This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
Sure you can fill your cake with frosting, but what you should actually do is fill it with Peanut Butter Cake Filling! This is an easy recipe you can use for cakes, cupcakes, or sandwich cookies!
BEST Peanut Butter Filling for Cake
My recipe for peanut butter cake filling will take your tastebuds to PB heaven. After all, the only thing better than peanut butter straight out of the jar is peanut butter sandwiched between four layers of moist yellow cake! Sweet, salty, creamy, and oh-so-peanut-buttery, this filling makes for the perfect addition to countless cakes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
With only four ingredients, peanut butter cake filling is as simple as it is delicious. What’s not to love?
4 Ingredients Needed
- Peanut butter – creamy, no-stir peanut butter is best.
- Powdered sugar – For sweetness
- Vanilla extract – Always buy pure vanilla
- Heavy whipping cream – No substitutions
How to Make Peanut Butter Cake Filling
- Combine ingredients: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the peanut butter and one cup of powdered sugar. Mix in the second cup of powdered sugar (yes, it’s supposed to be crumbly!).
- Add vanilla and ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream, mixing until smooth, then adding another ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream. Slowly, add the rest of the heavy whipping cream, beating the mixture as you gradually add to it. It should slowly become smoother and thinner as you mix, turning into that perfect frosting texture.
- Frost cake: On a serving plate, set the bottom cake layer. Top this layer with the peanut butter frosting, repeating with as many layers as you have. You can get as creative or as simple as you’d like with this step!
Expert Tip
- While this cake is served best at room temperature, I recommend that you store it in the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature right before you serve it.
- Any brand of peanut butter can be used for this recipe, as long as it isn’t the kind you have to stir.
FAQs
Yes! In fact, using jam between cake layers can help a cake to retain its moisture.
This filling can be made up to one day ahead. It will stay good for four to five days.
You can freeze cake filling made with heavy whipping cream on it’s own, but once the cake is frosted, it’s not recommended that you freeze it. If you choose to freeze the filling, you’ll likely have to whip it up again with a mixer to get it back to the desired consistency.
Peanut Butter Cake Filling Recipe
Ingredients
- Yellow Cake (baked and cooled)
- 1 cup (268g) creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (177ml) heavy whipping cream
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
- This recipe is written to fill a four layer cake, so torte your layers (cut each of the 2 layers in half). If you're only filling a 2 layer cake you can cut the recipe in half.
- Beat peanut butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar (using a hand or a stand mixer). Add the second cup of powdered sugar and mix, the mixture will be crumbly. Add vanilla and 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream. Mix until smooth.
- Add another 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the heavy whipping cream a little bit at a time and beat until the mixture becomes a frosting like texture. (You’ll notice a change – it will go from thick like a peanut butter cup to smooth like frosting during that last addition of the cream.)
- Place the bottom cake layer on serving plate. Divide your filling and fill between each layer. Frost cake as desired.
Recipe Notes
- Use any brand peanut butter as long as it’s a no-stir peanut butter.
- Use any flavor cake – chocolate cake would be good too.
- Use any flavor frosting!
- The cake is best served at room temperature but I would store it in the refrigerator if you make it ahead of time, then let it come to room temperature before serving. Can be made up to 1 day ahead.
Recipe Nutrition
Other Special Frosting Recipes
Last Updated on March 6, 2023
Happy Birthday! This cake looks spectacular. I am all over the peanut butter filling/chocolate frosting combo. And I’m stealing your idea board idea once I finally have an office. 😉
It’s really the best thing, although 99% of the time I get squirrel moments and don’t even need to use the board, lol!! Thanks Jen!
Happy Birthday! That peanut butter filling sounds amazing- I think I’d eat it all before it even hit the cake!Â
Thanks Faith!
Your idea board sounds awesome! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you and your blog yesterday. I am so excited for more blogging series posts 🙂 And this cake definitely looks perfect – I love the pb filling! Pinned 🙂
Thank you Chelsea!!
Happy birthday to you and the blog, Dorothy! Thank you for staying true to all things PB in this cake. Â It’s he best filling ever! And thanks for all you do. Your recipes are amazing!
Thank you!!
What a stunning cake!!! WOW! Talk about a masterpiece! Each element, the fluffy cake, the amazing PB filling, the chocolate frosting….I could make a meal out of any of those individually so together I’m sure this just would knock my socks off completely! Way to go to take something on your to-do list for the year and finally…do it! I know how that feels and the results of this are just soooo impressive! Pinned of course!
Thanks Averie! 🙂
Featured In
Rate This Recipe