Description
A simple, crowd-pleasing dessert featuring a yellow cake base topped with a gooey peanut butter swirl and chocolate chips. It bakes into a moist, indulgent treat with a signature ‘earthquake’ cracked top.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box (15.25 oz / 432g) yellow cake mix
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30g) butter, melted
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (25g) crushed peanuts (optional)
- Pinch of sea salt flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla (if using). Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- In a medium bowl, mix creamy peanut butter, melted butter, and granulated sugar until a thick, spreadable paste forms.
- Dollop the peanut butter mixture over the batter in 12-15 spots. Gently swirl with a knife to create marbled pockets, but do not fully mix.
- Scatter chocolate chips evenly over the top. Add crushed peanuts if desired.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes if using before serving.
Notes
Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake tender. Ensure the peanut butter mixture is thick enough to hold its shape but soft enough to spread. Do not overbake, as this will dry out the gooey center. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square slice
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 32
- Sodium: 280
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 8
Keywords: peanut butter cake, earthquake cake, easy dessert, gooey cake, chocolate chip cake, party dessert, family friendly