Rich Peanut Butter Cup Dump Cake (Print Version)

Layers of creamy peanut butter, chocolate cake, and peanut butter cups create this decadent dessert.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cake Base

01 - 1 box (15.25 oz) devil's food chocolate cake mix
02 - 1 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
03 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
04 - 1½ cups whole milk

→ Toppings

05 - 1 cup mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped
06 - ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - Spread creamy peanut butter evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together chocolate cake mix, melted butter, and milk until mostly smooth. Small lumps are acceptable.
04 - Pour cake batter evenly over the peanut butter layer in the baking dish.
05 - Scatter mini peanut butter cups and chocolate chips evenly over the batter surface.
06 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
07 - Remove from oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving warm. For cleaner slices, allow to cool completely. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when really you just mixed a few things together and let the oven do the heavy lifting.
  • The chocolate and peanut butter situation is absolutely unhinged in the best possible way, with pools of gooey peanut butter that somehow stay creamy while the cake bakes.
  • Ten minutes of actual work means you can impress people on a Tuesday night without stress.
02 -
  • The peanut butter layer will seem thick when you spread it, but it thins out as the cake bakes and creates those crucial gooey pockets instead of staying as a solid layer.
  • Don't skip letting it cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting, or you'll end up with a delicious but structurally confused mess on your plate.
  • Room temperature peanut butter makes an enormous difference in how easily it spreads and how well it incorporates with the cake during baking.
03 -
  • If you want extra richness, you can dollop an extra spoonful of peanut butter between some of the peanut butter cups before baking so they have something to meld with.
  • The key to avoiding a dense cake is not overmixing your batter and understanding that some lumps are your friends, not enemies.
  • Let the pan cool on the counter rather than in the fridge if you want to preserve that gooey texture instead of letting it set up too firmly.
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