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    You are at:Home»Dairy-Free Recipes»Dairy Free Desserts»Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake with Pure Peanut Butter Frosting

    Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake with Pure Peanut Butter Frosting

    2
    By Alisa Fleming on September 8, 2019 Dairy Free Desserts, Dairy-Free Recipes

    I realize that we have quite a few chocolate cakes here on Go Dairy Free, but this one is different. The rich dairy-free and egg-free chocolate cake is actually infused with peanut butter (and chocolate chips!) and topped with a very peanut buttery frosting. If this peanut butter chocolate cake isn’t one of the most comforting desserts on the planet, then I don’t know what is.

    Peanut Butter Nutter Chocolate Cake Recipe from Vegan Comfort Cooking - a deliciously easy sample cookbook recipe. Infused with chocolate and peanut butter.

    Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake for the Nuttiest of Cravings

    I’m sure some of you blissfully inhale bowls of kale and have sworn of sweets for good, but not me. I love healthy food, I love the occasional indulgence, and I like all of my food to taste delicious. That’s why I lean toward cookbooks like Vegan Comfort Cooking by my friend Melanie McDonald.

    Vegan Comfort Cooking CookbookMelanie understands that for many of us, familiar flavors and ingredients go hand in hand with nutritious eating. And yes, we like to enjoy dessert, too!

    Vegan Comfort Cooking contains many crave-able yet healthy dishes, like these Quick & Crispy Zucchini Fritters and this I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan Roasted Garlic Alfredo. 

    But it also has some very satisfying treats, like Drool-Worthy Cinnamon Donuts and this Peanut Butter Nutter Chocolate Cake. Trust me, you will go nuts for the sweet, salty, decadent, and densely chocolaty flavors in this wonderful recipe.

    Peanut Butter Nutter Chocolate Cake Recipe from Vegan Comfort Cooking - a deliciously easy sample cookbook recipe. Infused with chocolate and peanut butter.

    Special Diet Notes: Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

    By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

    For a peanut-free cake, you can substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter in both parts of the recipe.

    5.0 from 1 reviews
    Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
     
    Print
    Prep time
    15 mins
    Cook time
    40 mins
    Total time
    55 mins
     
    Chocolate and peanut butter, together, should rule the world. They could solve all of life’s problems, and that’s why I’m bringing you this in-your-face, intensely chocolaty cake with drippy, sticky, sweet, peanut butter glaze. If you’re feeling down, this is what you need. It’s the ultimate comfort food cake. I’ll be honest and say that I’m not usually the biggest fan of chocolate cake because it tends to be a bit dry and lacking in flavor. Fear not here, though, because this one is stick-to-the-fork moist and stays that way for days. This recipe has no added oil or vegan butter in the sponge. Peanut butter acts as the fat, adding to the rich flavor and the slightly fudgy texture.
    Author: Melanie McDonald
    Recipe type: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Serves: 9 servings
    Ingredients
    Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
    • ⅓ cup (86 g) natural peanut butter (see tips)
    • 1½ cups (360 ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage
    • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
    • ½ cup (123 g) unsweetened applesauce or peeled and pureed cooked sweet potato
    • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder (optional but recommended; it really brings out the chocolate flavor)
    • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup (200 g) sugar
    • ¾ cup (65 g) cocoa powder
    • 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt (use only ¼ teaspoon if your peanut butter contains salt)
    • ½ cup (90 g) dairy-free chocolate chips
    Peanut Butter Frosting
    • ¾ cup (194 g) natural peanut butter
    • ¼ teaspoon salt (use only ⅛ teaspoon if your peanut butter contains salt)
    • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (146 g) powdered sugar
    • 4 to 7 tablespoons (60 to 105 ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage
    Instructions
    1. Prepare the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and grease an 8-inch (20.5-cm) square pan with oil or vegan butter. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper as wide as your pan and long enough to cover the bottom and 2 opposite sides with enough overhang to act as handles for lifting out the cake once it’s been baked. The oil or butter will help keep it in place.
    2. Put the peanut butter in a bowl and gradually add the nondairy milk, whisking as you go, to incorporate the peanut butter into the milk. Then add the vanilla, applesauce, vinegar and coffee; stir together really well.
    3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
    4. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir together gently. Do not beat it and do not overmix; stop when all the flour has just been absorbed. Add the chocolate chips and gently stir again to distribute. Then immediately pour into the prepared pan and bake for 37 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is coming away from the edges and, if you press on the top of it with a finger, it feels firm with a little bit of give. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out almost clean. You might hit a melted chocolate chip, so bear that in mind when checking. To keep the cake nice and moist, it is important not to overbake it. It’s better to underbake it very slightly.
    5. Remove the cake from the oven and lift it gently out of the pan, using the parchment paper “handles.” Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
    6. Prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the peanut butter with the salt until fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating as you go. It will likely get a little stiff, and when it does, add nondairy milk a tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, stopping when it reaches a thick, gloopy, yet pourable consistency.
    7. Place the cake on a plate, and then pour the frosting over the cake, using a spatula to spread it out, if necessary. It will run down the sides in places. Allow the frosting to firm up a little before serving. You can hurry it along by chilling it in the fridge for around 30 minutes.
    Notes
    Tips: Use either smooth or crunchy peanut butter. Smooth looks better but crunchy adds good texture! Mashed banana used instead of the applesauce or sweet potato is really nice!

    Credit: Reprinted with permission from Vegan Comfort Cooking by Melanie McDonald, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo credit: Melanie McDonald.
    3.5.3229

    More Peanut Butter Chocolate Dessert Recipes

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    Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Bars - Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Optional

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    Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust - an award-winning recipe!

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    Alisa Fleming
    • Website

    Alisa is the founder of GoDairyFree.org, Food Editor for Allergic Living magazine, and author of the best-selling dairy-free book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living, and the new cookbook, Eat Dairy Free: Your Essential Cookbook for Everyday Meals, Snacks, and Sweets. Alisa is also a professional recipe creator and product ambassador for the natural food industry.

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    2 Comments

    1. Emily on June 4, 2020 6:30 pm

      I made this for the first time today, it is delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect.
      I am wondering- would you refrigerate it or leave it out overnight at room temperature?

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on June 5, 2020 12:40 am

        If it’s frosted, I would refrigerate it. I’m not someone who likes sweets to sit out at room temp for more than one day anyway, so I might have them at room temp for a day or two (max), but then I always slice and freeze.

        Reply

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