Chocolate Peanut Butter 1/2 Birthday Bundt Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter 1/2 Birthday Bundt Cake

There are a lot of "lasts" around here. As in, last time we'll do something before Jack leaves for college. Last outing to a baseball game, last time eating out at a favorite restaurant, last haircut. Yesterday I was close to tears in the grocery store as I was buying the ingredients for making "last" enchiladas. (Side note: if you see me in the grocery store in the next two weeks, do not approach.)

Chocolate Peanut Butter 1/2 Birthday Bundt Cake |

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake is the last 1/2 birthday cake before Jack leaves for school. You can tell by the photo that I was piling ALL the feelings on the top of this cake. Gobs of frosting, peanut butter cups, Nutter Butter cookies...all the feelings.

Read more about our half birthday traditions and recipes here.

You'll have to excuse the lack of process shots here. I made this at night, so Jack could take half of it to work with him bright and early on his 1/2 birthday.

Chocolate Peanut Butter 1/2 Birthday Bundt Cake |

The batter is simple. It gets divided in two, then chocolate gets added to one half and peanut butter in the other. The batter is scooped by the spoonful into the pan, then swirled.

The whole cake is topped with a chocolate peanut butter frosting. (Go ahead and hide all of the spoons in your house if you want any actually ON the cake.) On top of the frosting goes chopped peanut butter cups and Nutter Butter cookies.

half birthday traditions

It's a little over the top. It's a lot good. (Please ignore that last sentence. You know what I mean.)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

for the cake:
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk, room temperature
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup creamy peanut butter

for the frosting:
1 cup salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
5 cups powdered sugar
6-8 tablespoons milk
5 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped into fourths
6 Nutter Butter Cookies, large chop

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a large Bundt pan.

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla.

Add the flour on low speed in three additions, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour. Beat just until combined.

Scoop 3 1/2 cups of the batter into another bowl. Stir the melted chocolate into one bowl and the peanut butter into another.

Spoon the batters by heaping spoonfuls into the prepared Bundt pan. Once filled about 3/4 full (you may have extra batter depending on your Bundt pan), use a table knife to gently swirl the batters in the pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, invert the cake onto the cooling rack and let rest 1 minutes. Lift off the pan and let the cake cool completely before frosting.

make the frosting:
Cream the butter and peanut butter together until completely smooth. Beat in the cocoa powder. On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon milk. Beat until fluffy. Add more milk or powdered sugar as needed to adjust consistency.

Spoon frosting into a large pastry bag and snip the tip to make a large opening. Pipe over the cake. Place chopped peanut butter cups and cookies on top of the frosting. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

If you've sent a child to college, were you paying attention to all of the "lasts" before they left? Am I crazy? (Don't answer that.)



  1. Super clever and fun tradition! I have to ask... what do you do with the other half?

    1. We always give the other half away. :) Amazon has some great 1/2 cake boxes:

  2. Mine leaves on the 13th, the closer it gets the more teary I get. I can't even... empty nest, broken heart, excited for her, but trying to breathe :(

  3. I am with you and Cocoa Mom! My second and last leaves Aug 12 and the tears are flowing. At college orientation they told the parents you don't have a front row seat to your child's life anymore (sob). It's a big transition for parents and the child moving to adulthood. Bridget, your son will get some yummy care packages!

  4. Oh Bridget!
    Just a couple more years and I'll be in this same place!
    Sending hugs to you, sweet friend. Jack is one lucky young man to have you for a mom.
    Oh and by the way, this creation is absolutely amazing!

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