Peanut Butter Honey Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Streusel is tender, moist, and buttery, thanks to the buttermilk, butter, and peanut butter. The streusel layer is chock full of peanut butter flavor and is bursting with chocolate chips. Best of all, the cake is made in one bowl in 5 minutes. No one has to know how fast and easy it is to make.
A few weeks ago I went to Big Potluck and was assigned to bring a cake to share. It was, after all, a potluck.
This was my contribution.
I was stumped about what kind of cake to make. I thought and thought about it. And thought some more. I read recipes on blogs, Pinterest, Foodgawker, and more. Cooking for an event where fellow bloggers, cookbook authors, and a Food Network TV show host may eat it was adding just a wee bit of pressure.
I opted to go with peanut butter and chocolate. Shocking, I know. Since my cookbook is about peanut butter, I thought that I may as well represent. The cake isn’t in my book, but I wish it was.
It’s a fast and easy cake to make, and only one bowl is dirtied. There’s no long creaming of ingredients, or separating eggs, or anything fussy or complicated.
The batter comes together in 5 minutes, it bakes for about 25 minutes, so it’s literally a 30 minute cake.
There’s no granulated or brown sugar in the cake layer, and instead it’s sweetened with honey. I love honey and had never made a cake exclusively sweetened with it until now.
It’s a more delicate and mellow sweetness, rendering the cake just sweet enough, and it won’t leave you with a toothache.
The other bonus to this cake is that it doesn’t need to be frosted because of the streusel. I love eating frosting, but I don’t like the act of frosting cakes or cupcakes. I prefer glazes, drizzles, or ganaches that can be poured over without much fuss. Even better is streusel.
It was a miracle I didn’t pick it all off, but wanted to.
The photo shoot was so hard because I wanted to tear into the cake so badly, but refrained. It was worth the wait when I was finally able to eat a piece of my own cake at the potluck.
Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of my own cake. I was too busy with wine.
The cake itself is soft, tender, and springy. It loosely reminds me a yellow cake mix cake, but better. Anything spiked with buttermilk, honey, and peanut butter is destined to be moist and bouncy.
It’s surprisingly lighter than you’d imagine given the list of ingredients. Buttermilk has a way of moisturizing and tenderizing anything it touches, while also keeping things lighter and fluffier.
The streusel topping with brown sugar, peanut butter, and chocolate chips is so tempting. I wanted to pluck those golden crumbs right off the cake and into my mouth.
Chocolate and peanut butter are always a match made in heaven, and those big nuggets add a boost of bold peanut butter and chocolate flavor.
Streusel topping with peanut butter and chocolate in a one-bowl fast and easy cake.
It’s my idea of a good cake and a good time, for sure.
Pin This Recipe
Peanut Butter Honey Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Streusel
The cake is tender, moist, and buttery, thanks to the buttermilk, butter, and peanut butter. There’s no sugar in the cake batter and is instead lightly sweetened with honey. The streusel layer is chock full of peanut butter flavor and is bursting with chocolate chips. Best of all, the cake is made in one bowl in 5 minutes. No one has to know how fast and easy it is to make.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Streusel
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- For the Cake – Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and optional salt.
- Add the eggs, honey, buttermilk, butter, 1/3 cup peanut butter, vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer on medium-low for about 1 minute. Stop, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat for 1 more minute.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan; set aside.
- For the Streusel – In the same mixing bowl (no need to wash it), combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup peanut butter, flour, and stir with a spoon until sandy pebbles form.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Sprinkle streusel evenly over cake batter.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow cake to cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Lift cake out using foil overhang, slice and serve. Cake is best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 301Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 189mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 2gSugar: 26gProtein: 6g
Related Recipes:
Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Blueberry and Jam Buttermilk Coffee Cake with Buttery Vanilla Glaze
Cookie Butter Brown Sugar Streusel Bars
Mango and Sour Cream Muffins with Streusel Topping
Spiced Apple Banana Bundt Cake with Vanilla Caramel Glaze – One of my favorite glazes of all time
French Almond Cookie Cake with Apricot Cream Cheese Glaze
Thanks for the entries in the Kitchen Aid 5-Quart Stand Mixer Giveaway!
Since my blog makeover, I’ve been told that my comment replies are going into spam. Please check your spam folder and un-spam them if necessary. Thanks!
Do you have a favorite cake recipe?
What’s your go-to recipe to bring to a potluck?
Can you make this a Layer Cake? I’ve been searching for a honey peanut butter cake flavor to frost with a sweet cream or maple frosting perhaps or a honey flavored cake to frost with a peanut butter frosting. But Honey flavored cakes are hard to come by it seems
I never have and so really cannot say how it would hold up. Some cakes are not really made for laying and the weight is not good for them, not sure about this one.
I just baked this AMAZING cake, and I love it!!! I will be making this for some friends too! I loved how easy it was to make and it is simply delicious!
Did you use natural or regular peanut butter?
I always bake with regular PB (i.e. Jif, Skippy, or similar) because I never want to take the chance of a natural PB separating on me.
WOW! just found your site and its dangerous in the worst and best ways possible. Thanks for all the amazing goodies! Cant wait to try them all!
Welcome & enjoy! I love your comment and please write back with anything you’ve tried and LMK what you think! :)
I’ll have to try this with Biscoff/cookie butter and see if it is as successful as your original. Can’t do PB but am so thrilled to find how many recipes I can sub in the cookie butter and still make them sort of like the originals :-)
It sounds amazing…streusel with chocolate is always good!
Oh I bet Biscoff/CB would be great. It’s nice and thick like PB and would be great flavor-wise. LMK if you try it!
I made this today,and it came out great. Thanks for a delicious recipe. The only thing I changed was that I used mini chips in place of the big chips.
Thanks for LMK that you made it & that it came out great! Wonderful! And mini chips would be so cute here. Good idea :)
Just pulled it out of the oven and it looks delicious! More importantly my whole apartment smells of sweet peanut butter goodness : )
Made a few changes (ie, half the amount of chocolate chips, gluten free flour, two flax eggs and a little butter extract). I’ll let you know my family’s reaction. Thanks for another fantastic recipe; blessings to you!
Halving the chocolate chips? But why?! haha!
Making it both GF and vegan with GF flour and flax eggs (well maybe you kept the butter though) but still, good to know you had success by the way it smells! And Lmk what your family says! Thanks for trying it!
Halving the chocolate was insane to me, but I’m the only one in the family that would eat chocolate at breakfast (really I’d eat it with every meal!). And no, I forgot to mention, I replaced butter with mashed banana and avocado… but it was delcious and except for a piece or two (and some crumbs), it’s gone!
Oh wow, you made it vegan and GF! And your family is nuts to not eat chocolate at every meal. Kidding :)
Thanks for LMK the whole thing is almost gone – in a day! That’s awesome!
OMG!!! Like everything else I have tried— AMAZING!!! It was hard enough to bake the cake because I think I could have eaten the entire batch of batter. The streusel is amazing and was so hard not to pick every last bit off. The flavor of this dessert is incredible and I can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for creating such wonderful recipes. :)
Thanks for the glowing comment and for trying the cake! So glad you loved it and I totally agree about the batter and the streusel-picking. I could have easily gone to town on that myself. Thanks for reading my site and trying my recipes! LMK if you try other things!
Made this cake yesterday for a party. It turned out wonderful, and was a huge hit with our friends! It was so moist and flavorful! Thanks for an awesome recipe! It will definitely be one that I make often!
Holly that’s awesome and thanks for LMK! I am so glad to hear you loved it and were able so share it with friends. Thanks for the glowing report back – I appreciate it!
This cake rocks my world! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin Wednesday!
This combo sounds fantastic. I bought buttermilk just to make this cake! Do you think this recipe would work well in muffin tins? Thanks!!
I think that sounds like a total pain in the butt, to be honest! In theory it would work; but it’s way more work for you! Individual items, filling all the wells, then having to top them all with crumble bits, then getting them out – honestly unless you had a super special reason why you had to make them as muffins, just bake as directed in the cake pan.
Plus, it will be moister baked as a cake rather than muffins. LMK how it goes!
Oh goodness, this looks amazing! I would so get addicted to this ;)
Peanut butter, honey, buttermilk…streusel! (And only one bowl to clean!) Yes, please. :D
This cake is a work of art!
Work of art…as I blush, but thank you! And for the pin, too! :)
So jealous of all the lucky people at Big Potluck who got to try this! I love the idea of a pb honey cake sweetened only with honey and um yeah omg chocolate chips
I can only imagine the amount of pressure you felt, but you went above and beyond… this cake sounds phenomenal!!
Yes, it was like studying for finals. Except I was cooking for foodies :)
I would have been feeling the pressure too if 100+ foodies were going to eat my cake. I think you represented, though. This cake looks delicious!
Yes, it was like studying for finals. Except I was cooking for foodies. No pressure or anything :)
Looks like another home run recipe, Averie. Buttermilk certainly does work a magic in breads and cakes…Like your cinnamon crusted bread which I made and turned out great! Thank you for your do-able and delicious recipes =)
So happy to hear you made the cinnamon crusted bread and it turned out great! Thanks for LMK!
All I can say is WOW. Seriously, this sounds like something I would make and then eat all of and then have to fib about how I dropped it on the ground and that’s what happened to the rest of it because it’s not like I ate the entire thing by myself in one sitting. Nope not at all.
I am DEFINITELY making this the next time my lady friends and I have a shindig, it looks amazing!
Well if you try it, please LMK! And you can totally pass it off as a slave-away kind of cake, but it takes 5 mins :)
Oh yum!!! Do you think that recipe could successfully be cut in half to yield 9″ square cae?
I think you’d be safe! The other thing is that it would probably freeze just fine; make the whole thing, and keep half out, freeze the other half (well-wrapped in clingwrap and put inside a ziplock bag is how I freeze cakes/brownies). LMK if you try it!
I simply can’t handle the streusel topping on this beautiful cake! Like, why bother with the cake, just sit there with a spoon and eat all the toppings off! I can’t believe you were able to restrain nibbles while you were photographing! Tough cookie! This is a fantastic choice for a potluck and I am sure it was a huge hit. I am so making this! YUM!
It was so hard to refrain!
Looks beautiful Averie! I love anything that calls for a heaping of streusel topping!
This is a lovely stunner Averie! I love the honey and peanut butter. It doesn’t get better than that.
Sounds totally heavenly! This is one I will have to make right away. :)
well, it looks as if you were up to the challenge; what a cake
I see this on my breakfast table sometime soon
Oh gosh Averie – now I want to make another buttermilk cake! lol Peanut butter??? I love that addition. And streusel is definitely my favorite topping for cake. I tend to pick it off to eat it all as well … bad habit : )
Yep! This was the cake I mentioned! Glad you saw it!
So glad to see this, Averie! I saw pictures of it from others that attended Big Potluck and was in anticipation of getting the recipe. The streusel on a cake instead of frosting – such a fun idea!
Really?! You saw it! Well, that’s cool! And here it is :) The only post I had seen of it was Amanda’s!
Love the new look girl!
I need to get a re-do and soon.
Fabulous looking cake too!
That streusel should be sold to the masses as is! Tasty!
Thanks – blog makeovers are one of those things that you feel so good about when they’re DONE! :)
My blog is going to soon become a “let me make all of Averie’s amazing recipes” blog, lol. I want to make everything you feature, including this beautiful, simple and homey cake. You had me at “one bowl” ;) The flavour profile can’t be beat – I love peanut butter too and those big crumbs on top are calling my name.
You’re so sweet, Nancy! Thanks for the nice words and all your support and wish I could have shared this with you!
Your cake is gorgeous Averie and the crumb looks fab. I love the chocolate and peanut butter streusel!
It reminds me of yours that you posted! This is the one I told you about that I had made for Potluck when you posted yours! (mine really was already made..we probably made them the same weekend :))
Oh wow! You have done it again!
I love anything with peanut butter.
Just beautiful to look at girl!
Hope to make it and SOON!
This looks amazing, and I really want to try making it! Just one thing… what temperature do I set the oven at? I’ve looked over this post several times and can’t seem to find any mention of baking temperature…
Sorry about that! 350F. Just updated the post! If you try the cake, LMK! :)
Remember how I saying that I need to cut back on the cookies/bars/breads? I don’t think I can continue to read your blog if I do that. Now….to make pb choco chip cookies or something like this? Or just the streusel?
I WANT that streusel.
(trying the other email in that field…)
And just had a different comment plug-in installed so hopefully you get it!
The streusel was it’s own beautiful thing on this cake :)
Averie, oh my goodness! Not only do I wish I went to the big potluck to have met you, but I would have LOVED to taste this cake! Sweetened with only honey, huh? I am so intrigued! You are right, I’ve never seen a recipe like that on your website before – it’s fun to test around with different sweeteners! You know what would be so good? Maybe a maple-buttermilk cake like this. Yum! I’m digging all the buttermilk I see in your baked goods. I just got into it and am loving it! PB with chocolate + buttermilk + honey = great way to represent the book, girl. :)
PS: pinned!
Thanks for the pin!
And yes a maple-buttermilk cake like this…well don’t you know, I happen to have made a few things like this recently :) Just haven’t blogged about them. Great minds think alike!
And one day, we HAVE to meet!! :)
I’m having a late-afternoon sugar rush, and this post just kicked it into high gear! Amazing, as always, Averie!
Glad I can help out :)
Sounds perfect! I made a honey-sweetened cake not too long ago, and it was really refreshing just how mellow it was! I love that you could totally get away with serving it for breakfast too ;)
And yes, peanut butter and chocolate are the perfect toppings. Love this!
totally could get away with it as breakfast food :)
Wow, that is stunning! Will be putting this on my to-bake list. Pinning! Lovely post…
Thanks for pinning!
This looks amazing Averie! I love your new blog logo as well :-)
Thanks – it was a whole makeover too with tons of new functionality! I explained it all here https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/05/weekend-things-6.html Will make things easier for readers!
Hi Averie
What type of honey did you use in this recipe.
Just an average honey from Trader Joe’s…nothing fancy. Clover honer. Nothing like a Manuka or ‘high grade’ honey; just very basic.
Yum! I’ve made a similar cake before and it was spectacular. I might have to try this one for comparison now.
Great logic :)
This cake looks packed with PB and chocolate goodness – love it!!
This cake looks wonderful! I love how you added honey to the batter instead of sugar.
This looks amazing and I wish I had a slice for dessert right now! And I love that pretty floral plate…
Super lucky find at the thrift store about a year ago!
LOVE the new design!! And this cake is awesome :)
Thanks, Katrina, I’m loving it too!
Looks great and gorgeous pictures. And wow, so much dessert inspiration here! I usually start with a basic raw vegan chocolate walnut cake for parties and potlucks and tweak it slightly for the occasion or holiday.
Thanks for saying hi, Christine! Hope you’re doing great and thanks for the compliments :)
This is one of the yummiest looking things I’ve laid eyes on lately (and I’ve seen a lot). That streusel is just killing me! I’d be hard-pressed not to eat that right out of the bowl, too. That was a great choice for The Big Potluck! I agree, you can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.
Thanks for the opening line and compliments in your comment! :)
This looks so good! I love the streusel top instead of a traditional icing. Definitely will pinning this to make soon enough, thank you!
I’m sure this cake was a winner at the potluck!!! Can’t wait to try this.
Thanks Erika & LMK if you do!
After being stumped on what kind of cake to make you certainly ended up with an awesome one!
Thank you! :)
I love how you did a streusel on top of this divine cake! I actually LOVE potlucks! Maybe because I get to choose what to contribute to the party, too…which is my favorite part, of course! I can’t wait to bake this!
You made me giggle when you mentioned about the wine! Course, any parties in my area DO NOT have any of those fabulous beverages just lying around…does living in UTAH explain it? (Even when I host an event, my guests would gasp if I served anything like that!) Have a great day, Averie!
Oh wow, they would have gasped plenty then at this event. Lots of wine flowing :)
And I actually love potlucks b/c it gives me a chance to cook something I wouldn’t likely cook ‘just for us’. Although this cake isn’t big, just a 9×13, I would never just make a cake like this for me, hubs, and our 6 yr old. This was a fun excuse to bake a bigger cake and one that I wouldn’t have done on my own otherwise!
I’ve seen Amanda’s pic of the cake and was hoping you would eventually share the recipe. And here it is in all it’s glory! So pretty and springy! Pinning!
Oh how interesting and fun you saw! Yep, here it is :)
Peanut butter, chocolate, and a streusel topping all sounds like a match made in heaven! My birthday is coming up and I think I need to make this for my birthday instead of a traditional cake!
It would make a great bday cake IMO! Happy early Bday!
Since this cake has streusel, I think it can be called coffee cake. And if it is coffee cake, then it is acceptable to eat for breakfast. So, this means I can eat peanut butter and chocolate for breakfast! Fantastic. My favorite part about this recipe is the streusel. I’m a sucker for frosting, but this steusel looks mighty fine on this cake. And the fact that it is a chocolate peanut butter version makes it that much more irresistible. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
I love your logic for sure :)
This cake… oh this cake is amazing, Averie! I just made cookies with peanut butter and honey last week and am now obsessed with the combo.
Can’t wait to try this. I love peanut butter and honey, preferably on toast so they get all melty and gooey. Quick question – you have butter listed in the ingredients but I don’t see where it goes in the recipe?
Also, my sister-in-law got me your book, at my request, for my birthday and I’m very impatiently awaiting its arrival. Can’t wait to bake my way through it!
That’s so awesome of your SIL and I appreciate your support!!
Butter – I just edited the post! With the buttermilk, butter, and peanut butter. (lots of butters going on there – ha!) LMK if you try the cake or recipes from my book once you get it! Thanks again!
Oh I like this idea. I’m not really a big cake eater. I do, however, love a good Italian Cream cake. I guess it’s the typical white or chocolate cakes I don’t really care for. But one with lots of spices and cream cheese frosting? Now we’re talking! This looks more grown up – I’m thinking it’d be perfect for a brunch.
It would be perfect for a brunch, too! And I could go for an Italian Cream cake right now!
This cake looks amazing Averie! Love choc. & PB together! It must have been so hard not being able to taste it while you were taking the pics because I know I would have been tempted too!
Supremely hard!!
I do believe I just fell off my chair. Chocolate peanut butter cake with streusel?!?!? My mind cannot handle this. I love your picture of the cake out of the pan with the pieces around it. And your pictures make want to take all that streusel and face plant. The colors and flavors are so beautiful Averie. This is so being pinned!
And thanks for the pin! And the photography compliments! I was happy the way they turned out!
That cake is so YOU I think it was a perfect decision to bring to the potluck. I bet there were no leftovers. ;)
Even with tons!!!! of food at the event, only 2 little small squares! The food/quantity was like being on a cruise ship…epic and never-ending!
Sounds like a crowd pleaser for sure! I also love sweetening desserts with honey – it’s a great way to bake without white or brown sugar!
I love pb cake so much. I have been looking for a new and improved recipe, so I can’t wait to try this. I bet it was a huge hit at the potluck!
Yay…can’t wait to try this one!!! It looks amazing! Pinned! :-)
Oh mercy, Averie! This creation looks so amazingly delicious!!! I love that you used honey in this. Yum!!!
I love the ingredients in this cake. The honey and buttermilk must make it pretty moist! And seriously, the chocolate peanut butter streusel? Can that be its own meal? :)
I really wanted it to be it’s own meal :)
Um..this cake looks and sound like a winner! for one it sounds so easy! yes!! But then it is also peanut butter and chocolate!!! Wow!! I want it now!
I am sure everyone at the potluck went crazy for it!
There was soooooo much food there but there were only 2 little squares of cake left so I take it as a good sign!
One bowl & prepped and baked in 30 minutes – now that’s a cake I can get behind! I’m sure everyone loved the cake. And I love that you used honey to sweeten it. I’ve been doing that recently with other recipes, but haven’t yet tried it with a cake. You’ve inspired me!
Yet ANOTHER reason why I wish I had gotten to go to the potluck!! Not only would I have met you, but I would have gotten a slice of this awesomeness!
Peanut butter & honey? The combination makes me want to faint with joy! I also love the streusel and your logic…I’m not much of a cake-icer myself! :)
Averie, this cake sounds amazing! And it’s SO awesome that these only take 1 bowl and 5 minutes. You’re incredible! Will definitely be giving this a try!
Easy-peasy, yes!
Love the PB instead of butter in the streusel–never thought to do that! I would have had a hard time leaving that topping alone too! When it comes to frosting and streusel, I always make a little extra to taste for “quality control purposes” (ok–who am I kidding–you know that is my favorite part!!). PB, buttermilk and honey sounds like a good trio for a cake–honey has a certain richness all it’s own.
You and me both with the streusel being the favorite part :)
I can totally imagine you having a problem with picking a recipe for cake, you made so many goodies :) 30 minutes one sounds good to me. And I love the little plate on 1st picture, so pretty.
Thank you! I found it at a thrift store about a year ago and it was dirty cheap and a lucky find!
You had me at peanutbutter! I am loving this cake! I bet it taste so good with a cup of coffee!
I’m sure it would! I washed it down with some wine at the event I was at :)
Oh my gosh, I love streusel, and never had thought of using peanut butter in it! Genius.
I love peanut butter. I love chocolate. and I LOVE peanut butter and chocolate together. I am so making this! Thank you for another awesome recipe, Averie!
Ok great! Please LMK if you try it and how it goes!
I absolutely loved peanut butter and honey sandwiches as a kid. I loved having them in my lunch box because the honey would sometimes seep into the bread in places, making crystallized patches of deliciousness. This cake sounds just lovely. A cup of sweet English tea would be just perfect with it.
PB & Honey sandwiches…wow, I haven’t had one of those in years (although I make my own honey-roasted PB all the time!) I need one now! :)