This chocolate chip banana cake with peanut butter frosting starts with a super moist banana cake. it’s the ultimate peanut butter banana treat.
Hi there! It’s Fiona from Just So Tasty!
Do you love peanut butter as much as I do? If yes – then today’s a great day. Because today I’m sharing this chocolate chip banana cake with peanut butter frosting. The moist banana cake is flavorful and filled with mini chocolate chips. Then it’s frosted with peanut butter frosting – and decorated with Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, chocolate chips & chocolate drizzle.
The banana cake has a delicious mellow flavor that pairs perfectly with the salty peanut butter and sweet chocolate chips. And since we’re making it in a 9×13 inch pan, it feeds a crowd and it’s simpler than making a layer cake.
Can Cake Batter be Frozen?
Not all cake batters can be frozen, though. If a cake batter is leavened with whipped egg whites, like a chiffon or sponge cake, the freezing process will ruin the batter.
Creaming method cake batters, or quick bread batters that employ oil as the fat, freeze beautifully.
Can You Use Cake Flour Instead of All Purpose Flour?
To substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour.
The recipe idea actually started because I had a bunch of brown bananas. (I never finish bananas before they go brown – but it’s the perfect excuse to bake.) I thought about making Banana Cupcakes, but I was craving peanut butter.
And nothing goes better with peanut butter than chocolate.
So – this chocolate peanut butter banana cake was born.
The cake is perfectly moist and flavorful for a few main reasons:
- We’re using a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar. The brown sugar actually adds moisture, and a delicious caramel undertone in baking.
- Bananas sweeten the cake naturally, and make the cake extra moist.
- Then sour cream and buttermilk give the cake a super soft crumb.
The batter is thick – so make sure your butter, eggs, sour cream and buttermilk are room temperature before getting started for easier mixing.
Why Do Cakes Fall?
If there is too little moisture in a cake, it can fall in the center.
However, too much moisture can also affect a cake.
Cakes can sink because of too much leavening or, not enough leavening.
Cakes cook from the outside in, and therefore sometimes a cake can look done on the outside, however it’s still under cooked or raw in the middle.
When this happens, the raw batter sinks into the cake creating a hole.
Over-mixing strengthens the gluten structures too much and creates more air which causes the cake to rise and then fall again.
Opening and closing the oven dramatically affects the overall cooking temperature which prevents the cake from cooking evenly and can cause it to sink.
After the cake is done baking and fully cooled, it’s time to frost. The peanut butter frosting is creamy, smooth, and not overly sweet. Depending on how much frosting you like, you might have a little leftover. But I don’t think you’ll get complaints about extra frosting….
Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Frosting?
Leftover frosting can be eaten with a spoon kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Or you can freeze it for up to 1 month.
Just leave the frosting at room temperature until softened.
To decorate I used Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, a handful of mini chocolate chips and a drizzle of melted chocolate. The toppings make the cake feel a little fancier – so they’re perfect for dressing it up and adding more peanut butter chocolate deliciousness.
So if you have leftover bananas – and love peanut butter – this chocolate chip banana cake with penaut butter frosting is definitely for you!
Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Description
Ingredients
For the Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
- 1 1/2 cup brown bananas, mashed very well (you'll need 3-4 bananas)
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature*
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter, not natural, homemade or whipped
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or cream
For the Decorations
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- 10-12 Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, cut into pieces
- Handful of mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
- Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking pan, set aside.
- First mash your bananas very well until smooth - I like to use a food processor for this.
- Then measure out 1 and 1/2 cups. This is how much you'll use.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then set aside.
- In a separate large bowl using a hand-held or stand electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy and no butter lumps remain (about 2 minutes).
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and continue mixing.
- Then turn the mixer down to low speed and beat in the sour cream and 1 and 1/2 cups of mashed bananas.
- With the mixer on low speed carefully beat in the flour mixture and buttermilk about 1/2 at a time. You may need to turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Finally, turn off the mixer, and fold in the mini chocolate chips using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Pour / spoon the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and you can start to see the edges just pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Oven times vary, so watch carefully starting around the 45 minute mark. Allow the cake to cool fully before frosting.
- Make the Peanut Butter Frosting
- In a large bowl using a stand or hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until softened.
- Then add in the peanut butter and continue beating until smooth.
- Turn down the mixer to low speed and slowly add in the powdered sugar.
- Once the mixture starts getting thick, add in the cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time while beating until you get the desired consistency.
- To Decorate the Cake
- Make the chocolate glaze by melting 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips in the microwave in short 30 second bursts, stirring between each 30 period.
- Then using a flat edge knife, frost the cake with the peanut butter frosting.
- Sprinkle with peanut butter cups and chocolate chips, and drizzle the cake with the melted chocolate chips.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
Head on over to my blog, or connect on social media for more tasty treats & desserts!
Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter
Double Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
Super moist, full of big banana bread flavor, AND a double dose of chocolate.
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
All the deliciousness of peanut butter, bananas & chocolate in cookie form
Chris
Delicious! I subbed 1 cup coconut sugar for the sugar and thought it was still sweet enough with the bananas. I also used milk chocolate chips, which helped with a little added sweetness as well. I will make this again and again!
Sweet Basil
Love to hear this Chris! Thank you so much!
Isabela
OMG! This looks insane! Can I make it into cupcakes!?
Fiona
I haven’t tried it myself, so I’m not sure of the results. You’d want to fill each cupcake paper about 1/2 to 2/3 full, and I think they’d bake for about 18-22 minutes. For the frosting, if you want to pipe it on, you’d likely want to add about 1/2 to 1 cup more of powdered sugar so it’s a little thicker. Hope this helps!
Karly
Oh. My. Gosh. This is seriously everything I love in a dessert compiled into one beautiful cake! So stinking excited to try this!
Fiona
Always good to find another peanut butter chocolate lover! Let me know what you think of the cake 🙂
2pots2cook
Oh boy, we certainly cannot go wrong with these ingredients 🙂
Fiona
I completely agree! I hope you love the recipe 🙂