Peanut Butter Pound Cake

Name: Peanut Butter Pound Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened; 1 & 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar; 1 cup (200g) firmly packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup (127g) creamy peanut butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 5 large eggs; 1 cup (236ml) milk; 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips; 1 cup (170g) peanut butter chips; confectioners' sugar for dusting

January 31, 2008 (updated Nov 9, 2022) by Jennifer McHenry //

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With rich chocolate chips and plenty of nutty flavor in every bite, this easy peanut butter pound cake recipe is absolute perfection!

Slice of peanut butter pound cake on plate, dusted with powdered sugar

This peanut butter pound cake only has a half cup of peanut butter in the batter, but somehow that translates into a lovely peanut butter flavor throughout. Of course, the peanut butter chips help, too—and chocolate chips add another layer of deliciousness. Despite the non-traditional ingredients, this recipe has the classic pound cake texture, with a crispy crust that forms around soft cake. It really turns out beautifully!

Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter Pound Cake Recipe

The best combination. Peanut butter and chocolate are meant to be together! If you love recipes like this peanut butter chocolate chip cake and chocolate chip peanut butter bread, you’ll enjoy this peanut butter pound cake, too.
Quick and easy. While it takes a bit of time to bake such a large cake, the process of mixing the batter is quite simple. And because there’s no frosting, once the cake is baked, there are no additional steps.
Perfect for any occasion. This pound cake is a great “just because” dessert, but it’s delicious enough to serve for a party, especially if you dress it up with a drizzle of chocolate or a scoop of no-churn vanilla ice cream.

Overhead view of ingredients for peanut butter pound cake

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

All-purpose flour – Here’s how to measure flour for this recipe.
Baking powder
Salt
Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
Granulated sugar
Brown sugar – I usually use light brown sugar in this recipe.
Creamy peanut butter
Vanilla extract – This homemade vanilla extract is my favorite.
Eggs – Let these come to room temperature.
Milk – You can use whatever you have on hand, but I do like whole milk best, as the extra fat yields the most tender crumb.
Semisweet chocolate chips – Or chopped dark chocolate, if you prefer.
Peanut butter chips
Confectioners’ sugar – To dust the top. This is also labeled as powdered sugar, icing sugar, or 10X sugar.

How to Make Peanut Butter Pound Cake

Overhead view of dry ingredients in mixing bowl before whisking — Whisk the dry ingredients.

Overhead view of creamed butter, sugars, and peanut butter — Whisk the dry ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream the butter, sugars, and peanut butter. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time.

Overhead view of chocolate and peanut butter chips added to cake batter — Add the dry ingredients and milk, then fold in the chips.

Overhead view of peanut butter pound cake before baking — Add the dry ingredients and milk, then fold in the chips.

Finish the batter. Reduce the mixer to low speed and mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk. Fold in the chips.
Bake. Transfer the batter to a Bundt pan coated with nonstick spray, then bake at 325ºF for 75 to 85 minutes.
Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving, if desired.

Overhead view of whole peanut butter pound cake on cake stand

Tips for Success

Soften the butter. Make sure your butter has softened at room temperature before you start the recipe. This will make it easier to cream into the sugar and peanut butter. Learn more: How to Soften Butter
Dust the chips if desired. This batter is thick enough to keep the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips from sinking, but you can toss them in a bit of the flour if you want to make doubly sure.
Use “regular” peanut butter. Natural peanut butter (the kind that needs to be stirred before you use it) can produce inconsistent results in baking. Stick with traditional, shelf-stable creamy peanut butter for best results.
Keep an eye on the cake as it bakes. If necessary, cover the top of cake with aluminum foil to keep the top from getting too dark.
Don’t let the cake fully cool in the pan. There is a sweet spot when it comes to turning out Bundt cakes—do it too soon and it will fall apart, but let the cake cool completely and it will get stuck. After 10-15 minutes, it should come out in one piece without sticking.

Lifting slice of peanut butter pound cake from cake stand

Variations and Serving Suggestions

Glaze it. A chocolate or peanut butter glaze would be delicious on top of this pound cake, as would a cream cheese glaze (or even a cream cheese frosting, a la Nothing Bundt Cakes).
Add different chips. Milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks—it all goes well with peanut butter!
Garnish with abandon. Take this pound cake to the next level by serving it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, or adding a dollop of whipped cream. Roasted peanuts add some crunch, or scatter additional chocolate and peanut butter chips on top.

Slice of peanut butter pound cake dusted with powdered sugar

How to Store

To store your peanut butter pound cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil to keep it fresh, or place it in an airtight container. Keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

For longer storage, you can freeze individual slices or the whole peanut butter pound cake. Wrap it well and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator before enjoying.

Overhead view of peanut butter pound cake slices on 2 plates

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