Description
This ultra-moist Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake is a nostalgic twist on the classic PB&J sandwich, featuring soft peanut butter cake layers paired with creamy peanut butter frosting and a sweet-tart raspberry jelly filling. Perfectly balanced flavors and textures make this dessert irresistible for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Peanut Butter Cake
- 1⅔ cups (210 g) all purpose flour
- 3 tbsps (24 g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
- ⅓ cup (80 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unflavored vegetable oil (canola oil preferred)
- ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) light soft brown sugar
- ⅔ cups (150 g) smooth unsweetened peanut butter (creamy, processed)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ tsps vanilla extract/essence
- 1 cup (225 g) buttermilk, room temperature
Jelly Filling
- 1 cup (110 g) frozen raspberries
- ¾ tbsp (6 g) cornstarch
- 1 tbsp (15 g) fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsps (38 g) white granulated sugar
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar (icing/confectioners’ sugar)
- 2 tsps vanilla extract/essence
- ½ cup (120 g) heavy cream, room temperature
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (250 g) smooth unsweetened peanut butter (creamy)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cake Batter: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional and grease and/or line two 8-inch cake tins. Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, whisk to combine and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter, vegetable oil, white and brown sugars, and peanut butter using an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing well between each addition, then add vanilla extract and buttermilk and mix until smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients gently by hand using a spatula until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
- Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins, tapping them lightly on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let cakes cool in tins for 15-20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Jelly Filling: Place all jelly filling ingredients (frozen raspberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, sugar) into a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir continuously to prevent sticking, allowing raspberries to disintegrate and the mixture to thicken. Once thickened, remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof container. Cool to room temperature before use.
- Prepare the Peanut Butter Frosting: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, heavy cream, peanut butter, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat for 10 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through, until smooth, silky, and fluffy.
- Assemble the Cake: Trim the tops of the cooled cake layers with a serrated knife to level them. Place the first layer on your cake stand, spread a generous amount of frosting on top, then pipe a border/dam around the edge with a 1M piping tip to hold the jelly filling inside. Spoon half of the jelly filling into the center. Place the second cake layer on top, cover sides and top with remaining frosting, smoothing with a cake scraper if available. Pipe a decorative border on the top edge and fill the center with the remaining jelly filling. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use gram measurements for accuracy over cups, especially for flour and sugars.
- If using a convection oven, reduce temperature by 20°C (about 25-30°F) and check cake earlier for doneness.
- Overmixing the batter will develop gluten, resulting in a tougher cake; fold gently to retain a tender crumb.
- If frosting is not smooth or too soft, chill briefly and then re-whip to correct texture.
- When using sweetened peanut butter (like Skippy or Jif), reduce sugar slightly to maintain balance.
