Butterfinger Cake Recipe with Crunchy Chocolate Layers

For more peanut butter desserts and ideas, try the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake and Snickers Cake recipes.

Chocolate Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup oil (canola or vegetable)
• 1 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt), room temperature
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 3/4 cup hot water

Peanut Butter Filling

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 6 oz sweetened condensed milk (about half a can)
• 1 TBSP milk

Butterfinger Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Butterfinger crumbs (about 5 fun-size Butterfingers, finely ground)
• Extra Butterfinger pieces for decoration

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment, and spray again.
2. In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk until combined. Heat the water until steaming, then slowly add it to the wet ingredients while mixing.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth and homogenous.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 33–38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Filling

1. In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, and milk. Beat with a hand mixer on high until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped.

Butterfinger Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Pulse Butterfinger pieces in a food processor until they become a fine crumb and add them to the sifted sugar.
2. Beat the butter on high speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl, then add the cream cheese and beat on high for 1 minute until smooth.
3. Add half of the powdered sugar mixture and mix on low until just combined. Add the remaining sugar and the vanilla, then beat on high until the frosting is creamy and smooth.

Assembly

1. Use a serrated knife to level the top of the cooled cake if needed. Place the cake on your serving plate.
2. Evenly poke holes across the cake using the handle of a wooden spoon. Fill the piping bag with the peanut butter filling and pipe into each hole until the filling is slightly below the surface.
3. Spread the filling gently with an offset spatula to create a level surface. Frost the top with the Butterfinger cream cheese frosting and smooth evenly. Finish with chopped Butterfinger pieces for decoration.

Flour: Spoon and level or use a kitchen scale. Compacted flour can dry out the cake.

High-altitude baking: If baking at high altitude, add an extra 2 TBSP of flour to the cake batter.

Room-temperature ingredients: Pull any ingredients listed as room temperature out about 1–2 hours before baking for best results.