This Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is an irresistible combination of flavors with banana, peanut butter, and chocolate all in a soft, fluffy, and moist cake. It’s luscious, and a flavor combination you didn’t know you needed.
I originally made this cake for Colby’s second birthday party – we did a Curious George theme, and in an effort to have banana themed food I made this banana cake. It’s been on repeat ever since at our home, and will be the perfect cake for your next celebration too.
This banana cake base recipe was adapted from Cookies and Cups, and I decided to top it with a creamy peanut butter frosting, and chocolate ganache because who doesn’t love peanut butter + chocolate with bananas. You’ll also love this chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie for a healthier take.
This moist banana cake has the most tender crumb, it’s fluffy soft and has the best fresh banana flavor.
The Best Banana Cake
- Irresistible Flavor Combo – The natural sweetness of bananas pairs beautifully with the rich, nutty flavor of peanut butter and the indulgent decadence of chocolate ganache.
- Crowd Pleaser – This cake is perfect for a special occasion, the triple layer cake is decadent, delicious, and sure to impress.
Ingredients Needed to make Banana Layer Cake
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Banana Layer Cake Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- unsalted butter
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- salt
- baking soda
- all purpose flour
- buttermilk – you can make your own homemade buttermilk, or even substitute sour cream
- mashed bananas – the perfect way to use up your overripe bananas
- creamy peanut butter
- powdered sugar
- heavy cream
- semi sweet chocolate
- corn syrup
How to make Banana Cake
- Mix the wet ingredients – Beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer) until light and creamy for a couple minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients – In another bowl mix the flour, baking soda and salt together.
- Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk – Alternate adding the flour mixture, and buttermilk into the sugar mixture. Adding about 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk, another third of the flour mixture, the rest of the buttermilk, and the last of the dry ingredients. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir until combined. Add the mashed bananas into the batter and stir it in, until combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the pans. You can weigh the pans to make sure they all get the same amount of batter to ensure they bake evenly.
- Bake the cake – Bake the pans until the tops are golden, and the cake is baked through. Test the cake with a toothpick in the middle, and it’s done when you have moist crumbs, and no wet batter. Let the cake cool in the pans, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting – Beat the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla and mix the frosting for a couple minutes until smooth. Add more powdered sugar and milk as needed.
- Make the chocolate ganache – Add the milk, sugar, and butter into a small sauce pan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the chocolate and corn syrup to another bowl, then pour the warm milk mixture over the chocolate. Let it sit for a couple minutes, then whisk it together until you have a smooth ganache.
- Assemble the cake – Spread the frosting on one layer of the cake, then add another layer, and the final layer. Cover the cake sides completely with the frosting. Let the ganache rest for a few minutes, then drizzle it evenly over the top of the cake to cover and down the sides.
Tips and Tricks:
- Use ripe bananas – The riper the bananas, the sweeter your cake. This is the perfect way to use up your leftover unwanted bananas.
- Use room temperature ingredients – Bring your butter, eggs, and buttermilk to room temperature for an hour or two before using in the cake batter. This will help the ingredients mix together better, and give you a better textured cake.
- Add mix ins – Add 1 cup of chocolate chips, or chopped nuts to the batter to add a nice crunch and flavor to the cake crumb.
- Decorate – Add an extra flair to your cake by garnishing it with sliced bananas, chopped peanut butter, or rosettes or extra peanut butter frosting on top.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container, or wrap tightly in a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can enjoy the cake chilled, or let it come to room temperature before enjoying.
You can also freeze slices of the cake by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil, then store them in a freezer safe bag. Then store them for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake slice by setting it in the fridge for a few hours, then enjoy.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make this cake ahead by baking the cake layers and wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap. The baked cake layers can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.
This peanut butter banana cake is sure to impress. It’s an irresistible combination of flavors and textures, and perfect for your next occasion.
More banana recipes
- Banana Caramel Pie
- Banana Cream Cheesecake
- Banana Pudding Trifle
- Banana Icebox Cake
- Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
- Chunky Monkey Ice Cream
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Banana Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the Banana Cake:
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 TBS vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk**
- 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (2 to 3 ripe bananas)
For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cups unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 6 TBS heavy cream
- 2 TBS granulated sugar
- 2 TBS unsalted butter (softened)
- 6 oz semi sweet baking chocolate bar (chopped)
- 2 TBS corn syrup
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
For the Banana Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Coat three 8 or 9 inch cake pans with nonstick spray and flour (9 in pans will be thinner, and can be cooked in 2 layers instead of 3 if preferred)
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and creamy for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix in.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredient flour mixture into the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Then 1/2 of the buttermilk. Repeat with more flour, more buttermilk, and the last of the flour. Scraping the edges and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Stir in the mashed bananas until just fully mixed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
- Bake the cakes for 30-40 minutes, rotating pans half way through, until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for 20 minutes in the pans. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- In a large bowl combine the peanut butter and butter until smooth.
- Mix in the powdered sugar, milk, salt and vanilla and whip for 2-3 minutes until the frosting is light and smooth.
- Add more milk or more powdered sugar to the frosting if needed to get a nice spreadable consistency.
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- Add the milk, sugar and butter to a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Heat, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved.
- Put the chocolate pieces and corn syrup in a small bowl.
- Pour the warm milk mixture over the top of the chocolate. Allow to sit for 2 minutes.
- Whisk the mixture until smooth.
- Let the ganache rest for about 15 minutes to thicken. (You can frost the cake while it rests)
For Assembling the Cake:
- Place one layer of cake on a stand, smooth the top of the cake out with a knife as needed to make it flat.
- Cover the top with peanut butter frosting. Add another layer, and repeat with remaining layers of cake.
- Cover the sides of the cake completely with the remaining frosting.
- Drizzle the chocolate ganache evenly over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides as pictured.
Notes
Nutrition
This banana birthday cake was first posted on June 15, 2016. The blog post and photos were first updated on February 23, 2024.
Pauline Gudas says
Can this be made in a 9×13 cake pan?
Aimee says
You’d probably have more batter than would fit in a 9×13. I’d reserve an extra few cups to make cupcakes, or discard.