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This quick and easy 7-ingredient vegan peanut butter cake is fluffy, moist, loaded with flavor, & topped with creamy peanut butter frosting!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
In true ‘snacking cake’ style, this make-ahead-friendly, single-tier cake is perfect for busy, beginner bakers looking to satisfy a cake craving quickly and easily. There’s no leveling, layering, or complicated decorating methods required, and without sacrificing flavor. It’s also 100% dairy-free and egg-free.
You can pull together this easy peanut butter snack cake in 45 minutes with only 7 simple pantry-friendly ingredients. It’s soft, moist, slightly dense, and packed with peanut butter flavor. It’s also customizable (with size/shape, toppings, and mix-ins) and make-ahead friendly. Add the (optional) creamy, fluffy vegan peanut butter frosting for a peanut butter dream — ideal for coffee, afternoon tea, birthdays, an after-school treat, or as an easy dessert.
You might also enjoy my edible peanut butter cookie dough, peanut butter stuffed dates, and vegan peanut butter cookies.
Ingredient Notes
Please refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and substitutes.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan chocolate: Add vegan chocolate chips or chopped vegan peanut butter cups to the batter. Alternatively, swirl veagn chocolate spread into the top before baking.
- Coffee: Add 1-2 tbsp espresso powder for a peanut butter mocha twist.
- Spices: Add warm depth with cinnamon, chai spice, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Fruit preserves: Make peanut butter and jelly cake by swirling fruit preserves/jam into the top before baking. I.e., strawberry, raspberry, grape, etc.
How to Make Vegan Peanut Butter Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and grease an 8-inch round baking pan. Whisk the boiling water, melted vegan butter, and peanut butter until smooth.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Gently mix until only just combined.
Step 3: Stir in the plant-based milk and applesauce until incorporated – be careful not to over-mix.
Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake the peanut butter cake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick/skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Step 5: Let it cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to fully cool. Optionally, frost with vegan peanut butter frosting. Decorate, slice, serve, and enjoy!
FAQs
I haven’t tried, though it’s likely you could sub the AP flour 1:1 with a gluten-free AP blend, like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s. It may be denser.
This amount of peanut butter cake batter fits a two-tier 6 or 7-inch cake or a square 8-inch cake. Double the batter for a large peanut butter sheet cake or multi-tiered cakes 8-9 inches+. Adjust the baking time as needed.
Sunflower seed butter has a similar texture to creamy peanut butter, but may turn the cake greenish. Other nut butters are oilier/ similar to natural peanut butter, so may affect texture.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Use creamy peanut butter: Avoid natural, oily varieties, which can affect the texture/density of the peanut butter snack cake.
- Measure flour accurately: To avoid a dense/dry cake. Fluff it in its bag with a fork, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level with a knife.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: Mix until only just incorporated (a few tiny lumps are fine), otherwise the cake can become dense/rubbery.
Other Fillings and Toppings
This easy peanut butter cake recipe is ultra-versatile, and can be paired with:
- Vegan date caramel sauce: Spread beneath or drizzled over the frosting.
- Vegan chocolate ganache: (or vegan chocolate frosting) for a rich dairy-free chocolate peanut butter cake. Looking for another vegan chocolate cake? You might also like this easy chocolate depression cake.
- Plant-based frosting: Along with peanut butter frosting, you could use vegan chocolate, salted caramel, banana, berry, coffee, coconut, or vegan cream cheese frosting.
- Crunchy toppings/fillings: Like chopped peanuts, crushed pretzels, or banana chips.
- Other toppings: Try toasted coconut flakes, freeze-dried berries, chocolate shavings, fresh berries, and/or banana slices.
Storage Instructions
Store: In an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 4-5 days. If you live in a warm climate, refrigerate it immediately.
Freeze: Flash freeze the unfrosted or frosted cake whole or sliced until solid, wrapped with plastic wrap, for up to 3 months. Then, thaw overnight in the fridge.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
Vegan Desserts
Vegan Biscoff Cake
Vegan Desserts
Vegan Coffee Cake
Vegan Desserts
Mango Cake
Vegan Desserts
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
If you tried this vegan peanut butter cake recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!
Vegan Peanut Butter Cake
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Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup of boiling water
- ¼ cup of unsalted vegan butter melted
- ⅓ cup of creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ cup of unsweetened plant-based milk
- ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and grease an 8×8-inch round baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the boiling water, melted vegan butter, and peanut butter until smooth and fully combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently stir until just combined.
- Add the plant-based milk and applesauce. Stir again until fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Optionally, frost with homemade vegan peanut butter frosting before serving.
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Notes
- Use creamy peanut butter: Avoid natural, oily varieties, which can affect the texture/density of the peanut butter snack cake.
- Measure flour accurately: To avoid a dense/dry cake. Fluff it in its bag with a fork, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level with a knife.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: Mix until only just incorporated (a few tiny lumps are fine), otherwise the cake can become dense/rubbery.
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