A delicious old-fashioned peanut butter sheet cake with a gluten free option.
I first shared this recipe way back in March 2009. That was right before my oldest daughter developed her peanut and tree nut allergy. After that, this recipe got buried way back in the archives of my site because I could no longer make it.
That is until last month when I made it for my husband’s birthday.
My daughter is no longer living at home and peanut butter is allowed back in the house. My husband and son were so excited that I made this cake again!
I found this recipe way back in 2008 or early 2009 in a cookbook I checked out at the library. The cookbook was by the Red Hat Society. Does anyone remember the Red Hat Society?
It was basically like a church cookbook but was basically the same type of recipe that I had seen elsewhere.
However, this peanut butter sheet cake recipe caught my attention.
My husband loves peanut butter. He really, really, likes peanut butter. So I knew that it was a recipe I needed to try.
And I am so glad that I did. The cake was so good.
The frosting is what made this so good. This peanut butter frosting would be delicious on a chocolate cake.
If you really love peanut butter desserts, give this one a try. It may not be the prettiest of cakes, but it is so good!
Can I make peanut butter cake gluten free?
This recipe worked great gluten free. I made it gluten free when I made it for my husband’s birthday and it worked great.
I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Blend. Other blends may work, but I have only tried it with Bob’s Red Mill blend.
Ingredients
- sugar
- flour
- eggs
- baking soda
- sour cream
- creamy peanut butter
- butter
- water
- milk
- powdered sugar
- vanilla
Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Peanut Butter Cake with an easy to make peanut butter frosting.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour or Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup water
Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/3 cups creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For cake:
- Combine sugar and flour and set aside.
- In a medium bowl mix eggs, baking soda, and sour cream well. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan combine peanut butter, butter, and water. Bring to a boil.
- Add the boiled mixture to the flour mixture.
- Stir and add sour cream mixture.
- Pour into a 15x10 inch sheet/jellyroll type pan.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Frosting:
- Combine the butter, peanut butter, and milk in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil stirring constantly.
- Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Mix well. It will be thick.
- Pour over cake while both are still warm. My frosting did drip over the sides a little, so pour and spread slowly.
- Let cool, slice, and serve.
Notes
For a gluten free version use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 506Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 299mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 2gSugar: 39gProtein: 8g
Nutritional values are approximate and aren't always accurate.
Originally posted March 2009. Updated March 2023.
Wow! This looks absolutely scrumptious! I love peanut butter. 😀
Ooh! YUM!
Sounds delish!
It’s looks so delicious.
I love peanut butter too – I have to try this one!
I didn’t need to see this!!! I’m a peanut butter addict in the worst way!
Lynn, YOU ARE MY HERO! I love peanut butter. There have been several peanut butter recipes, today. I am in heaven! I have already bookmarked this recipe and added it to my Favorite Recipes list! Can’t wait to make it. Thanks for the recipe and linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.
Looks great, and easy!
Yummy; I love peanut butter. By the way, thanks for stopping by my site. I enjoy your blog.
i am definitely going to make this one! thanks for sharing!!!
oh this looks so good, I love peanut butter desserts. I bet your hubby was happy!
Yummy that looks so good. I love pb. That frosting looks to die for. I found your site through I am blissfully domestic.
Mmmm, at my family reunions there is always a peanut butter cake but it is several smaller layers (almost like thick pancakes) with lots of creamy peanut icing. It’s so pretty. Your recipe looks so yummy…I may just have to make one!
Just wanted to let you know I mentioned this post on my blog today!
Huge peanut butter fans here, too. My mom will sometimes treat me to a peanut butter sheet cake. 😉 They freeze very nicely and are even more moist out of the freezer!
Hey Lynn. I am making your cake, right now. The cake is in the oven and about to make the frosting. This recipe is very similar to my chocolate sheet cake , except, well you know…. peanut butter – not chocolate.
I am making it for our church get-together, tomorrow night. I am just bummed that we can’t cut into it, until tomorrow evening. I wonder if we can hold out? Hubby doesn’t think so.
Thanks again.
I hope you like it. I am making this today too, to take to a church dinner tom. It makes a great cake to serve a crowd because it is so big. Should I admit that my husband has actually cut into a dessert before that I needed to take somewhere. He claims it was to try it but it was more like he could not wait. I took it anyway and just said my husband got into it last night. Everyone thought it was funny, probably because their husband had done the same thing before. 🙂
That looks so yummy! My husband doesn’t like anything peanut butter, but the rest of us do! Great idea for a potluck, church meal, etc. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
~Susan
Lynn, I’m doing a post about your cake, so I’ll be linking here. Thanks for the recipe.
I used to make this cake on an actual sheet cake pan. Why would this be called a sheet cake and made in a jelly roll pan. I miss my recipe. I’m not sure if this is the right measurements/temp for the sheet cake.
I think a sheet cake pan and a jelly roll pan are basically the same size. If I remember right there is a little bit of difference but not much. I am guessing it is called sheet cake because it is an old recipe. But most people have and know what a jelly roll pan is. That is my guess. I think the measuerments should work.
I just finished making this. It smells so good and it looks awesome. And from my tastings it rocks! Love your site!
is the flour for the cake all purpose or what? my grandma used to make this cake and i’ve come close to it but not close enough with premade cake mixes
@Joe, Yes it is basic all purpose flour. This is an old fashioned type recipe, so I hope it is what you are looking for. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you it is just what i was looking for
Any ideas what sort of Gluten Free flours I could use in this. It looks yummy!!
Thanks,
Moe
I have not tried this gluten free since my daughter now as a peanut allergy. I think though that you could use the same flours I used in this cake and probably the same amount of xantham gum. I would love to hear if you try it and it works. https://lynnskitchenadventures.com/lra/gluten-free-chocolate-sheet-cake/
I will try it tonight, I think I have everything for it. I will need to skip the sour cream too, no dairy here :O(
Thanks,
Moe
Hi Lynn,
I love your website. I am GF and always looking for terrific recipes with more “available” ingredients used in them. I am going to try this one GF, but wanted to know if it would be okay to line my jelly roll pan with parchment paper? It’s not in the best shape these days 🙂
Thanks,
Christine
I think that would work fine. And I would love to hear how it works gf. I have not tried it gf since my daughter now has a pb allergy.
Hi Lynn,
I finally gave this a go and made this gluten free. I just substituted a GF flour blend for the regular flour and added one teaspoon of xanthan gum to the sugar/flour mixture. It came out so moist, and peanut butter delicious. Probably the moistest GF cake I’ve made thus far. Thanks for the great recipe!
Christine
I am so glad that it worked gluten free. Thanks for letting me know!
Just made this and it is very moist and delicious. I will definitely make again. It was very quick and easy to do. I did not have a 12×15 pan so i used a 9×13 and it was perfect and the icing did not run over the sides. I have saved it in my favorites. Thanks for sharing a wonderful and easy recipe.
I am glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know.
I have a peanut allergy also. If your daughter is not allergic to soy, you can try soy butter. The brand I find now at Walmart is Wow Butter. It is 100% peanut free. Others tell me it tastes just like peanut butter.
Soy butter is her favorite substitution for PB. She doesn’t think it tastes the same, but she does like it for some thing. She did not develop her peanut allergy until age 12, and she loved pb, so finding something to replace it has been hard for her. But we are thankful there are so many things like soy butter and sun butter out there.
Have you tried SunButter? It is sunflower seed butter. My daughter has a peanut allergy (not severe) so I was using soy butter for awhile. It really isn’t the same. But a few years ago I was trying to get all the soy out and found SunButter. I LOVE it!! I think it tastes a bit like peanut butter, especially if you haven’t had it for awhile. My older daughter disagrees. Either way check it out. It tastes great! I get the sweetened kind but they have unsweetened, crunchy, on the go packs, etc. Check it out if you haven’t already! https://sunbutter.com/
I made the peanut butter sheet cake, it was too dense, noticed afterwards I had used baking powder, instead of soda. the frosting, was fabulous!!
I have done that before! But I am glad you liked the frosting. The frosting is really good on a chocolate cake too!