Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (Gluten Free)

Rich, moist and dense chocolate cake surrounded by layers of creamy peanut butter frosting.

When I asked my son what kind of cake would he like for his birthday, I wasn't surprised that "peanut butter" was the response.  He loves peanut butter in all forms.  What goes better with peanut butter than chocolate?  So, I paired this rich chocolaty cake with a fluffy peanut butter frosting.  The combination is so good!  My family was requesting the next one before we had finished the first.  You will never miss the gluten in this delicious cake!

1 cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

(I use Bob's Mill 1 for 1 Gluten Free Baking Mix or Better Batter)

1 box Chocolate Instant Jello Pudding Mix

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa

1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

(I use Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips because they are soy free)

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

6 Tbsp Butter, softened

2 Tbsp Canola Oil

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

3/4 cup Water

Peanut Butter Frosting
The recipe for this frosting is from
The Cake Doctor Bakes Gluten Free cookbook.

1 cup Creamy Peanut butter
8 Tbsp (1 stick) Butter, at room temperature
21/2 Tbsp Milk, or more if needed
2 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the GF flour, pudding mix, sugar, cocoa powder, 

baking soda, salt and mini chocolate chips.

Add the butter, oil, eggs, vanilla and water.

Blend on low until the ingredients are combined, 

scrape the sides and continue to blend on medium speed for about a minute, 

until the batter is smooth.

Lightly butter and dust two 8 inch round baking pans with GF flour.

Divide the batter equally into the two pans and spread out evenly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  

Then carefully run a knife along the edges of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the rack.  

Cool the cakes completely.

While the cakes are cooling, combine the peanut butter and softened butter 

in the bowl of your mixer.

When well combined, add 2 cups of the powdered sugar and the milk and vanilla a bit at a time beating with the mixer on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated, one minute.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the frosting until light and fluffy, one minute longer; adding up to 1/2 cup more powdered sugar if the frosting is too thin or up to 1 Tbsp more milk if the frosting is too stiff.

Place one cake on to a plate or plater.  

Spread frosting every over the top.

Place the second layer on top and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

Press mini chocolate chips into the sides to decorate if desired.

Serve at room temperature or refrigerate to serve cool.

Store cake covered in the refrigerator.  It also freezes beautifully.