Wow Butter Cake

Peanut butter flavor made with no nuts at all?! No you’re not dreaming, that’s this Wow Butter Cake! This beautiful semi naked cake has layers of soft vanilla cake, surrounded by soft wow butter buttercream. It’s then topped with a chocolate ganache and buttercream balls rolled in mini chocolate chips. It’s heavenly and no one would ever know it’s gluten free, nut free, seed free, egg free and easily dairy free (vegan). 

My son is allergic to many things including peanut butter, tree nuts and seeds. 

Therefore, I am unable to use nut and seed butters in place of peanut butter.

That’s where wow butter comes in. It’s made with soy and it’s so easy to bake with!

I use it in place of peanut butter all the time!

It allows us to feel as though we’re still enjoying that peanut butter flavor without any of the risk. 

In this cake, the wow butter combined with the soft vanilla cake and the touch of chocolate are flavors that will just blend beautifully in your mouth. 

My favorite part of this cake is that soft wow butter buttercream; it’s so addicting!

If you prefer a chocolate cake instead of vanilla, make sure to check out my Chocolate Wow Butter Cake. 

If you want more recipes made with wow butter, try my Chocolate Wow Butter Spread, Chocolate Wow Butter Cookie Bark and No-Bake Chocolate Wow Butter Bars!

Jump to:

• Ingredient Notes
• Substitutions and Variations
• How to Make Wow Butter Cake
• Expert Baking Tips 
• Recipe FAQs
• Storing and Freezing 
• Other Cakes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe
• Wow Butter Cake

Ingredient Notes

• Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this one because it’s nut safe but it does contain dairy.
• Milk of Choice- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non dairy, use a non dairy milk of your choosing. 
• Light brown sugar- It will be mixed with the wet ingredients.
• Vegetable Oil- This vanilla cake contains no butter or vegan baking stick, so vegetable oil is needed.
• Unsalted Butter or Vegan Baking Sticks- Use 1 cup softened, not melted, in the buttercream frosting. We will melt the remainder for the ganache drip. 
• Wow Butter- Use 1 full cup of this at room temperature. It has a tendency to seize up when cold.
• Water- Room temperature is best for the buttercream. 
• Mini Chocolate Chips- Make sure they’re gf/nf and vegan if making the cake vegan. I use these.

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

This recipe has not been tested with these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!

How to Make Wow Butter Cake

Here are the step by step instructions to make this cake!

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 2: Whisk the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients and Brown Sugar

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk of choice, the light brown sugar, the vegetable oil and the vanilla. 

Step 4: Mix the Wet into the Dry Ingredients

Slowly add the milk mixture into the flour mixture and use a spatula to combine as it gets thick. 

Step 5: Bake

With a spatula, scoop half the batter into one pan and the other half into the other pan. Smooth the tops with a butter knife.

Bake both cakes in the center rack for 35 minutes.

Let them cool in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack. 

Step 6: Cut the Cakes

Once the cakes have cooled completely, cut them in half horizontally. Now you will have 4 thinner layers of cake. 

For the Buttercream

Step 1: Cream the Butter

In a large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the softened butter for about 2 min.

Step 2: Add in the Wow Butter

Add in the wow butter and beat with the butter until just combined. Be careful not to over beat because wow butter has a tendency to seize up. 

Step 3: Add in the rest of the Ingredients

Add in all the other frosting ingredients and beat until combined and smooth. 

Divide the frosting into 5 equal servings. 

For the Buttercream Balls

Step 1: Shape the Balls

Using a teaspoon, start making balls with ⅕ of the buttercream. I made 12. If the frosting is too sticky, add more confectioners’ sugar to only this ⅕ of the buttercream, a little at a time, until you’re able to shape the buttercream balls. 

Step 2: Roll the Balls in Chocolate Chips and Freeze

Pour ¾ cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips on a plate. Roll each buttercream ball into the chips covering them completely. 

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper, place the balls on the sheet and freeze until ready to use. 

Assemble the Cake

Step 1: Frost One Layer at a Time

Place one cake layer on the cake stand. Take ⅕ of the frosting and frost the top. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting. Repeat the frosting layer. Repeat this process 3 times.

Step 2: Frost the Top and Sides

Take the last layer of cake and put it bottom side up (or flat side up) so the top is nice and flat. Use an icing spatula to frost the top and a thin layer on the sides. You should only use ⅕ of your frosting on the top and sides. This is a semi naked cake.

Step 3: Scrape and Chill

Use a cake scraper or large icing spatula to scrape the icing off the sides of the cake so it’s a super thin layer. Pop the entire cake uncovered in the fridge for 15 min so it’s more stable to work with.

When the cake has only 5 min left in the fridge, make the ganache.

For the Ganache

Step 1: Heat the Butter and Chocolate Chips

Place chocolate chips and butter or vegan baking sticks together in a heat safe bowl. Microwave them together in 10 second increments, stirring after each time, until the chocolate chips and butter are fully melted and incorporated. This will take a few min.

Step 2: Spoon the Ganache on the Cake Quickly 

Immediately take the cake out of the fridge. Spoon almost all 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. 

Step 3: Add the Wow Butter Buttercream Balls

Take the buttercream balls out of the freezer and press them into the wet ganache around the edge of the cake. I used all 12. The balls will soften quickly. Do not try to bite into a frozen one. 

Expert Baking Tips 

• Do the Ganache Quickly- Work quickly because the cold cake will quickly stop the ganache from dripping too much.

Recipe FAQs

Storing and Freezing 

Storing 

Since gluten free baked goods are best the first day, we want to try to keep this as fresh as possible. 

Once the cake is cut into, if there is extra, it’s best to cut the entire cake into slices, wrap each slice in foil and store in a zip top bag in the fridge. 

This is if you will be eating all the slices the next day.

When ready to eat, let the slices sit on the counter, in the foil, for about an hour. 

Freezing 

If not eating all the extra slices the next day, take the slices wrapped in foil and in the zip top bag and freeze them. 

You can keep the slices frozen for up to 30 days.

When ready to eat, put the slices in the fridge the night before or leave them out on the counter for 2 hours prior to eating.  

Other Cakes You'll Love

Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!

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📖 Recipe