This giant chocolate peanut butter banana cake is sure to check all of your dessert must have boxes.
We are back with another over the top, slightly lopsided cake! One day we will learn to properly level our layers so our cakes stand straight…maybe 2020 will be our year.
We don’t love bananas, BUT, we have learned that we can tolerate them if they are combined with other things that we like. Hence, the chocolate and peanut butter and the chocolate ganache sandwiched in between the layers.
This cake is big. Real big. It is definitely going to feed a crowd. It is also very rich. But, that is how we like our dessert! We went more subtle with the banana and peanut butter flavors but you can always add an extra banana to the cake batter and some more peanut butter to the buttercream. It is all up to you!
You can also feel free to just not make the banana layers at all and just make a smaller chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting or a banana cake with peanut butter frosting. YOU HAVE OPTIONS.
Definitely give this cake a try if you are looking to make something a little different for your next event!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup coffee, brewed
Banana cake
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 bananas ripe
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Peanut butter buttercream
- 4 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 8 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 TBS vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
Chocolate ganache
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips semi sweet
Instructions
Chocolate cake
- Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 – 8 inch pans with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and extracts and mix until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl
- In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Turn the mixer to low and alternate between adding the milk and the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix until everything is combined.
- Slowly add in the coffee
- Divide the batter between the 2 pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
Banana cake
- Line 2-8 inch pans with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs in one at at time. Scarpe down the sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, take the 3 bananas and mash them until smooth. Once smooth and them and the vanilla to the batter.
- Beat in sour cream.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the batter. Mix until smooth
- Divide batter between cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool in pans for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Peanut Butter Buttercream
- Beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar until combined. Add in vanilla. Continue to beat until light and fluffy.
Chocolate Ganache
- Microwave heavy cream until boiling. Stir in chocolate chips and then place in the fridge or freezer to cool. We found it quickest to pour out the ganache onto a baking sheet and place in the freezer to quickly thicken the ganache so it is spreadable.
Assembly
- Level your cake layers once cooled completely. Place a cake layer down and pipe a rim of buttercream around the outside. Fill the inside of the cake rim with chocolate ganache. Cover the ganache with more buttercream. Place another cake layer on top and repeat process with remaining layers. When you cake is completely stacked, cover the whole thing with buttercream.