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WITH chocolate peanut butter ganache.
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. YES.
This CAKE!
So much excitement and enthusiasm for this cake. Like I don’t even know where to begin. I guess maybe with the fact that I feel like anyone can make this cake…and not mess it up!! I mean, you can totally over cook it, which would be kind of a bummer, but if you watch the time, you will be golden. The rest is SIMPLE. Hello, ONE bowl. Pretzels. Peanut butter. YUM.
Wait. In full disclosure, the recipe uses two bowls. One for the cake and one for the ganache. I wasn’t really sure if that still qualified as one-bowl, but the cake batter is mixed together in just one bowl, so I am going to go with it. Plus, if you use a microwave safe bowl, you could totally use the same bowl to make the ganache in, which in turn would truly make the recipe one bowl. Or you could even skip the ganache…
Not gonna sugar coat it though, you’d be a fool not to make the ganache. Just sayin.
Lately I have really been on the lookout for simple and easy recipes. Sometimes I feel like I can get a bit carried away with my recipes and in turn they end up being a little too much work for average weekday cooking. Not all of them, but some. So these last couple weeks I have been trying hard to just simplify things. It’s SO hard, but I am realizing, I like the simple too.
Especially simple in the form of chocolate and peanut butter, which just might be the best two ingredients ever to pair together.
Give me just a straight up chocolate bar (preferably bittersweet or dark) and a jar of creamy peanut butter and I am a happy girl. That’s a sweet snack I will never tire of.
Anyway, the point is I have been looking to simplify a bit, and this cake is only the beginning.
Also, I really wanted to make my mom a cake for Mother’s Day…if you are reading in between the lines here, I am pretty positive that just meant I was looking for an excuse to make a chocolate cake. But really, this cake, this Sunday, YOUR mother. <–DO IT.
So I am just coming to the realization that I have planned pretty much nothing, except some good food and plenty of chocolate, for my mom for this Sunday.
I am feeling kind of lame, Sunday just snuck up real fast on me. This happen to anyone else? If so, what last-minute gifts are you guys getting?? Are you making anything homemade and crafty? Please share your secrets.
You see, when I make chocolate cake, it’s pretty much almost always with my mom in mind. I know you guys know this by now, but the woman is a chocoholic and a good old-fashioned chocolate cake is probably one of her biggest weaknesses with chocolate peanut butter bars following closely behind.
After thinking about that fact the other day, I realized I needed to create a chocolate cake with peanut butter. That should have been obvious to me a long, long time ago, but oddly I am just getting to it now. AND thank God because whoa, I cannot imagine life without this fudgy one-bowl chocolate peanut butter cup pretzel cake. Good thing it literally takes just minutes to prep and only minutes more to assemble. There is no fancy frosting here, and you won’t be pulling out your hair because your cake ended up looking nothing like the photo.
Been there, done that, shed tears.
Over it.
This is that cake we can all make and be super happy about. It’s gonna look awesome no mater what because cake, pretzels and peanut butter cups, drizzled with chocolate peanut butter ganache, can never NOT look good.
Like never.
Umm, can I just bark out some orders yet???
Like guys, go grab a bowl, some simple pantry staple ingredients (or well pantry staples for me at least) and two round cake pans. Crack a couple eggs, mix, bake, melt, pour and EAT.
Oh, and show your mom you love her more than anything by giving her the very first (and very thickest) slice with a big glass of icy cold milk on the side.
YUP, that right there would surely make my mother’s, Mother’s Day.
Right, mom? I mean, that’ll do it for you??
Fudgy One-Bowl Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel Cake.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs, at room temperature*
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, hot
- 1/2-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
- 1-2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 1-2 cups mini peanut butter cups, chopped (optional)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs, buttermilk, canola oil and vanilla. Whisk to break up the eggs and then begin to incorporate the eggs and other ingredients into the flour. Mix until mostly smooth. Stir in the hot coffee and mix until combined. Batter should be pourable, but not super thin. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Divide the batter among the two cake pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Grab 2 large flat plates, line them with wax or parchment paper and invert the cakes onto the paper lined plates. Cover and let the cakes cool.
- To make the ganache, add the chocolate, cream and peanut butter to a small sauce pan. Set over low heat and melt until smooth, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand. Spread a single layer of pretzels over the cake and then a sprinkle of peanut butter cups (if using). Now take the ganache and drizzle about half of it overtop of the pretzels. Next place the second layer of cake on top and add another layer of pretzels. Drizzle with the remaining ganache and then finish with peanut butter cups. Allow the ganache to set for about 10 minutes or up to one day...OR just dig in!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I feel like she’ll be happy, so I am excited.
Does the cake taste like coffee? Or just more of an enhancement to the chocolate?
And could it be left out and maintain the integrity of the cake’s texture?
You’ll want to use hot water in place of the coffee if you are not using it! xx
Hey Elizabeth,
The coffee really just enhances the flavors of the chocolate:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi Tieghan, Any adjustments for baking this cake at altitude?
Hey Mollie,
No adjustments needed, you can follow this recipe as written:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Could I make the cake portion a couple of days ahead and wrap them in plastic and put in the fridge? I would put them together the day before a cake auction. Would they get dry?
Hi Kimberly,
That should be just fine for you to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Can you make this cake without the coffee? I need my kiddo to be able to try it.
Hi Valerie,
Sure, just use water in place of the coffee. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe:) xxT
Can I make this a day or two ahead and freeze it? Or will the pretzels get soft?
Hey Kayla,
That would be totally fine to make a day in advance, but no need to freeze, just store in an airtight container. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I had pinned this recipe ages ago and finally decided to try it. I’m so glad i did! We ate it the same day that we assembled it as I was a bit worried about soggy pretzels. They were still nice and crunchy and added a delish salty flair.
A couple things i did differently:
I liked the look of a peanut butter layer so i did not mix the peanut butter into the ganache.
After reading some comments about the ganache being not very pourable, i decided to go thinner so my ratio was 8 ounces of heavy cream to 10 ounces of chocolate.
I assembled as follows: cake layer, spread with chunky peanut butter, layered with pretzels, layered with peanut butter cups and drizzled with the ganache. Then do all that over again. It was wonderful!! Thanks for the recipe Teigan!
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this cake, Becky! xTieghan
Can this cake be made a day before serving? If so, do i leave in fridge?
Hi Katie,
Absolutely! I would recommend keeping in a covered cake stand on the counter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Is this better refrigerated after the ganache is set or left out at room temp if making a few hours in Advance? Thanks!
I recommend refrigerating, then bringing to room temp. before. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Made this and it’s delicious! The only thing that did not go quite right for me was the ganache. It was spreadable, but not pourable. Any recommendations? Thanks!
HI! Just add a splash of milk to thin the ganache a bit. Please let me know if you have other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
and is there a way to make this gluten free without destroying it]? haha i would like to make this for my celiac friend!!
I have not tried this with GF flour, but I think a GF flour blend should work great. Let me know how it goes!
hey! what could i use as a buttermilk substitute?? they don´t have any where i live. thanks!
HI! You can use whole milk that will be great!
Made this for my husbands’ birthday and oh my god! Also featured it in my recipe roundup!
So happy you enjoy! Thanks!
Any idea how to store this? Can it be left in the fridge, or should it go in the freezer? I just don’t want it to get soggy, since I’m going to bake it in the morning, then leave it to set until the evening for a party. 😀
I’d store this in fridge and then bring to room temp before serving. Hope you love the cake and let me know if you have questions!
Hi! What eould you recommend as substitutes for the buttermilk and the canola oil?
Thanks.
You can use milk and melted butter. let me know if you have questions. Hope you love this!
The picture looks great, but even after following the recipe to a T, nothing worked. I was looking forward to it too 🙁
Hi, I am really sorry you had trouble. What was the issue?