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A delicious banana cake filled with natural peanut butter and sliced bananas, topped with a honey buttercream frosting.
Baking is hard! Well, at least writing a solid new baking recipe can be a bit of a challenge. Of course, there are basic recipes to use as guidelines when writing a new baking recipe. These recipes can be helpful when figuring out the standard amount of flour, baking powder, salt, butter, etc. to use. When you start changing or adding ingredients to your base, things can get a little tricky...and possibly explode (hopefully not!).
Well, a couple weeks ago I took some bananas home from a photo shoot. Taking leftover ingredients home from work has become my inspiration to write new recipes, just like my avocado cilantro Greek yogurt dip. Since the bananas had started to brown slightly, I was inspired to bake something with them.
I could have done something simple, like a delicious banana bread. But, me being me, I decided that just would not do. I needed to make something different and special. I needed to make a banana cake!
I made this cake FIVE times before I felt like it was ready to share with you awesome people! I had so many problems with it the first three tries. I guess I was trying to be too fancy. First, I tried some crazy momofuku milk bar inspired triple layered masterpiece with a peanut butter frosting, that ended up a major mess. Way too fussy and the cake was super dense and dry. So I gave up on the super tall cake.
I moved on to a sheet cake. Sheet cakes are fun, relatively simple, and bring back happy memories of after school snack time! I did have some issues with it at first. I wasn't getting enough banana flavor in the cake and was dealing with a sticky mess of peanut butter frosting. In the end I ended up with an awesome banana peanut butter cake topped with a delicious honey buttercream frosting.
Eating this cake is like eating a slice of banana bread topped with whipped butter, banana slices, peanut butter, and then drizzled with honey. So why didn't I just do that? Because turning that awesome flavor combo into a cake is super special and unexpected.
So if you have any banana bread lovers in the family, make this banana peanut butter cake for them! They're sure to love it. And as always, let me know in the comments if you made it!
Recipe
Banana Peanut Butter Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened, plus more for the pan
- 1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe banana plus 1 extra banana sliced into coins (about 6 bananas total)
- 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter room temperature
Frosting
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter 3 sticks, softened
- ¾ cup honey
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tbsp. heavy cream or whole milk
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking pan.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Place butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer fixed with the paddle attachment. On medium speed cream the butter and sugar together, stopping to scrape the sides as needed, until the mixture is uniform and a pale light brown color, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time beating them on medium speed until uniform.
- Add half of the flour mixture, and on low speed, mix until just combined. Add all of the mashed banana, and on medium speed, mix until just combined, scraping the sides as neded. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture.
- Transfer half of the batter to the baking pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Evenly top with the peanut butter and sliced bananas.
- Evenly top with the remaining cake batter, and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Bake for 26 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean (the top will be lightly browned and the edges will be a deep brown).
- Place the cake on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- When the cake is just about completely cooled, combine the butter and honey in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed until uniform.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until uniform.
- Dissolve the salt in the heavy cream and add to the sugar mixture.
- Gradually turn the speed of the mixer to high, and mix the buttercream, scraping the sides as needed, until it is white and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Amallia @DesireToEat says
wow, banana peanut butter cake...my favorite. One slice for me please. I just found your blog through Food Blogger Pro.
Michelle Ferrand says
Sweet Amallia! Yeah, this cake is super rich...and delivious!
So glad you found me, isn't Food Blogger Pro AMAZING!?!!
Vickie says
What's the secret to spreading the peanut butter evenly over the first layer of batter? Just dropping spoonfuls of it over the batter makes it sink down into the batter.
Michelle Ferrand says
Hi Vickie! I used the natural peanut butter from Trader Joe's and honestly, I just poured it onto the batter and the spread it around to make sure it was an even layer. There is enough oil in it naturally for it to be a good consistency for the pouring and spreading method.
If you end up using a thicker peanut butter when making it, I'd suggest whisking some canola or veggie oil into the peanut butter to thin it out a bit, or place dalops of the peanut butter evenly on the batter and use a skewer or knife to swirl it around evenly.
Callie says
MICHELLE! These photos are INCREDIBLE! What kind of camera are you using?! I am impressed! Congrats - you are getting real good, real fast!!! 🙂
Michelle Ferrand says
Thanks so much Callie!!! Your compliments mean the world to me 🙂
I am using the Canon Rebel T3i and the 100mm macro lens...I honestly have to give the credit to Christina's class I took back in March! I probably still wouldn't have any idea what I was doing without her class.
Lynnell Parker says
This cake is so yummy - everyone at the Parker Family Reunion gobbled it up!
Kathy MacDonald says
I love peanut butter & banana sandwiches so I'll probably really like this!
Sheri Fierro says
That looks so good...... Next time you make it you gotta bring some this way. I may have to try out this one though!!!
Michelle Ferrand says
I will! I will plan to make it sometime soon for you 🙂