Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake has moist banana cake layers, loaded with chocolate chips, and covered in a fluffy peanut butter frosting and nutella ganache. Peanut butter banana cake has epic chunky monkey flavors for a sweet, salty legendary dessert!

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 2

Servings

Author Melissa Erdelac

Ingredients

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake:

1½ cups (337.5 g) mashed bananas, about 3-4 bananas
2 teaspoons (2 tsp.) lemon juice
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, or all purpose gluten free flour (I highly recommend Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour for best taste)
1 teaspoon (1 tsp.) baking powder
½ teaspoon (0.5 tsp.) baking soda
½ tsp. (0.5 tsp.) salt
¾ cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (400 g) sugar
3 (3) eggs, separated and room temperature
2 teaspoons (2 tsp.) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon (optional) banana extract
1½ cups (360 g) buttermilk, room temperature
1½ cups miniature chocolate chips*

Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 cup (2.72 kg) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (258 g) creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon (1 tsp.) vanilla extract
3 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
4 tablespoons (5 tbsp) heavy cream

Nutella Ganache:

¼ cup (225 g) + 2 tablespoons Nutella
¼ cup (119 g) heavy cream
(optional) chocolate chips for decorating

Instructions

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray three 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line each bottom with a cut-to-size parchment or wax paper circle. Spray tops of paper and set aside. Tip: If you only have two 9" cake pans, bake 2 layers, and store remaining batter covered on counter. Bake 3rd layer in COOLED cake pan.
In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice, set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream ¾ cup butter and sugar until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Mix in vanilla and (optional) banana extracts.
Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to creamed butter / sugar and combine. Alternate with 1/3 buttermilk and mix well. Repeat until all the flour and buttermilk has been mixed in. Mix in mashed banana mixture.
In a separate clean, dry bowl beat the reserved egg whites until stiff. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the banana cake batter. Gently fold in remaining 2/3 until no streaks remain. Fold in chocolate chips.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake 23-26 minutes or until toothpick inserted at center comes out clean. Turn onto wire racks and cool completely.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

Cream together butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar, and beat until combined. Slowly pour in heavy cream, increasing speed to high, and beating for 4 minutes, or until frosting is very light and fluffy.

Assembly:

Put first layer on a serving platter. Tuck wax paper strips under cake t catch any drips. Spread a layer of peanut butter frosting on top. Repeat with other layer.
If you plan on piping some frosting on top for rosettes, set aside about 1/2 cup.
Use the remaining buttercream to cover top and sides of cake. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes while you make ganache.

Nutella Ganache:

Put Nutella and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stirring halfway through.
Remove from microwave and continue to stir until smooth and homogenous. If the ganache isn't smoothly mixing, return to microwave for 10 seconds longer and mix again.
The ganache should be thickly pourable, but if it is too thin, allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes first.
Pour ganache on top of the cake, allowing some to drip down the sides.
Refrigerate until ganache is solid, about 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and using a star tip for rosettes, pipe remaining buttercream on top, then place a chocolate chip on each rosette.
Cake is best served at room temperature. Leftovers may keep at room temperature up to 3 days, or refrigerate for longer. Set out for a few hours before serving.

Notes

*Originally this recipe was published as a Chunky Monkey Cake, without chocolate chips. They may be omitted for original recipe.

More Frosting Options

Banana Chocolate Chip cake can be layered and topped with a variety of frostings if peanut butter isn't your thing.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream
Vanilla Buttercream
Banana Cream Filling
Homemade whipped cream from Gluten Free Angel Food Cake recipe

Freezing Instructions:

This cake may be frozen assembled, to thaw later and serve, freeze banana cake layers, or save individual pieces to enjoy later.

Assembled Cake: Make the cake, peanut butter frosting, nutella ganache, and assemble the cake. Place the cake in the freezer, unwrapped. Once the cake has frozen, wrap securely with plastic wrap. Remove wrap to thaw for 48 hours in the refrigerator. Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving.
Pieces: Wrap individually cut leftover slices in plastic wrap. Freeze until solid and then place slices in a ziplock freezer bag. Thaw slices on counter for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for a few hours. Enjoy at room temperature.
Cake Layers: Make the banana chocolate chip cake and freeze separately. Thaw cake layers on counter. The whipped cream frosting and banana filling should be thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Assemble the cake as directed.

Nutrition