Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
This Peanut Butter Sheet Cake is a moist sheet cake topped with a gooey peanut butter glaze. Peanut butter lovers, this is your dessert!
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(originally posted 2010)
PEANUT BUTTER SHEET CAKE
My older sister Susan and her husband had a tough time getting pregnant. That’s saying it mildly. They did in vitro fertilization five times! FIVE!
Can you just see the dollar signs when I say that? The fifth time it finally worked. They had a beautiful daughter that they named Jewels. They probably should have named her Mercedes after all that money.
In the early stages of her pregnancy the doctors told her that in order to increase her chances of the embryo implanting successfully she needed to consume a lot of calories.
She did exactly that.
Oh how I was secretly jealous of her free hall pass to eat anything and everything. But the secret, in my opinion, was in the peanut butter. She ate a jar of peanut butter a week…just by the spoonfuls.
EASY BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTION
For every cup of buttermilk needed, add one tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, and add enough milk until it measures 1 cup. Stir, and let sit for five minutes before using.
The key to this cake is to NOT overbake it! It’s moist unless you cook it too long.
OTHER CAKE RECIPES:
- Chocolate Eclair Cake
- Easy Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Lemon Sheet Cake
- S’mores Cake
- The Best Chocolate Cake
- White Texas Sheet Cake
- Strawberry Cream Puff Cake
Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, see note for easy substitution
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 6 Tablespoons buttermilk
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
For the cake:
- In a medium pot add the peanut butter, water, and butter and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda with a fork. Mix together with the peanut butter mixture.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to the bowl and mix well.
- Stir well and pour into greased or parchment lined cookie sheet pan with a little edge (12X17 jellyroll pan). Bake for 13-15 minutes at 375 degrees. Do not overbake!
For the Frosting:
- In a small pot bring the butter, buttermilk, and peanut butter to a boil. Remove pan from the heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Pour frosting over the warm cake.
Notes
I just made this cake. It is the best ever! My whole family loves it! There goes my waistline!!! Thank you for the recipe!!
This cake is amazing !!! My family & I loved it !!!
I made this cake and just posted it on my blog. It is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe – it was positively outstanding and I am already thinking about making it again. I would love if you would take a look at my post about it 🙂 http://piesandplots.net/peanut-butter-sheet-cake/
This cake was delicious, but the icing was a mess. I suggest cooling the cake before putting the icing on top. I put my cake in a cookie sheet (as suggested) and there was nowhere for the icing to go after I poured it on so it ran off the pan and all over my stove-top. I will definitely make this again, but cool the cake and also add about a cup more of icing. I didn’t like the icing as runny as in the recipe. I may just try this in a 9×13. That’ll hold the icing! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
@Lori,
Sorry for the misunderstanding. The directions say to use a jelly roll pan or similar cookie sheet with a little edge otherwise the icing will totally run off. You’re right!
Lori must have done something wrong because I followed your exact directions and nothing went wrong. This cake is delicious and perfect for peanut butter lover’s like my family!!!
Made this tonight, cake is great but icing is to die for! Tastes like PB fudge!!! I used a 9×13 because I don’t have a cookie sheet w sides. Using the smaller pan I will half the icing next time because its like an inch thick and so rich! It’s awesome- but an inch may be too much of a good thing. Thanks for sharing!
Made this tonight.. soooo delish! i didn’t have buttermilk so i used the milk/lemon juice alternative.. and also only had chunky peanut butter and it was still great!
Thanks for posting this
You’re welcome.
This Peanut Butter Frosting is the best I have ever made! I use it to frost brownies. Amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Do you think you could use crunchy pnut butter?
You could I guess. Totally preference.
I hope the frosting is as gooey and sweet as it looks! I’ve been trying to cut back on my baking, but with a recipe like this how can I? Hope to make this soon! Thanks!
This makes my tummy yearn! I want some, now!
Used applesauce in place of butter and almond meal in the frosting to give it thickness without having to use so much powdered sugar. Turned out delicious and less calories 🙂
Texas sheet cake is my alltime favorite and I love peanut butter so I tried this. It is good but was disappointed. It doesn’t compare to chocolate or white texas sheet cake.
I had wondered the same thing about the jellyroll pan sizes so instead of buying the wrong one, I used the 9 x 13 I already had. I baked it at 350 for about 25-30 mins. It was perfect although it rose in the middle in that pan too. Didn’t matter because the edges are much higher though. Best cake ever!
Thank you! I’ll try the 12×17 next time 🙂
@Anna,
Shoot! My jelly roll pan is 12X17 so I guess I figured they were all the same. Sorry. I will go note that in the recipe.
I just made this and am wondering if I used the wrong size cookie sheet or what size you usually use. I used a 15X10 cookie sheet. The cake puffed up in the middle so when I poured the frosting on top it spilled all over the edges 🙁 Tastes delicious but maybe if I used a bigger pan I wouldn’t have the same issue? Any thoughts? Great recipe by the way!
I love peanut butter frosting on banana cake. Reminds me of school when I was little.llqlq
I just made this and it is amazing! When I was in grade school (a looong time ago), the cafeteria ladies made the best peanut butter cake and this tastes like it! I didn’t hardly get the frosting on before my nephew was after the first piece!
Made this to see if it would be a good cake for the Grandkids. It is delicious,very moist and yummy. I halved the recipe,made it in a 7×11 pan,put parchment on bottom after spraying pan with Pam. Baked at at 375 for 22 minutes and it was perfect. Defintly a keeper. Thanks for a great and easy recipe.
This was absolutely amazing! Everyone who tried it fell in love and wanted the recipe! Best dessert I have ever made! Thank you!
@Anonymous,
Yes, the frosting should be runny. It will set up once it has cooled. Did yours set up?
Hello…I just finish making this cake, it smells great, letting it cool. My only problem was the frosting was quite running, it says to pour over warm cake, which I did. Plus my frosting doesn’t look like the photo?? The woman that wanted chocolate instead of the peanut butter frosting, use the recipt for the Texas Sheet Cake. I made that cake last night for a friend’s birthday today.
Question: Should the frosting be cooled completely before pouring over the warm cake? I don’t know if that would help or not, mine is really runny, but it taste like peanut butter caramel….if there is such a thing..
@Rebecca,
I’m sure honey roasted PB would taste great!
Can you use creamy honey roasted PB in this recipe?
Has anyone tried adding chocolate chips to the cake? I love the idea of the peanut butter and chocolate, but don’t want to change the yummy icing!!!!
My sister has made a killer Texas PB sheet cake for years…the cake is pretty tame, despite the ingredients, but the icing puts hairs on your chest! I always lose the recipe, so I’ll have to give this one a whirl! Sounds pretty similar!
I just made this for a young mom that just had a baby! I figured calories are always good when nursing too =) I did have to get out the blender to get the frosting to have a frosting consistency as well as add a bit more powdered sugar.
Just had a piece of this. Very tasty! VERY rich. We all agreed it needed a brownie layer on the bottom, but then you could only stand to have a teeny tiny piece. That would be hard for me, but still worth a try!
This sounds like a Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake. I have recipes for a chocolate and a vanilla Texas Sheet Cake. This will be a great addition. All three kinds on a tray would be great for a carry-in meal! Thanks for a nice blog.
@Megan G,
Crepes of wrath made these into cupcakes and simply didn’t cook the frosting and her’s turned out great. Here’s her version: http://crepesofwrath.net/2010/05/24/peanut-butter-cupcakes-with-peanut-butter-frosting/
I’d like to turn this recipe into a PB&J cupcake…your cake looks so much more moist than other recipes I’ve come across! Do you think the cake will hold up to being cooked in cupcake form, then filled with jam? I wasn’t sure what the consistency of the finished cake was. Also, the icing looks fairly runny–I’m wondering if I could turn it into a peanut butter buttercream by letting the cooked portion cool first, then adding a little extra p. sugar. If anyone has experimented with this, I’d love to hear how it turned out.
I just finished making this! Talk about one delicious recipe! I love peanut butter and this definitely satisfied my craving 🙂 Like stated, a small piece is definitely enough to begin with. Thanks for the recipe!
@SheilaA,
Haha! You’re absolutely right. That would be hard to sift brown sugar. I’m changing the directions…
I really want to try this recipe, it sounds delicious! I’ve never sifted brown sugar though. How does that work? Seems like it would be a pretty heft task!
@workinggal, just regular all purpose flour is all you need.
I’m not much of a baker, but I’m gonna try this. What type of flour?
You can make your own form of buttermilk if you don’t have any on hand. Just add a tablespoon of vinegar to the milk the recipe calls for. Basically, you want something to interact with the baking soda and make it bubble up and rise. It’s an old trick my mom taught me. I cut the recipe in half and baked in a 9 x 9 inch pan for about 20-25 minutes. Turned out perfectly and is a hit in my house!
@sarah, aw shoot. I think buttermilk is a necessity in this. Just my personal opinion. 🙂
Shoot I want thins like RIGHT NOW, lol I have everything but butter milk..could you use 2% milk?? Needddd this lol
You can! See how to substitute for buttermilk!
http://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/substitute-buttermilk-baking-article
omg…this was fabulous! The icing is to die for and it is really hard not to eat it all while waiting for the cake to cool down!! LOL!! It smelled divine, beautiful texture, very moist and you are right “not too sweet”. Thanks for posting this.
Ok…ignore my last post – looks like no cooking merit badge for my boy scout…he admitted tonight that he used powdered sugar instead of flour in the cake 🙁 We’ll try it again – this time he will stay out of the kitchen 🙂
We must have screwed this up! Son and I just pulled out of the oven – and it is runny? And we baked it for 25 minutes. Seems like too much liquid to turn it into cake? Idk…looks pretty in the picture.
First, congrats to your sister!!! Second, this cake sounds very similar to something the lunch ladies in my elementary school (and I’m almost 42) used to make and have looked long and hard for a recipe that resembles it…yes, I’ve obsessed about it that long…and I’m not even that much of a peanut butter fan!!! Is this cake kind of dense?? Theirs was…and it was my favorite dessert in elementary school…I’m seriously drooling thinking about it! Okay, never mind…I’m just going to make your recipe to find out! Thanks for sharing!!!
our lunch ladies made a peanutbutter bar that was dense, I foud one like it called lunch lady bars…
Lunch lady bars:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups oatmeal (not quick)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Cream first 3 ingredients together. Add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and combine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Spread dough on a greased jelly roll pan (18x13x1″). Make at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (until golden brown). While hot spread 1 1/2 cups peanut butter on top. Cool so that the peanut butter has become solid again (I usually throw them in the fridge so they set up faster and so I can eat them sooner!). Spread your favorite chocolate frosting on top and cut
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine, softened
1/4 cup milk
1-2 tsp vanilla (depending on your taste)
3 Tablespoons cocoa (I have never really exactly measured)
2-3 cups of powdered sugar
Mix all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth and spread on top of bars.
I was looking for a recipe because my daughter asked for peanut butter cake for her birthday and this one looks awesome. Can’t wait to try it…
Congrats to your sister! This looks so good.
@Michelle,
I’m all about peanut butter and chocolate but I would have to experiment to see if it would work. Good luck!
I’m wondering if you changed the frosting to be melted chocolate instead of adding the peanut butter. I love peanut butter, but I thought maybe it would be better if the flavors were broken up a little bit? But I’m not a baker so I don’t know how it would turn out consistency wise, just thinking 😉
I also love chocolate and peanut butter. But that frosting looks to die for. I think I will make it and drizzle chocolate on top. Best of both worlds!
Ooh. Sounds good!
Yes. Baking soda. Sorry. Need to change that.
the soda that you use is baking soda right?
Just made this (ran across it on Pintrest), and it is awesome. I was wondering if anyone has made this in a 13×9 pan instead of a cookie sheet. If so, what was the cooking time? Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Above blogger says that she used a 9×13 pan for 25 mins.
Yes, you remove the first group from the heat and add it to the second. Kind of confusing. I will try to fix it in the recipe.
Odd question, the recipe states that you start adding the ingredients to the top section that you have heated to a boil. So after it comes to a boil, are you removing it from the heat and then adding the next group???
yumm… gonna try this for sure!
Just found this on Pinterest! Made a test-run a few days ago, and now making for an 8 year-old’s birthday! So yummy, and thanks for sharing!
Yum yum yum! This peanut butter sheet cake looks really delicious!! You should consider entering this cake into Recipe4Living’s 5th Birthday Recipe Contest! The site is turning 5 years old, and we’re giving away a Scharffen Berger gift basket to the top birthday cake that’s submitted!
Hi! Wondering if you can add frosting a few hours later? Made the bar without realizing I had no powder sugar. Thanks 🙂
I totally do not suggest trying to powder your own sugar. I tried until I was annoyed, gave in and went to the store. Luckily, it was across the street.
These bars are yummy. My 7 year old and I made them for the fam tonight and had them for dessert with milk. delicious. Thanks!
hi…i just made this cake and though i have not tasted it yet, i know it is going to be a huge hit around here. thanks for the recipe!
Hey there…
I searched for a recipe like my mom use to make…This was even better then expectation! I love it! Thank you… :))
Ooh, this sounds amazing! I’m not sure I need another baby, but if it means I get to eat jars of peanut butter, well, I’m in! 🙂 Sounds like a great cake!
OMG this looks beyond amazing… will be making ASAP
Oh girl! I made this last night, after spotting it on foodgawker. YUM! I even bragged about you on my blog. 🙂
Peanut Butter is so yummy! I eat a spoonful every morning in my oatmeal. I’ll be giving this recipe a try for sure!
ummm! Christy really my diet is suffering because of this blog. I am hooked and my friends here in Chicago all read it too. thanks!
Looks delicious, and I have all the ingredients on hand… might have to go try them!
Your blog is my new favorite blog! I love the recipes~
I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER MORE THAN CHOCOLATE!! And this recipe is gonna be made at my house soon. And I must tell you I clicked on it from foodgawker and poof there you were…totally cool! :)N
Oh cool, I see Mary up there stopped by your blog. She is amazing. Ok, I’m off now. Really lol…
I’ll be making this one. Thanks!
Laura
I don’t really think I need the extra calories but if I thought it would actually help I’d eat a jar a day!
Cake looks awesome!
I am a stalker and am finally leaving a comment!!
If I could give away some of my baby making vibes I would! I am currently expecting #7 with an IUD still in my uterus… apparently we were supposed to have this many as I have also gotten pregnant on the pill and Nuva ring. We love all of them and are extremely blessed, I can’t imagine how hard it is to not be able to conceive.
Alas, I have never been able to have the eat calories excuse! But I am going to make some anyway and have everyone eat them in honor of all you ladies that have a hard time getting pregnant in hopes that some magic will happen!
Thanks for all the great recipes, I always look forward to a new post!
I found your blog by chance on TasteSpotting. I stopped by to look at your cake, but ended up staying much longer than I planned. I really like your blog and will be back often to see what you’ve been cookin’. Have a great day…Mary
Love the story about your sister – this recipes looks sooooo good !!
Rachelle,
Oh no! I just double checked to make sure there weren’t any typos in the recipe and there weren’t. The only thing I can think of is maybe the kind of peanut butter you used is different? I used plain old JIF.
Christy
Absolutely yummy!!!!
I just made this recipe and was wondering what I did wrong? The frosting is all separating and looking oily, not pretty like yours. ???
I also baked mine for 25 min in a 9×13 pan which came out fine.
My buttermilk started to separate because i heated it alone with the pb on accident Just a little. When i put in the butter it started to separate and get oily. My remedy? An extra 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. It was perfect.
Alayna,
I’m sorry to hear that. We tried for years with our first.
I don’t want to mislead you…I think a lot of calories just helps if you are doing IVF. Maybe the natural way too…but I’m not sure.
It’s good either way,
Christy
This would’ve been a great tip for us a few months ago… we are having a hard time getting pregnant, too. Maybe when we’re ready again I’ll try this recipe.
Looks like a yummy recipe! I’m in love with all things peanut butter 🙂
oh wow! I bet you could use a big old glass of milk with this cake!
Not prego but LOVING this recipe!!! Thanks!