Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Perfect balance of sweet and nutty.
Texture: Ultra rich, smooth, and creamy but thick enough to frost on a cake.
Ease: Super simple and easy. Why would you ever purchase premade frosting?!
Pros: Fun flavor twist that goes with so many cakes or cupcakes.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? I’ve made this many times.
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I originally published this Peanut Butter Icing with my Banana Chocolate Chip Cake recipe.
So many of you have made that recipe recently and told me that your favorite part was the peanut butter frosting!!
Since that’s a pretty old cake recipe I knew I had to resurface this peanut butter buttercream so it could have its moment in the spotlight. It truly deserves it.
This recipe basically takes peanut butter – which is already amazing and perfect – and makes it even richer yet lighter with the perfect amount of sweetness. It goes perfectly with chocolate cake or cupcakes. Or banana cake or banana bread. You could even slather it over brownies or cookies!
Really, this frosting knows no bounds. And if you make it you’ll see just how addictively delicious it is!
How to Make Buttercream Ahead of Time:
Transfer the frosting to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature and re-whip in the stand mixer until light and fluffy again. Add a tablespoon or 2 of powdered sugar if it needs to thicken up.
How Much Frosting Does This Make?
This makes enough frosting for a two layer cake or 24 cupcakes OR 12 cupcakes with a generous amount of frosting (think a tall piped swirl). Not sure how much frosting you’ll need? Check out this handy frosting guide from Wilton.
More Buttercream Frosting Recipes & Tips
-
- How to Make the Best Buttercream (over a million views on this video!)
- 6 Tips for Perfect Buttercream (are you using the *right* powdered sugar?)
- Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream (my all-time favorite)
- Best Cream Cheese Frosting (with a secret ingredient)
Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (270 grams) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 1/2 cups (313 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about another 3 minutes.
STORAGE:
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature and re-whip in the stand mixer until light and fluffy again. Add a tablespoon or 2 of powdered sugar if it needs to thicken.
Recipe Notes
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
It’s so simple and easy. I use vegan butter because of my dairy allergies, but you can’t tell the difference. It has become the ‘go-to’ frosting whenever bake something. My partner and I love it!!!!
How would I make this to stiffen it up so it doesn’t melt as fast?
Hi Amanda! Make sure your butter is at a cool room temperature (about 65-67°F) when creaming. This will help prevent your frosting from being too greasy or runny. Once your cake/cupcakes/etc are frosted, you can store them in the fridge until shortly before serving. The frosting should stay solid and not melt for an hour or more, depending on how hot it is – shorter if in the direct sunlight or if it’s extremely hot, and longer if you can keep it out of direct sunlight and/or it’s not super hot. I hope that helps!
This buttercream was easy to make and tasted delicious!
One of the easiest and best p nut butter icings I have made.