# Buckeye Cake

A Buckeye Cake is a chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream, chocolate ganache, and homemade buckeyes, making it the ultimate chocolate peanut butter layer cake perfect for fall baking.

- Cuisine: American
- Category: Baked Goods
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 0.75 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 0.5 cup neutral oil (avocado)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee
- 1.5 cups unsalted butter
- 1.5 cups creamy peanut butter
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 0.25 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 0.75 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 0.25 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

## Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Grease three 8-inch cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
5. Slowly stream in hot coffee, whisking until the batter is smooth.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto racks to cool completely.
8. Beat room temperature butter and creamy peanut butter until smooth and fluffy.
9. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar to the butter and peanut butter mixture.
10. Mix in vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and heavy cream until the peanut butter buttercream is light and spreadable.
11. Heat heavy cream until steaming.
12. Pour the hot cream over semi-sweet chocolate chips and unsalted butter in a bowl.
13. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until the chocolate ganache is smooth.
14. Cool the ganache to a spreadable consistency.
15. Mix creamy peanut butter, melted unsalted butter, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth for the buckeyes.
16. Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1-inch balls (using a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop) and chill for 20 minutes.
17. Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips and dip each peanut butter ball, leaving a “buckeye” circle of peanut butter exposed on top.
18. Chill the buckeyes until set.
19. Place one cake layer on a cake board.
20. Spread a layer of peanut butter buttercream on the cake layer.
21. Pipe a buttercream “dam” around the edge of the first cake layer.
22. Fill the center of the cake layer with chocolate ganache.
23. Place the second cake layer on top.
24. Repeat the buttercream, dam, and ganache steps for the second layer.
25. Top with the third cake layer.
26. Apply a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting) over the entire cake to seal in crumbs.
27. Place the cake in the freezer for about 20 minutes to set the crumb coat.
28. Frost the cake with the remaining peanut butter buttercream, smoothing the sides.
29. Pour or drizzle leftover ganache over the top of the cake, letting it drip slightly down the edges.
30. Using a Wilton 1M tip, pipe buttercream swirls around the top edge of the cake.
31. Place a homemade buckeye on each buttercream swirl.

## Equipment

- oven
- 8-inch cake pans
- large bowl
- whisk
- cake board
- piping bag
- offset spatula
- cake smoother
- Wilton 1M tip
- cookie scoop

## Tips

- Ensure buttermilk, oil, and eggs are at room temperature for the cake layers.
- The cake batter will be thin after adding hot coffee.
- For the ganache, let it cool to a spreadable consistency.
- Chill buckeye balls for 20 minutes before dipping.
- Apply a crumb coat to the cake and freeze for about 20 minutes to set before the final frosting.
- Store extra buckeyes in the freezer for a sweet treat later.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8ALhyMG/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/069decd7-4358-434d-b2d8-9b67bb9c4034
- Extracted: 2025-10-03

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt