Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Heather Baird
This Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is both easy to make and irresistibly delicious! You’ll need 4 large overripe bananas for this recipe, which will yield the 2 cups of mashed banana needed for this recipe.Use shelf-stable peanut butter for the frosting.
1 hour 30 minutes cool/chill time 1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total Time 2 hourshrs25 minutesmins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16
Equipment
8" cake pans (3)
Decorator piping bag
large closed star decorator piping tip Ateco 849
Ingredients
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake Layers
1cupunsalted butterroom temperature
1 1/2cupsgranulated sugar
1/2cuplight brown sugarpacked
3large eggs
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
3cupsall-purpose flour
2teaspoonsbaking soda
2teaspoonkosher salt
2cupsmashed overripe bananasabout 4 large bananas
1cupsour cream
1 2/3cupsmini chocolate chipsone 10 oz. bag
Peanut Butter Frosting
1cupunsalted butterat room temperature
2cupscreamy peanut butter
1 1/2cupspowdered sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1cupsemisweet chocolate chips
2-3tablespoonsmini chocolate chips
Instructions
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake Layers
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray and line bottom of pans with parchment rounds.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl. Beat in vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients. Combine on low speed until just incorporated. Add the mashed bananas and sour cream. Beat until just combined. Beat in the mini chips on low speed.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Smooth evenly.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick tester inserted near the centers of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Peanut Butter Frosting
Combine the butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric fitted with the whip attachment. Beat until well combined. Add the powdered sugar. Mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract. Beat for 2-3 minutes until a fluffy buttercream forms.
Assembly
Place a cake layer on a serving plate or cake board. Place about 2/3 cup of the buttercream on top; spread evenly on the cake. Add the second cake layer on top of the first; repeat frosting step. Top with the third cake layer and cover the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of frosting. Place leftover frosting (about 3/4 cup to 1 cup) in a piping bag fitted with a large closed star decorator tip (Ateco #849); set aside. Refrigerate cake until firm, about 30-45 minutes.
Using a tailor's measuring tape as a guide, evenly space chocolate chips around the bottom edge of the cake in 1" increments. Continue pressing rows of chocolate chips into the sides of the cake, staggering them slightly above the previous row, until the entire outside of the cake is adorned with rows of chips.
Using the bag of leftover buttercream, pipe a border of swirls around the top edge of the cake. Immediately sprinkle the swirls with mini chocolate chips.
Notes
What to expect: This cake is supremely moist, reminiscent of banana bread but perhaps not as dense. It’s studded with mini chips throughout the sponge which offers a touch more sweetness. The peanut butter frosting is rich but not overly sweet. Overall the cake is flavorful and easy to make.How to Quickly Ripen Bananas
Oven Method: Preheat oven to 300°F. Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes (sometimes longer depending on the level of under-ripeness) until the skins turn completely black. Remove the bananas and cool before handling. Peel and mash bananas for this recipe.
Microwave Method: Place unpeeled bananas on a microwave-safe plate. Use a knife to poke holes in the skins to allow steam to escape (don't skip this step or they will explode!). Microwave at 100% power for 30 seconds. The skins should begin to develop dark spots. Continue to microwave in 30 second increments, checking the progress by monitoring the color. Also use a thick towel or pot holder to gently squeeze the bananas. They should be very soft. The bananas are ripened with the skins are completely blackened and feel soft when gently squeezed.