I found the original recipe for this Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting in the Hershey’s Best-Loved Recipes cookbook I got many years ago. Over the years we’ve made a few tweaks and this has become a go-to cake at our house. It’s an easy homemade chocolate cake that’s so soft and perfect, with a melty peanut butter frosting that turns into almost a peanut butter fudge consistency once it cools. We like to top it with chocolate sprinkles and a little flaky salt. Mini Reese’s Pieces are cute, too!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Cake
- Butter – Always use real butter if you can.
- Water
- Cocoa powder
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Buttermilk – Or sour cream. These ingredients help the cake retain it’s moisture for a soft, tender crumb.
- Vanilla extract
Frosting and Topping
- Butter
- Half and half or cream
- Vanilla extract
- Peanut butter baking chips – Find these on the baking aisle near the chocolate chips.
- Powdered sugar – Sifted to avoid lumps.
- Chocolate Sprinkles or Mini Reese’s Pieces – Optional, for topping the finished cake. We also like some flaky salt on top!
How to Make a Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Grease a 9×13″ baking pan (and flour if you’d like to; I usually don’t).
- This cake batter starts off on the stovetop. You’ll combine some water, butter, and cocoa powder and boil for a minute. Set that aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer you’ll combine your flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. To that you’ll add some eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and beat it all together.
- Add the cocoa mixture and beat until just combined and then pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before making your frosting.
- Once the cake is cool, you’ll prep your frosting on the stovetop. Melt some butter, peanut butter baking chips, and milk over medium heat, stirring frequently, until everything is smooth. Remove from heat and add in a splash of vanilla and some powdered sugar. You can mix by hand or use an electric mixer to incorporate some air and make it smooth and fluffy.
- Pour the frosting over the cooled cake and smooth with a spatula then, if desired, sprinkle with mini Reese’s Pieces. Allow the frosting to cool completely before serving.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished, cooled cake, covered tightly, at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- You can freeze individual frosted slices as well. Wrap tightly in plastic and then foil and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temp.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re looking for an all chocolate cake, this Texas Sheet Cake might be a good option for you! Butterscotch baking chips would also behave much like peanut butter chips in the frosting here, so you could try those and top with mini M&Ms.
While I haven’t tried it myself, it would probably work well with your favorite dairy-free butter and milk replacements. I would just make sure the butter replacement you use has a fat content similar to butter. Some of the dairy-free spreads contain a lot of water, which can really change the way baked goods and frostings turn out.
This recipe should work well with a good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend!
Yes, this is a great make-ahead cake since it needs to sit and cool anyway! make it all the way through, cover tightly, and allow to sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours before serving for peak freshness.
Yep! You can freeze it even after frosting. For best results freeze individual portions wrapped tightly in plastic then foil and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or a few hours at room temp.
Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 ¾ cups flour spooned lightly into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 10- ounce package peanut butter chips
- ⅓ cup half and half or cream I prefer half and half, but you could also use milk
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted (so measure it first, then sift it)
- optional toppings: chocolate sprinkles, flaky salt, mini Reese's Pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 9×13″ pan or line with parchment and set it aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and cocoa powder. Over medium heat, stir the mixture frequently until it comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
- In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt and whisk together to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk (or sour cream) and beat until blended. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center comes out wiht just a few loose crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely.
- To prepare the frosting, combine the peanut butter chips, half and half or cream, and butter in a medium saucepan over gentle heat. Stir frequently, just until the chips are melted and the the mixture is combined smooth. Note: Overheating can cause mixture to seize)Remove from heat, then whisk in the vanilla extract and the powdered sugar until smooth. Pour the frosting over the cake and smooth with a spatula, then, if desired, sprinkle toppings.
- Tip: Use a plastic knife for the best slicing experience. While the frosting is warm, it will be gooey (and delicious.). After cooling, it's kind of like a layer of fudge (also delicious!)
Notes
- Store finished, cooled cake, covered tightly, at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- You can freeze individual frosted slices as well. Wrap tightly in plastic and then foil and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temp.
Questions & Reviews
This looks amazing! My daughter’s second birthday is coming up and I’m definitely making this. Kids just grow up too fast!
My “baby” will be 20 next month. I just found some of his baby pictures the other day and it still freaks me out. He’s the oldest of my bunch. His littlest brother will be 10 at the end of this month and all I can think is, “where did the time go?”
The Hersey’s Best Loved Recipe cook is one of my family’s favorites, too. I got my copy 12 years ago. My children have always loved to read it, too. They will go get it off the bookshelf during quiet time and drool over all pictures. It has seen a lot of love and a lot of use. So much, that the cover came off and pages started coming out. I was able to find a copy from a bookseller on Amazon that was in like new condition for just 88 cents + shipping. 🙂
I can’t believe I have never made that cake before. I guess the name never caught my eye because we do not go to picnics very much, LOL.
I think I will give it a try for dessert night this week. Thanks!
I’m not usually tempted by choco/peanut butter, but the hubby’s birthday is next week and he LOVES this!
This looks fabulous and my family loves anything peanut butter! Thanks for sharing!
This cake looks awesome!
My son is turning 2 soon, which makes me sad so I can’t even imagine how 9 feels! He LOVES peanut butter, so maybe this should be his birthday cake. I’d like to make an 8-in cake with 2 layeres. How would you recommend doing that with this recipe?
I have this same recipe book and have made this recipe more times then I can count! It’s amazing! Happy belated birthday to your son!
This cake looks delicious! Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake… I’m in.
Great birthday cake, reese’s pieces are my favorite candy ever! Might need to be mine this year…