like a traditional Texas Sheet Cake but with peanut butter.
Never be satisfied with just some peanut butter when you could have all the peanut butter. I also put creamy peanut butter into the soft frosting that goes on top of this cake.
My family went nuts over Texas Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter (forgive the pun) and I can’t wait for you to try it.
Ingredient Notes
Sheet Cakes are so easy to make and decorate. If icing with buttercream isn’t your strong suit, you’ll love how fuss free it is to decorate this peanut butter cake.
To make sheet cake, you don’t use a usual cake pan. Instead, you need a sheet pan style cookie sheet. I used a 12×18 inch style baking sheet to make Peanut Butter Sheet Cake.
- Peanut Butter– choose a shelf stable peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for best results!
- Vanilla Extract– use pure vanilla, not imitation!
- All-Purpose Flour- we tried using cake flour on this sheet cake, but it resulted in a too delicate cake. The all-purpose flour held up to the delicious peanut butter frosting.
- Buttermilk– if you don’t have any on hand, use my easy buttermilk substitute!
How to Make Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Prep. Preheat oven and line the bottom of a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cake Batter. Make the cake batter in a saucepan by adding peanut butter, water, and butter. Boil then remove from heat. Add ingredients, pour into pan, and bake.
Peanut Butter Frosting. Add to the cake whle the cake is still warm. It will soak into the cake creating a “gooey” texture on top similar to a texas sheet cake.
No messing with frosting bags or piping! Sheet cake looks as good as it tastes with no fancy cake decorating skills required.
Recipe FAQs
This peanut butter sheet cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. Keep it in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for best taste.
Sheet cakes are great for feeding a large family or crowd, but can also leave a small group with lots of leftovers. Fortunately, they freeze well. Store sheet cake in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Choose a shelf stable peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy for using in this peanut butter cake recipe. It has the perfect texture and sweetness needed.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t have buttermilk handy? You can make a buttermilk substitute to use in this recipe.
- Unsalted butter is my preference here (and for most cakes and frostings). If you only have salted butter that will work, too, just reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe.
- Too much peanut butter? Use my favorite chocolate buttercream instead! Or add a little tang with our chocolate sour cream frosting recipe!
- Love sheet cakes? Try our delicious Watergate Sheet Cake next! Or give this delicious vanilla sheet cake recipe a try soon.
- Got extra peanut butter? Bake up a batch of our favorite Jif Peanut Butter Cookies!
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Peanut Butter Sheet Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 6 Tablespoons buttermilk
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet 12×18-inch (sheet pan size) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a LARGE saucepan, combine peanut butter, water, and butter for the cake. Bring to a boil, while stirring constantly. Once boiling, remove from heat. Add in sugars, flour, salt and baking soda. Mix until well combined. Add in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until blended. Pour into prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. In a saucepan, combine butter, buttermilk, and peanut butter. Bring to a boil, while stirring.
- Remove from heat and add in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour over warm cake.
Notes
- Don’t have buttermilk handy? You can make a buttermilk substitute to use in this recipe.
- Unsalted butter is my preference here (and for most cakes and frostings). If you only have salted butter that will work, too, just reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe.
- Too much peanut butter? Use my favorite chocolate buttercream instead!
- Love sheet cakes? Try our delicious Watergate Sheet Cake next!
- Storage: Store at room temperature in airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to four days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition
Make this cake this weekend for the peanut butter fans in your life and they’re guaranteed to love you forever. Can’t decide between chocolate sheet cake or peanut butter? Why not make them both!
What if I don’t have a cookie sheet can I cook it in a cake pan and for how long if so
I’ve made this twice, first with the peanut butter frosting and then with the chocolate frosting from a Texas sheet cake recipe. Both frostings create that fudgy taste when poured on the hot cake and both were excellent. My daughter said next time I should make half batches of both and frost half of the cake with each one. Notice she isn’t offering to do this herself.
I’ll definitely be making this again and again. The frosting each time will depend on what I feel like making.
Is the center supposed to be as it appears not to be done
It’s completely cooked. But like texas sheet cake you pour the frosting on the top while warm, creating a delicious moist cake.
This is one of my fave cakes since coming across your recipe! Such amazing peanut butter flavor and so moist. My family loves it!
Love to hear that 🙂 Thank you!
I made a pan of this for my son’s second birthday party and every single person complimented it. I wanted something light and airy due to the 90 degree day we had and this was perfect. Might I add quick and easy to make?! Thanks for the recipe! Next time I’m planning on trying it with a buttercream frosting 🙂
Has anyone tried sugar substitutes and if so what were the results?
How do you think Almond flour would work with this cake?
Almond flour creates a different texture and moisture needs to be changed. If you need gluten free I suggest using king arthur flour cup for cup instead of almond flour.
I just made this peanut butter sheet cake looks amazing and smells delicious.. letting it sit over night and have for breakfast
This will be my new go to pot luck dessert! Perfect peanut butter flavor. Love the frosting!
Can I use a regular rectangle cake pan?
Super Moist and delicious. I did forget to add the brown sugar but still was delicious. Also I cut the cake in half and put frosting on it then put the other half on top and put rest of frosting on it. Definitely a keeper
I made this cake for my sister in law for her birthday. It was a moist cake which I enjoyed. I used a scant cup of both brown and white sugar to adjust the sweetness to my taste. The cake turned out well. I think the next time I will use a smaller pan size to increase the height of the cake for my liking. It resembled a brownie height and I would prefer a slightly deeper cake. I would probably also cut the powered sugar in half next time closer to 1 1/2 cups. I used about 2 1/4 cups of powered sugar and it was a bit sweet for me. I tried to adjust for it by spreading a very thin layer on top but I really needed to just use less sugar. I also sprinkled some cinnamon on the frosting. All in all I liked it and think if you like peanut butter it is definitely worth a try! Thanks for the inspiration.
Just made this cake and it’s the bomb, had never heard of peanut butter sheet cake until today. Went and got the ingredients and made the cake. Checking out more recipes
So glad you loved the cake!! Enjoy the recipes 🙂
I just made this cake. It is delicious and tender. The crumb is perfect. Just the right amount of peanut butter flavor. I sprinkled just a tiny bit of salt on top (the only change I made un the recipe) and it is jusy lovely. I ate it warm, but it’ll make a great breakfast in the morning.😂
Thank you for sharing this peanut butter sheet cake recipe, tried it, loved it. If there is a rating of 10 for
this recipe, you nailed it!
THank you 🙂
I live in Utah which is high altitude. What adjustments do I need to make for this to come out perfect?
I have no way to test my recipes at high altitude, so unfortunately I can’t help you!
can you make this into cupcakes?
I don’t think they would rise correctly.
I make this often and my family loves it. Very easy and fast to make. Great for church dinners or other gatherings. Always gone and lots of compliments.
There’s nothing better than a sheet cake, especially a peanut butter one! Great recipe!
Oh my goodness! Amazing recipe – my family and I loved you recipe!
best cake
We are big PB fans in this household and this cake was a HIT! Can’t wait to make again!!
Made more then 23 times and I do it again
Haha 🙂