Peanut Butter Ho Ho Cake

If you loved Ho Hos as a kid, this cake is the grown-up, peanut butter-loaded version. A devil’s food cake base gets topped with a thick, whipped peanut butter filling, then sealed under a glossy pour of melted chocolate frosting. Two layers, zero fuss, and it starts with a box mix.

The filling is the star. Creaming butter and shortening with sugar, then adding milk, flour, and peanut butter and whipping it until fluffy creates something between buttercream and peanut butter mousse. The shortening keeps it stable at room temperature while the butter provides flavor. Whip it longer than you think you need to. Five minutes of beating gets you that light, airy texture that spreads without dragging the cake apart.

Chilling the filling layer before pouring the frosting on top is critical. A warm or soft filling will mix into the chocolate and you’ll lose that clean two-layer effect. A few hours in the fridge firms it up.

The frosting trick is clever: microwave a can of chocolate frosting in short bursts until it’s pourable but not hot. Too warm and it’ll melt the chilled peanut butter layer underneath. Check every five to eight seconds. You want it just thin enough to flow and self-level.

Pro Tips

• Use room-temperature butter and milk so the filling whips up smoothly without lumps.
• The flour in the filling acts as a stabilizer. Don’t skip it or the filling won’t hold its shape.
• Pour the chocolate frosting starting from the center and let it flow toward the edges. Tilt the pan gently rather than spreading with a spatula, which drags the filling.
• Keep this cake refrigerated. The peanut butter filling softens quickly at room temperature.

Variations

• Use a yellow or white cake mix instead of devil’s food for a lighter base that lets the peanut butter shine more.
• Drizzle extra melted peanut butter over the set chocolate frosting for a marbled top.
• Sprinkle crushed peanuts or mini chocolate chips over the wet frosting before it sets.