This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
This delicious, one-bowl, no-mixer Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake is one of our favorite desserts EVER! It's also one of the quickest and easiest cakes you'll ever make!
This Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake recipe has a fun story to go with it. Scott and I are trying to "seize" this unusual moment in time and make the best of it. Our two grandchildren that live nearby, Emmy (7) and Hayes (4), are doing online school right now. We asked their parents if we could be the "specialists" for the kids one day each week to give mom a little break and for us to make some memories with the children. The parents were thrilled and we were immediately employed, with me teaching cooking and Papa Scott becoming "the music specialist".
We decided to tie it all together with a study of the United States, so we picked up a big map and some fun interactive learning tools. Each week, the kids get to pick a new "state" and we learn lots of information about it, including popular recipes and songs from the region. We also teach the kids ten interesting, important (and sometimes crazy) facts about each state. We review these facts all day so the kids know them inside out.
When mom and dad come for dinner (which the kids have helped cook) they get a written quiz on "the facts". The first week, the parents didn't do so well. However, they now do a little online research themselves before showing up, as they each want to win "the prize" that we have waiting for them. The kids get to teach mom and dad the answers that they don't get right (very gleefully, I must say).
Last week, the state chosen was Texas. We made a slow-roasted Texas pork roast and Texas Sheet Cake for dessert. Texas sheet cake is classically a super easy, super delicious chocolate cake. You can see a rendition of it that I did way back in the early days of The Café here.
Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake?
I wanted to do something a little different, so I did a little research and came up with a Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake. I wasn't sure if it would measure up to the original chocolate recipe but, OH MY! All it took was one bite for each of us to declare this sweet treat, totally "blog-worthy" (our highest possible accolade for a recipe).
It's light and moist with a tender crumb and lots of delicious peanut butter flavor. The caramel peanut butter icing takes it off the charts.
Plenty for everyone!
I love that this recipe makes a large cake, so it's perfect for feeding a crowd or gifting to friends or neighbors (we've distributed versions of this cake to sweet friends and neighbors all the way down our little mountain road). It also freezes well, making it nice to be able to pull out when someone needs a sweet treat.
Ridiculously Easy!
Although the title of this cake is a little long; Ridiculously Easy Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake, the recipe definitely falls into our Ridiculously Easy series. If you're new to The Café, we have a whole category of recipes called Ridiculously Easy. You can read more about the series in this post but, in a nutshell, these (beloved-by-our-readers) recipes are the ones that make you look like a culinary rock star with minimal effort on your part.
Is this Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake really that easy? YES! Simply combine water, butter and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high power for two minutes until everything is nice and melty. Add the sugar and vanilla, let the mixture cool briefly, then whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Pour the batter into a greased sheet pan and bake for twenty minutes. The wonderful aroma that wafts through your kitchen will be a promise of the delicious pleasure to come!
The caramel peanut butter icing comes together just as easily; combine butter, peanut butter and brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high power till the butter is melted. Add vanilla, buttermilk (or half and half), and powdered sugar. Whisk it all together until nice and creamy and you're done!
A cake to make any day a party!
I'm wishing we could sit down together and enjoy a piece of this delicious Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake with a nice tall glass of cold milk. But since that's not possible, you have to promise you'll make it soon and do a milk "cheers" to The Café! I'll be waiting!
Café Tips for making this Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake
- This recipe calls for a microwave-safe bowl. What does that mean? Microwave-safe bowls and containers are specifically designed to be used in the microwave. The container itself does not get hot when heated. You can tell if a bowl (or another item) is microwave-safe by checking the bottom. There should be a small symbol of a microwave with some wavy lines on it.
- I love these microwave-safe Pyrex measuring cups with handles that stay cool. They come in different sizes, are dishwasher safe and are little kitchen workhorses for me. I use the 8-cup size to make both the cake and the icing for this Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake recipe. Any of these would make a wonderful, long-lasting gift for someone who likes to cook or would like to learn to cook. (Haha, I just talked myself into ordering another one!)
- The easiest and best way to mix up this cake is with a whisk. Every kitchen needs a good whisk. A whisk makes the task of stirring a nice smooth batter (without a mixer) a breeze. Good whisks aren't expensive and will last a lifetime. This is a really nice set of simple whisks.
- This cake freezes well. I like to freeze it uncovered for about an hour then wrap it in saran wrap or place the pieces in a zippered bag. Freezing it uncovered to start with, prevents the icing from getting all squished from the plastic wrap or bag.
- I use creamy peanut butter for this recipe but the crunchy style could also be used if you like a little more texture.
- No buttermilk? No problem! You can substitute plain yogurt or sour cream for the buttermilk. OR you can make your own; add one tablespoon of white vinegar to a measuring cup then fill the cup with milk to the one half cup line. Stir and wait 5 minutes then proceed with the recipe using the vinegar/milk solution in place of the buttermilk.
- For the icing, you can substitute half and half or milk for the buttermilk. For those of you living outside of the United States, half and half is an American convenience product that's often used with coffee here in the States. It's simply a half and half combination of milk and cream.
- Sometimes I substitute 1-2 tablespoons of espresso or strong coffee for 1-2 tablespoons of the buttermilk in the icing. It gives the icing another layer of flavor, seems to cut the sweetness a bit and gives the icing a little deeper color.
- If you like a less sweet cake, you can halve the icing recipe and use a little extra buttermilk to make it more of a thin glaze.
- This Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake can also be made in two 8-inch cake pans (with at least 2-inch tall sides) or two 9-inch cake pans. The 9-inch cake pans will yield a little lower and larger cake. These are nice options as you can either freeze one or give one away. The round cakes also make a pretty presentation for serving.
Thought for the day:
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8:3-4
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 4-6 tablespoon buttermilk (or half and half or milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3½-4 cups powdered sugar
-
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Generously spray a 12x18-inch sheet pan with baking spray OR rub with shortening then add a tablespoon of flour and tilt the pan in all directions to coat the shortening with flour.
-
Combine water, butter and peanut butter in a medium-large, microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high power for 2-2½ minutes or until the butter is melted. Add the sugar and vanilla, then whisk until well combined. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
-
Add the eggs and whisk until smooth then add the baking soda and salt. Whisk until well combined.
-
Add the flour, whisking vigorously until lump-free then add the buttermilk and stir until well combined.
-
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth to an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean and the top feels firm and springs back lightly when touched.
-
Cool for 20 minutes then top with the icing. Spread the icing with a knife to cover the surface. If desired, swirl the icing with the back of a small spoon for a pretty presentation. Serve warm or at room temperature.
-
Combine the butter, dark brown sugar and peanut butter in a medium-large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high power for 1 minute. Whisk well then return to the microwave for another minute.
-
Add 4 tablespoons of the buttermilk (or half and half or milk) and vanilla. Whisk well to combine. Add 3½ cups of powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. You’re looking for a fairly thick but still pourable icing. If too thick, add a bit more buttermilk. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar and stir again until nice and smooth.
See Café Tips above for more detailed instructions and tips.
Cake recipe adapted from My Recipes, icing, a Café concoction.
The Café Sucre Farine is a participant in the Amazon Affiliate Program. The Amazon Affiliate Program is designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon. The price you pay as a consumer does not change.
Sharon Gilmore says
So I've made this THREE times in two weeks! Everyone raves about it and ai love that I can whip it up quickly and that it serves a big group. However, what is happening in my oven? Every time I've made it one long side of the cake rises higher than the other. I've never seen this happen before! Today I actually turned the pan half way through baking. It helped some, but this doesn't happen with my other recipes. Any idea what is going on? I love your recipes and yes, the photos are so beautiful! From a fellow Carolinian,
Sharon
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sharon, so happy you have enjoyed this recipe.
Regarding your question, I'm really not sure what's going on. Perhaps your oven is more hot in one area, hence the cake rising quicker???
Julie says
What I discovered with my cakes doing the same is my oven rack isn't perfectly straight/flat. It isn't visibly obvious but when I placed my level tool (for hanging pictures on the wall), on my oven rack it was clearly not level. I compensate by wrapping a small piece of twisted aluminum foil on the lower side of the oven rack.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, Julie!
Marie Hall says
This cake is fantastic. Moist and lots of peanut butter flavor. I split it into 2 eight inch square pans. Froze both. I gave one pan to a friend and shared the other pan at church. Everyone liked it. I can't wait to make it again. Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Marie!
Gayle Humann says
Chris,
I made this cake today and it is amazing! The moist cake and the flavor is perfect. The frosting almost has a caramel taste to it. The perfect cake to serve for a gathering of to just sneak a piece with a cup of coffee or tea. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Gayle
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks, Gayle!
Kelly Smith says
My birthday is Thursday, and I am thinking about making the chocolate Texas sheet cake base but using this frosting. What do you think? Have you ever tried that?
Chris Scheuer says
I think that would be delicious, Kelly! Happy Birthday!
Bonnie bi says
You left when to add vanilla out of icing recipe. Not a problem for accomplished cooks but could be for a beginner. Cake very good!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting me know, Bonnie. I'll fix that! I'm so happy you enjoyed the cake!
A. Webster says
My family LOVED the cake. I made the recipe in the sheet pan expecting to freeze some for a later date. There was none left to freeze. The recipe is very easy. All votes are to keep this recipe and make it again soon.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, A!
Kathleen Miller says
I halved the recipe for a 9" square cake and thank goodness I did, we couldn't stop eating it! Lol. Fabulously moist and delicious. It's a new favorite!
Chris Scheuer says
Ha! I know what you mean! So glad you enjoyed it, Kathleen.
Jill says
I have Celiac, and thought I’d try to make this gluten free. It came out great! I added 1 tsp baking powder and switched the flour to an all purpose gluten free flour mixture. I kept all the other ingredients the same. Thank you, Chris. A yummy one to add to my recipe box!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing this, Jill. I know it will be very helpful to other readers!
Kim says
Just made this yesterday.....absolutely delish! Even my husband, who is a complete chocoholic, and thinks that there is nothing better than the original chocolate form, could not stay out of it!😂 This recipe was so easy...... definitely a keeper! Thanks Chris!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! That's awesome, Kim! Thanks so much for sharing your results! 💕
Carol Manning says
What are your thoughts about using almond butter instead of peanut butter. While I love peanut butter, it upsets my stomach. Your peanut butter Thai sauce is delicious made with almond butter. I'm not sure about the cake. Your thoughts?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Carol, I think almond butter would be fabulous!
Vicki says
I’m going to halve the recipe and try this tomorrow.
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy it, Vicki. This recipe does halve easily!
Candice says
I had this at our 2019 family reunion and we could not get enough of it. You know something is going to be could when the person who brings it puts the recipe card beside it! It is as good as its chocolate cousin and is good for several days if it last that long. It is totally acceptable to eat this with breakfast with a cold glass of milk. I love how you done the 8 inch layer. Beautiful as usual. What a wonderful gift you are giving the grandchildren. They will always cherish these memories and tell their kids and grandchildren about the coronavirus and the great idea their grandparents come up with. Way to go! Good can come out of difficult times with effort and creativity. I am jealous. I also have my grandchild and 6 month old granddaughter with me during the day while the parents are at work. Thank you for the inspiration to put my brain to work.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Candice! This would be a wonderful cake for a family reunion. I love that they left the recipe card beside it. Good idea!
Thanks for your kind words. You're right, good can definitely come from these times if we keep the right perspective.
Have fun with that baby! I must say, I'm a little jealous 💕 all our babies are growing up!
Karo says
I wished I lived on your mountain road. While chocolate and I don't agree, PEANUT BUTTER and I have had a lone love affair! I shall try this soon and freeze the other half! Oh, Thank you for such a splendid recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Karo 💕 I do like the chocolate version but I think this actually tops it!
Jo Anne T. says
Yum! I want to move to your neighborhood!!
Chris Scheuer says
I wish you could, Jo Anne 💕
Holly says
I have never seen Photography as unforgettable and absolutely stunning as here. Because of gluten, dairy etc. intolerances I can’t make most of your recipes but I’m always so excited to receive things in my inbox because I love the scriptures you include and that you are believers and I am just addicted to the photography! And I usually don’t even notice things like that... I also cannot get enough of your salad dressings. They never fail me and are so delicious! Stay well Chris and God bless.
Danielle Schultz says
Hello Chris,
Wow, what a beautiful cake it would look gorgeous with sunflowers it’s so pretty I’m going to make it as it’s my father in law’s birthday today it’s a virtual party but you just help me make it extra special with the cake. Thanks Chris and Kudos to you and your husband with making cherished memories with your grandchildren, what an innovative idea very creative it’s fun!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Danielle! It would look gorgeous with sunflowers, great idea! Happy birthday to your father-in-law! Hope he enjoys the cake 💕
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Holly for this very kind and thoughtful comment 💕💕 We always laugh and say if I was doing the photography, no one would ever look at the blog but if Scott was doing the cooking... definitely no one would look at the blog 😂 We are definitely quite symbiotic in this blogging adventure!