My favorite kinds of cakes to make are the low-fuss variety. I don’t always need lots of layers and thick frosting. A good, simple cake is more than fine with me.
This cake is a perfect example of a delicious cake without all the fuss. It’s simple to make and full of amazing flavor!
The cake itself is a simple one made with a good dose of peanut butter. I used crunchy peanut butter to get those crunchy bites of peanuts in the cake. Creamy peanut butter will work just fine, too.
That’s topped off with a cream cheese frosting partially sweetened with maple syrup. The combination of peanut butter and maple is a recent favorite of mine. I just love what those flavors do for each other!
This is the kind of cake that you can serve straight from the pan. Just cut a slice whenever you get a craving. It works well for an afternoon snack or for a simple dessert.
For more simple dessert ideas, see my collection of favorite Quick and Easy Desserts!
Peanut Butter Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Maple and peanut butter make an unexpectedly delicious pairing in this snack cake!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
For the frosting:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8-inch square or 9-inch round cake pan.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in peanut butter and vanilla.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 portions, alternating with 2 portions of sour cream. Mix just until combined.
- Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, cream cheese, and maple syrup until thoroughly combined. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, and mix until smooth.
- Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.
14 Comments on “Peanut Butter Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting”
What an interesting flavor combo, I’ve never had it before. But I’ve never made a recipe from this blog I didn’t LOVE. Pinned!
Peanut butter? Check. Maple syrup? Check. Flavour combination I’d never thought of? CHECK!
Looks delicious, would try it soon!
Ooo peanut butter and maple aren’t paired together often enough for my tastes. This sounds wonderful!
This sounds so good. I love peanut butter, and the hint of maple sounds just perfect.
Peanut butter cake sounds so good right about now. I’ve been jonesing for something sweet lately and I might just have to make this. Yummy!
I think Peanut Butter, Maple and Cream Cheese has to be the best combination ever! I will be making this for sure! Thanks so much for posting!
if I want to make this in. 9/13″ cake pan, do I just double it?
Yes, a 9″x 13″ is roughly double the volume. You may need to bake the cake just a few minutes longer.
Is the batter supposed to be somewhat thick? Making sure I’ve done this right… lol
Hi, Britni. It is a bit thicker than something like a standard yellow cake batter but not as thick as a coffee cake batter.
I’m not sure how many have actually tried this recipe or if the comments are based on the photos. But like one user says, the batter is way too thick. The “cake” even comes out of the oven with the ocean wave marks from the spatula. It is more of the texture of a dry coffee cake, dry biscuit or bread. Not sure why the 8×8 or 9″ pan either. Most cakes are two 9″ pans or 9×13″. I beleive this recipe was originally written for a 9×13 or layer cakes and there were some translation errors along the way. Frosting also, 3 tbsp of maple syrup makes the frosting dark and muddy like the syrup itself. One cup of confectioners sugar is totally not enough for the cream cheese and butter and I’d recommend a tsp of vanilla, a dab more cream cheese and a tad less butter. Just my opinion but I’ve made this recipe and I’ve been around the block once or twice when it comes to cakes in general and especially variations of cream cheese frosting.
… And 12 to 16 servings from an 8×8″ cake is really stretching it. You actual get a out 6 servings.
I’m sorry you had troubles, Rich. The cake you see here was made with the recipe as written. If you didn’t change anything about the recipe, then I’m not sure what could have gone wrong. My first suggestions when something goes wrong are to make sure your ingredients are accurately measured, that your ingredients are fresh, that your oven temperature is correct, and that you’re not substituting low-fat or non-fat ingredients. With this recipe, I’d also recommend that you not use natural peanut butter. Also, keep in mind that the frosting is made with maple syrup, not pancake syrup. If you’d like the frosting sweeter, it’s simple enough to add more sugar to suit your taste. As for the servings, that’s a matter of preference, too.  Personally, I’m more likely to serve 2″x2″ slices than something closer to  3″x4″.