Name: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (spoon & level method (219 g)); 1 tsp baking powder (5 g); ½ tsp baking soda (3 g); 1 tsp cinnamon; ½ tsp sea salt (3 g); ¼ cup butter (melted & cooled (57 g)); ¾ cup brown sugar (160 g); ¼ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (60 g); ½ cup creamy peanut butter (regular/non-natural (132 g)); 3 large bananas (mashed (about 1 ½ cups)); 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ⅔ cup jam (use your favorite kind); 6 tbsp All-purpose flour (47 g); 3 tbsp brown sugar (40 g); 3 tbsp chopped peanuts (30 g); ⅛ tsp sea salt; 2 tbsp melted butter (28 g); 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter

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This Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and your craving for childhood comforts. The peanut butter cake is nutty, sweet, and moistened with bananas, and it’s filled with a layer of strawberry jam. The whole cake is topped with a sweet and salty peanut crumble that you may want to eat by the handful.

This dessert also moonlights as a coffee cake, so enjoy it with your morning cup of java, as an afternoon snack, or as dessert at the end of your day!

Square of Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake shown from the top on a small white plate. Two strawberries line the top left of the plate and a gold fork rests on the bottom right.

Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake

It’s nostalgic. If you grew up in the United States, chances are you’ve had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The salty nuttiness of the peanut butter marries so well with the sweetness of the jam or jelly. We’re suckers for that flavor combo, and this cake is like an elevated version of PB & J sandwiches PLUS the best banana bread you’ve ever had.
It’s versatile. It’s kind of a crumb cake and it’s also kind of a coffee cake. Because it’s both, you can eat it for breakfast with your morning coffee or as dessert after a good meal!
It’s moist. We know, we know. Everyone hates that word. But this cake is anything but dry. The sour cream (or you can use Greek yogurt) and bananas in the batter keep the cake super moist and delicious.

Is it a Crumb Cake or a Coffee Cake?

What makes a cake a crumb cake? What about a coffee cake? Crumb cakes have a very thick layer of crumb baked on top of a layer of cake, with both layers about the same size. Coffee cakes are usually topped with a thinner layer of crumble or streusel. You can add a layer of jam either cake, or keep it bright with fresh fruit. Many coffee cakes also use sour cream or yogurt in the batter. Our Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake has a thin layer of crumble, a layer of jam in the middle, and sour cream in the batter, so we classify it as a coffee cake. Plus, it’s outstanding with a cup of coffee.

Close up side view of a square of Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake being held up by a hand.

Getting the Cake Right

This Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake is like a super jazzed up version of banana bread. Unlike most banana breads, this cake is baked in a square pan instead of a loaf pan to ensure that the bake is even and there is enough surface area for the crumble topping and jam layer.

We also highly recommend using “regular” or not natural peanut butter because it mixes more easily into the batter. We’ve tried using natural peanut butter in this cake but it doesn’t mix in as well and it makes the cake super dense. We like to use regular creamy peanut butter (we we prefer JIF brand), but if you only have natural, just be sure to mix it very well so that it incorporates more easily into your batter.

Ingredients in the Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake

Cake

All-purpose flour – measure the volume using the spoon and level method of measuring. Alternatively, you can weigh your flour for more accuracy.
Butter – use melted butter that has been slightly cooled.
Creamy peanut butter – we recommend using regular peanut butter (Skippy, JIF, or other brands) instead of natural peanut butter.
Mashed bananas – the riper the bananas, the better.
Brown sugar – we love the molasses notes of the brown sugar.
Sour cream or Greek yogurt – this gives the cake extra moisture and a little tang.
Eggs – eggs provide lift and stability.
Baking powder and baking soda – these help the cake rise and become nice and fluffy.
Vanilla extract – baked desserts almost always benefit from a little vanilla.
Cinnamon – this adds just the right amount of warmth.
Salt – you know what we’re going to say. Sweet treats need a little salt.
Jam – use your favorite store-bought brand and flavor (strawberry, blackberry, grape, etc.).

Peanut Butter Crumble

Melted butter – this helps bring the dry ingredients together.
Peanut butter – creamy peanut butter works best.
Chopped peanuts – chop them fairly small so they stick together with the rest of the crumble.
Flour – you’ll need a little all-purpose flour for the dry ingredients.
Brown sugar – just a little brown sugar will give the crumble some sweetness.
Pinch of salt – we like to amp up the savory flavor of the peanuts by adding just a pinch of salt.

Putting it All Together

Make and Assemble the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 x 8 square cake pan with butter and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang of parchment on a couple sides to help lift the cake out later.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar together. Mix in the yogurt and peanut butter, then the bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix them with the wet until combined.

Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared square pan, then spread the jam into a layer on top of the cake batter. Top the jam with the rest of the cake batter and even it out. Tip: if your jam is too thick to spread, you can warm it slightly in a pot or microwave to thin it out.

Make the Crumble and Top the Cake

Mix flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and crushed peanuts together in a bowl. Mix in the melted butter and peanut butter. The texture should be crumbly and not too dry or too wet, kind of like a stiff cookie dough. Sprinkle the crumble over the top of the cake until it’s in an even layer.

Bake and Serve the Cake

Bake the cake for 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 200°F (if the crumble is getting too dark, cover the cake with nonstick foil). Cut the cake into squares and enjoy!