Not being able to eat peanut butter or nuts does not mean you can’t enjoy that peanut butter flavor!!! Meet the Chocolate Wow Butter Cake! This cake has layers of soft chocolate cake surrounded by creamy smooth wow butter buttercream. Topped with chocolate ganache and more wow butter buttercream…this cake is a dream. Best part is, it’s gluten free, nut free, egg free and easily vegan!
As I’ve said in my other posts using wow butter, this product is truly wonderful.
We can’t have any nuts in my house so wow butter allows us to feel like we’re still enjoying that peanut butter flavor without any of the risk.
And the combo of flavors here. Chocolate and that peanut butter-like flavor??
Oh. So. Delicious.
For more Wow Butter Recipes, try my Wow Butter Sandwich Cookies, Wow Butter Chocolate Tart and my Wow Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
WHAT IS WOW BUTTER?
For those of you that don’t know, Wow Butter is a nut free butter spread that is made in a gluten free, tree nut free, peanut free, egg free and dairy free facility.
In addition, it also contains no seeds and is made of soy.
Wow Butter is perfect for my household since my kids have issues will all those items aside from dairy (finally) and soy.
I am lucky enough to have this product in my local grocery store, but you can also buy it on amazon.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A NUT ALLERGY? CAN I USE PEANUT BUTTER?
Yes! If you don’t have any nut allergies, you can use creamy peanut butter in place of the wow butter.
Simply replace the wow butter in the recipe for equal amounts of creamy peanut butter and there you have it!
TIPS FOR MAKING CHOCOLATE WOW BUTTER CAKE
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Mix the dry ingredients- In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- Make 3 wells for the wet ingredients- Pour the liquid ingredients, minus the water, into the 3 wells.
- Pour cold water on top of everything- Do this prior to mixing.
- Mix everything together and divide batter evenly in two 8 inch cake pans- Use a whisk to combine. Once it gets too thick, use a spatula and scoop the batter evenly into the pans and bake.
- Let the cakes cool completely before cutting them in half- This recipe makes 2 layers of cake in 8 inch pans.
- Once the cakes have completely cooled, slice the cakes in half horizontally- Now you have 4 thin layers of cake.
FOR THE WOW BUTTER BUTTERCREAM
- Beat your butter or vegan baking stick with the wow butter- Before adding the other frosting ingredients, it’s best to beat the butter or vegan baking stick and wow butter until it’s smooth and creamy. About 2 min. Be careful not to over mix the wow butter. Also make sure the wow butter is room temperature. It has a tendency to seize up when cold or over mixed.
- Add in the other frosting ingredients- After the butter or vegan baking sticks are smooth and combined with the wow butter, beat in everything else until combined and smooth.
- Split your frosting up into 5 equal sections- This way you will use the exact same amount of frosting on each layer. You can save a little to decorate the top of the cake if you desire.
FOR THE GANACHE
- Place the chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl- Set them aside.
- Heat the heavy cream- Set it in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. When it simmers around the edges immediately pour over the chocolate chips.
- Let it sit- Do not whisk the heavy cream and chips yet! Let it sit for one minute and then whisk until combined and smooth.
FOR ASSEMBLY
- Frost one layer- Place one layer of cake on the bottom of the cake plate. Scoop ⅕ of the frosting on top and use an icing spatula to spread it around.
- Repeat the process- Place another layer of cake on top and repeat this same process. Do this with 3 layers of cake.
- Keep the sides thin- Once you get to the top layer, use an icing spatula to frost the top and a thin layer on the sides. This will be a semi naked cake.
- Use a cake scraper- Or use a large icing spatula to scrape the icing off the sides so it’s a super thin layer. Pop the entire cake in the fridge uncovered for 15 min so it is more stable to work with.
- Make the ganache- While the cake is chilling in the fridge, now is the time to make the ganache.
- Do the ganache drip- Take the cake out of the fridge. Spoon almost all of the liquid ganache on top of the cake. Take an icing spatula and push the ganache around to the edges of the cake so it drips down the sides. Work quickly because the cold cake will quickly stop the ganache from dripping too much.
- Decorate the top- If desired, put the rest of the wow butter buttercream into a piping bag and make little swirls or dollops all around the edge of the top of the cake.
CAN THIS WOW BUTTER CHOCOLATE CAKE BE VEGAN?
Yes! Absolutely!
Follow these simple steps to make sure this cake is vegan:
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure to use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Read the label on your chocolate chips to ensure they’re gluten free, nut free and vegan.
- Use a vegan heavy cream or if nuts aren’t an issue, I have used almond breeze almond milk (prior to my nut allergic son being born) and it worked beautifully.
- Wow Butter is gluten free and vegan but if using another product, make sure to read the label.
I can’t get enough of this amazing cake. The flavors blended together so beautifully. You’d never ever know it’s gluten free, nut free, egg free, and easily vegan! Enjoy!

Chocolate Wow Butter Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups gluten free flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup cocoa powder I use ¼ cup Dutch or Natural Unsweetened and ¼ cup Dark
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups cold water
For the buttercream:
- 2 sticks 1 cup softened unsalted butter or vegan baking stick
- 1 cup room temperature wow butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
For the ganache drip:
- 6 oz about 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream * see note
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 8 inch cake pans with vegetable oil, line with parchment paper and then lightly grease again with vegetable oil.
- In a large bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
- Make 3 wells in the dry ingredients.
- In the first well, pour the vegetable oil.
- In the second well, pour the white vinegar.
- In the third well, pour the vanilla.
- Pour the cold water over everything and whisk together until just combined. If it starts getting thick, use a spatula instead of a whisk.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two 8 inch pans and smooth the tops with a butter knife.
- Bake in the center rack of the oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cake cool completely in pans. Once cool remove from pans and transfer to a cooling rack. Slice both cakes in half horizontally to create 4 thin layers of cake.
- Make the buttercream: In a large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the softened butter or vegan baking stick and wow butter until just combined. Be careful not to over beat because wow butter has a tendency to seize up. Add in the vanilla and beat till combined.
- Add in the confectioners’ sugar and water and beat till combined and smooth and creamy.
- Divide frosting into 5 equal servings.
- Assemble the cake: Place one layer of cake on the cake stand. Take ⅕ of the frosting and frost the top. Place another layer of cake on top and repeat. Do this process 3 times.
- Frost a thin layer of frosting on the top of the cake and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper or an icing spatula to scrape excess frosting off the sides of the cake. This should be a semi naked cake. Save the excess for decorating if desired. Pop in the fridge uncovered for 15 min to harden.
- Make the ganache: Place chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl. Place heavy cream in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the edges begin to simmer. Immediately pour on top of chips and do NOT mix! Let sit 1-2 min then whisk until fully combined and smooth.
- Take the cake out of the fridge. Spoon almost all of the liquid ganache on top of the cake. Take an icing spatula and push the ganache around to the edges of the cake so it drips down the sides. Work quickly since the cold cake will harden the ganache fast.
- If desired, put the rest of the wow butter buttercream into a piping bag and pipe swirls or dollops all around the edge of the top of the cake. Pop cake in the fridge for 15 min so the ganache hardens before wrapping the cake.
- Store cake in the fridge under a dome or wrapped in foil until ready to serve. When ready to serve, let the cake sit out for about 15-20 min prior to cutting. Wrap any extra slices in foil and store in the fridge. Enjoy!
- *NOTE: To keep vegan, use a vegan heavy cream or if nuts aren’t an issue, almond breeze almond milk has worked beautifully when making ganache.
John
Chocolate Wow Butter Cake sure does look amazing! What an easy recipe to follow!
Lee
Thanks so much!
Ellen
I have a question . I am going to make this . It looks so delicious. If someone has a nut allergy can you use Almond milk? If not what kind
Thank you
Lee
Hi Ellen! Thank you for the kind words! Definietly don't use almond milk if there is a nut allergy. If the person can have dairy, you can just use regular whole milk. If the person is dairy free, use another non dairy milk of choice that does not contain nuts. Let me know if the person is dairy free. I'm working on another chocolate ganache that does not need heavy cream or vegan heavy cream. xox
Jenny
Would I use smooth peanut butter instead of wow butter ?
Lee
Hi Jenny! Yes...you can replace the wow butter with smooth peanut butter!
Rocío
Hola! Que Harina usaste? Porque hay varias!
O usaste premezcla para pastelería?
Muchas gracias
Lee
Hola! Use cup4cup en esta receta. Es seguro para mis hijos porque no contiene gluten ni nueces. Sin embargo, contiene lácteos.
Usha
Canni make this using AP flour
Lee
Hi you can, yes! However I cannot test the recipe using regular flour as my daughter has celiac disease and my entire house is gluten free.
Esther
Hi Lee! Thank you for such delicious recipes. May I ask which ingredients replaced the eggs?
Lee
Hi Esther! Thank you! Actually this recipe does not have your typical "egg replacer." It is made without eggs or dairy naturally!