Banana Cake With Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing. Are you looking for a cake that will feed a crowd? This recipe has you covered. It is simple to put together, has a great combo of flavors and it is perfect for a crowd.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Banana cake chocolate frosting works great for birthday parties and celebrations for a crowd.
- Great flavor combination! Banana + Chocolate + Peanut butter = A fantastic cake!
- Made with whole grain flour for a delicious nutty flavor and enhanced texture
If you love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, then check out this Instant Pot Peanut Butter Cheesecake or my Molten Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake.
Ingredients
There are two parts to this recipe. The banana cake and the homemade peanut butter chocolate icing. Here’s a highlight of the ingredients you need for both.
Banana Cake
- Whole wheat pastry flour: This flour comes from soft winter wheat which is lower in protein and gives your baked goods a more tender crumb.
- All-purpose flour: Baked goods made with whole wheat flour work best when used in combination with all-purpose flour too.
- Leaveners: Banana cake uses both baking powder and baking soda to make it light and fluffy.
- Bananas: Use fresh ripe bananas for making the cake.
- Buttermilk: Has an acidic component to it that activates the baking soda. It’s essential to the recipe. If you don’t have any you can make your own by adding 3 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar to three cups of regular milk and let it sit for five minutes.
- Fat: This cake recipe uses a combination of butter and oil. The butter contributes its rich flavor and they both work together to make a moist, tender cake.
- Sugar: I like to use a combination of white and brown sugar to sweeten the cake. The brown sugar contains a bit more moisture which works great in this cake.
- Spices and flavorings: The flavor of cinnamon enhances the flavor of the banana cake while vanilla extract gives it more warmth and depth of flavor.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Icing
- Butter: Gives the chocolate peanut butter frosting its creamy texture and rich flavor.
- Powdered sugar: Works best for icings and frostings making them creamier.
- Cocoa powder: Use high-quality cocoa powder for the best flavor.
- Peanut butter: You can use creamy or crunchy!! It is a pretty serious debate in our house but both work well.
How to Make Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Here’s an overview of the main steps for making banana cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting. Be sure to check the recipe card for all the details before you start baking.
Step 1: Make the Cake
- Combine the dry ingredients, both flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Combine the butter, oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Beat the butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy.
PRO TIP: The easiest method for beating is using a stand mixer or handheld mixer. You can do it by hand but it will be a good workout!
- Add in the bananas and mix again. You can mash them beforehand but if you’re using a mixer it’s more simple to throw them into the bowl and let the mixer do all the work.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix just long enough to combine them with the other ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix only until they come together. You don't want to overmix baked goods with whole wheat flour.
- Add the buttermilk, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the banana cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread carefully, but don't stress about it being completely flat, it will do this as it bakes.
- Bake the cake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. I like to underbake just a touch. Whole-grain baked goods can dry out quickly. It is good to underbake just a little.
- Allow the cake to cool before adding the icing. I like to add the icing while the cake is still a touch warm.
Step 2: Mix up the Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing
- Combine the butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder and mix. It will be dry but don't worry it will soften when we add the other ingredients.
- Add in the peanut butter and vanilla and continue to mix everything.
- Add milk as needed to the icing. This will depend on how soft you want your icing.
Helpful Kitchen Tools For Baking Cakes
Pan riser: When I have a big cake to make, I will almost always use my pan riser. Have you ever seen or used these? I use this one from Amazon and it makes baking large batches a cinch. I like to line my sheet pan with parchment, then add the riser. Then I spray the riser and pan with pan release. This makes for a quick, easy release when the cake is baked.
Grain mill: I buy my grains from Farm Fresh Wheat, a family-owned generational farm in Washington. Then I grind it in my Nutrimill Grain Mill.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Underbake the cake just a bit for moister cake. There is a process in cooking called carry-over cooking where residual heat in food continues the cooking process even after it has been removed from the heat source. If you cook the cake the whole way through it may end up dry.
- Don’t overmix the banana cake batter. The more it’s mixed the tougher the cake.
- Store the cake at room temperature for up to three days.
Banana Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing
This makes a large, amazing banana cake. It is perfect for dinner parties or other large gatherings, as it makes a half sheet pan size cake (13x18). It's a large cake! The chocolate peanut butter icing is the perfect addition. Plus, of course it is a whole grain recipe that does not taste like one!
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour You can use other whole wheat flours, but the whole wheat pastry creates such a tender crumb.
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup oil I used canola, but use whatever you prefer. Just make sure it is neutral flavored
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 6 bananas
- 6 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 cups buttermilk
Chocolate peanut butter icing
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy, your choice. It is a pretty serious debate in our house.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prep sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper and spraying the paper and pan riser with pan spray or softened butter.
- In a small/medium bowl combine dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In another larger bowl, mix butter and sugar. You can do this with a stand mixer, hand mixer, or even by hand. It will be a good workout if you decide to do it by hand! Beat the butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy. Add in bananas and mix again. You can mush them beforehand, but it is so simple to throw them in and mix them. Next are eggs and vanilla. Blend this only until combined. Then add dry ingredients. Now, only blend these until they just come together, you don't want to overmix baked goods with whole wheat flour. Last is your buttermilk. Again, be careful not to overmix.
- Pour batter into pan. Spread carefully, but don't stress about it being completely flat, it will do this as it bakes.
- Now, bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. I like to underbake just a touch. Whole-grain baked goods can dry out quickly. It is good to underbake just a little.
- Place on a cooling rack. Within a minute or 2, remove the riser.
- Allow cooling before icing.
Notes
- Underbake the cake just a bit for moister cake. There is a process in cooking called carry-over cooking where residual heat in food continues the cooking process even after it has been removed from the heat source. If you cook the cake the whole way through it may end up dry.
- Don’t overmix the banana cake batter. The more it’s mixed the tougher the cake.
- Store the cake at room temperature for up to three days.
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