Peanut Butter Poke Cake — This peanut butter poke cake is a super easy cake recipe. It’s packed with peanut butter flavor and topped with a mix of peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups. Poke cakes don’t get tastier than this!
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The BEST Peanut Butter Poke Cake
Recently, I made a Better-Than-Anything Chocolate Cake and it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever had. I knew I wanted to recreate a peanut butter version because I love all things peanut butter.
This peanut butter poke cake is really somethings special! It’s so easy and ready in about 30 minutes.
Between the peanut butter, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter cups, peanut butter lovers are going to love the bold peanut butter flavor.
I love that the cake itself is super soft and tender, the whipped topping melts in your mouth, and there’s texture from the peanut butter chips and cups. Better than anything, indeed.
Peanut Butter Poke Cake Ingredients
To make this easy peanut butter poke cake with yellow cake mix, you’ll need:
- Boxed yellow cake mix
- Creamy peanut butter
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Caramel topping
- Whipped topping
- Peanut butter chips
- Mini peanut butter cups
How to Make Peanut Butter Poke Cake
This easy peanut butter poke cake comes together with minimal prep work on your part. Here’s a rough overview of the recipe steps:
- Make a boxed yellow cake according to package directions (you’ll likely need to add in eggs, oil, and water) and bake as directed in a 9×13-inch pan.
- While the cake is baking, add the peanut butter to a large bowl and heat in the microwave to soften. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, then set aside.
- When the cake is out of the oven, use the blunt end of a wooden spoon to poke holes over the surface of the cake.
- Slowly pour the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk mixture over the holes.
- Place the peanut butter cake in the fridge for about 10 minutes to cool slightly.
- Remove the poke cake from the fridge and evenly spread the whipped topping over the surface, followed by the peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups.
- Cover the peanut butter poke cake and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Peanut Butter Poke Cake FAQs
Sure! I used a boxed mix but you can double use this scratch recipe if you’re so inclined.
When making baked goods, I find store-bought brands like Jif or Skippy work better than homemade peanut butter, which is oilier and needs to be stirred before using.
Duncan Hines sells my gold standard yellow cake mix, so that’s what I recommend using.
That sounds delicious! Using a chocolate cake mix would result in more of a Reese’s poke cake vibe rather than a true peanut butter cake flavor.
Tips for the Best Poke Cake
The main thing to remember when making this peanut butter cake is to poke holes all over the cake.
You want to make sure there are no major gaps in the cake where you’ve forgotten to poke a hole. Poke the cake close to the edges too — remember, you want all the peanut butter goodness seeping down into the cake!
You also need to be careful when pouring the peanut butter mixture onto the cake. Use the back of a spoon if necessary to spread the mixture into all of the holes.
As for the poke cake topping, feel free to use a mixture of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips if you can’t find mini peanut butter cups at your grocery store.
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Better-Than-Anything Peanut Butter Cake
Ingredients
- one 16.50-ounce box yellow cake mix*
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter, softened
- one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 6 ounces caramel sundae topping, I just eyeball it and use half of one 12-ounce jar
- one 8-ounce container whipped topping, thawed (I used fat-free)
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- about 3/4 cup mini peanut butter cups, halved
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Make cake according to package directions (likely adding 3 eggs, water, and oil) and bake as directed.
- While the cake bakes add the peanut butter to a large, microwave-safe bowl and heat to soften, about 15 to 30 seconds.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, caramel topping, and whisk to combine; set aside.
- Remove cake from the oven when it’s done (probably about 23 to 28 minutes) and using the blunt end of a wooden spoon, poke holes over the surface of the cake. I didn’t count but I estimate I poked about 60 holes, evenly spaced over the surface.
- Slowly pour the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk mixture over the holes, taking your time to evenly distribute it so that all the holes receive some. Place cake in the fridge for about 10 minutes to cool slightly before adding the whipped topping so it doesn’t melt.
- Remove cake from the fridge, evenly spread the whipped topping over the surface, and evenly sprinkle the peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups. Cover cake and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best) before slicing and serving.
Notes
- *I used Duncan Hines but you can use this scratch recipe instead (you'll need to double it).
- Cake will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Recipe adapted from my Better-Than-Anything Chocolate Cake
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Originally posted May 27, 2016 and reposted August 4, 2023 with updated text.
All of these peanut butter cake recipes are looking good. We are having a lockdown situation. I am planning to try all of these recipes during my lazy time.
Hope you enjoy all of them!
It looks delicious! I think children will like it so much.
Thank you for sharing.
Looks delicious! I will definitely try this out. I would also recommend you to serve with coffee. If you have a Nespresso machine and are interested in tasting some of these Champion coffees, please visit Home kitchenary. Thanks once again !! I love all your recipes so much!!!!
Looks delicious! I will definitely try this out. I would also recommend you to serve with coffee. If you have a Nespresso machine and are interested in tasting some of these Champion coffees, please visit Best Coffee Beans Thanks once again !! I love all your recipes so much!!!!
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Ok cool! I made the yellow peanut butter cake and it was amazing! Next time I’ll add the poke portion. I think it will be out of this world!!!! Thanks!! I love all your recipes so much!!!!
So – the “yellow cake” that we can make from scratch is actually a peanut butter cake? Is that right? Just want to make sure that the link is correct and you’re recommending a super PB cake filled with more PB goodness in the holes!!
I’m not sure I understand your question but this is a cake that starts with yellow cake mix and gets filled with a PB mixture.
There’s a link for a yellow cake from scratch – and if you click on the link, it takes you to a recipe for a peanut butter cake, not a yellow cake. That’s why I was asking. It’s a peanut butter cake with a strudel topping. I was checking if the link is wrong or if you actually meant for it to be a PB cake poked and filled with more PB.
In your blog part, you say you started with a box mix but you could do it from scratch and the link takes you to a PB cake. That PB cake happens to be delicious, by the way! But it’s not a yellow cake recipe.
Thanks!
Well it’s a yellow-ish/peanut butter cake in my opinion, knowing that cake, it would be a good alternative if you’re looking for a scratch version of this recipe. So yes, I meant to link it. I have other yellow cakes but that is my pick for this recipe. Most people though are just going to use yellow cake mix and honestly, that’s what I do, but sometimes I get questions about scratch alternatives, so that’s my suggestion.
I tried a variation of this. I used chocolate topping instead of caramel, but next time I will use syrup instead of topping. The mixture was too thick and did not pour into the holes easily. Most of it sat on top. I would also recommend allowing the cake to cool slightly before poking the holes.
I definitely recommend caramel here for a reason – other options can be too thick and won’t pour well which is what you ran into.
I’ve actually made this before lol not from your recipe but my gma and I just thought of it one day. Except we put a cup of peanut butter in the cake mix and it makes the cake a lot more moist and it legit tastes like a “peanut butter CAKE” ❤️
With poking the holes into this cake and pouring in the PB mixture with the sweet milk, caramel, etc. it is SO moist and has so much PB flavor. You’re going to love it!
Found this on Pinterest! This cake looks delicious; I will definitely try this recipe, got too many kids that will enjoy this cake. Thanks for posting!