Peanut Butter Pudding Cake

This layered peanut butter dessert is the kind of thing that disappears at potlucks before you can get a second piece. Four distinct layers stack up in a baking dish: a crunchy peanut-butter shortbread crust on the bottom, a creamy cream cheese and peanut butter filling, a thick layer of mixed chocolate and vanilla pudding, and a cloud of whipped topping on top.

The crust is the only part that sees the oven. Chopped peanuts, flour, and butter pressed into the pan and baked until golden creates a sandy, nutty base that stays crisp even under all those creamy layers. Everything above it is no-bake: the cream cheese layer gets its structure from the peanut butter and powdered sugar, while the instant pudding sets up firm on its own.

Kitchen Tips

• Cool the baked crust completely before adding layer 2. Warm crust melts the cream cheese mixture and the layers bleed together.
• Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese layer gently. Over-mixing deflates it and the layer becomes dense instead of fluffy.
• Mix both pudding flavors together with the milk for a marbled chocolate-vanilla layer. Or keep them separate and pour side by side for a striped effect.
• Chill for 2 to 3 hours minimum. The pudding needs time to set firmly so the layers hold when sliced.

Variations

• Use chocolate peanut butter in the cream cheese layer for a triple-chocolate peanut butter experience.
• Swap the vanilla pudding for butterscotch pudding for a Reese’s-inspired flavor combination.
• Top with a drizzle of hot fudge sauce and crushed peanut butter cups instead of grated chocolate.