This PB&J Cake is Adorably Easy, No Fancy Decorating Skills Needed

There are two things I need to get off my chest right away:

As a child, I wasn’t a fan of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Also, I’m terrible at cake decorating.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s dive into this delightfully charming Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake. The idea for this creation came from a recent chat between my partner and me. It was one of those moments where we both had zero plans or energy, and the question was, 'What’s for dinner?' My partner, quite innocently, suggested making PB&Js.

I think my response was something like, 'Ew, no way.' Then I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of an adult craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner — or really, ever. I can’t quite remember what we ended up eating, but soon after, I started feeling a bit guilty for being so dismissive. I mean, there’s enough hardship in the world without me being a snob about combining nut butter and jam. And honestly, wouldn’t it be better if we all embraced our inner child a bit more often?

That probably wasn’t my exact train of thought, but it was along those lines, and that’s how the idea for this cake came to life. While I may never craft a ridiculously ornate cake covered in flowers, baubles, and intricate frosting designs, creating a cake that resembles a giant peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my PB&J-loving partner feels like a win.

What’s great about this cake is that it requires no special skills or fancy pans to make a giant PB&J sandwich for the peanut butter lovers in your life. You’re simply baking two layers of white cake (which acts as the 'bread'), slicing them into thinner layers, and then... well, you know how to build a sandwich. Of course, the peanut butter filling here is way tastier than the plain old Skippy or Jif that used to show up in your lunchbox.

Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake

While you don’t need any special ingredients or tools, there are a few key items you’ll need to make this cake come together:

Square Baking Pans

You’ll need two of these. Most layer cakes are baked in round pans, but to get that sandwich look, you’ll want to use pans typically reserved for brownies or cornbread. I used 8-inch square pans for this recipe, but 9-inch pans would work just as well.

A Serrated Knife

A longer one, like a standard bread knife, works best. That said, I actually used a shorter knife when making this cake at home, and it did the job just fine. The important thing is the serrated edge — it makes it much easier to (carefully) slice each square cake into two even layers (perfection isn’t necessary), as well as trim the top to give it that crusty white bread look. Also, you'll need it to cut the cake into two diagonal halves — perfect for those who like their sandwiches sliced.

A Large, Flat Plate

What sets a cake plate apart from a dinner plate, aside from its wider circumference, is that it’s completely flat across — sometimes with a raised edge. In contrast, dinner plates and most serving platters have a slight dip in the center. If you were to place your PB&J Cake on a large dinner plate, that dip would cause the cake to lose its shape, and slicing it would be more difficult. For the best presentation, assemble your cake on a flat plate that’s wide enough to support its size.

An Appetite for Fun

Not to sound too cheesy, but this cake is meant to be playful — no room for grumpy attitudes here. Part of what makes this cake so appealing visually is its slightly messy look. You don’t need cake decorating skills; what you really need is the ability to silence your adult self for a few minutes and pile on the peanut butter filling and jam, spreading it right to the edges of each layer so that when the layers are stacked, the PB&J oozes down the sides.

As you watch your cake effortlessly frost itself, take a moment to remember that you're never too old to have fun with your food. Don’t take it too seriously, folks.