Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe
If you’re searching for the perfect cake to bridge the gap between classic comfort and irresistible decadence, look no further than this Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting. Imagine a moist, fragrant banana cake studded generously with chocolate chips, stacked and slathered with a rich, fluffy peanut butter frosting — it’s the kind of dessert that sparks happy nostalgia and makes everyday occasions feel special. It’s my go-to for birthdays, cozy weekends, or when you just need a sweet treat to share (or not!).
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe celebrates pantry staples, but every ingredient pulls its weight for flavor and texture. Each element brings out the best in the others, giving the Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting its unforgettable balance of sweetness, spice, and indulgence.
- All-purpose flour: The trusty base that gives structure while keeping the crumb soft and tender.
- Baking powder & baking soda: This combo ensures the cake rises beautifully and stays airy.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds a subtle warmth that complements the bananas and chocolate chips.
- Fine sea salt: Just enough to heighten the flavors and offset sweetness.
- Unsalted butter (room temperature): Imparts richness and a melt-in-your-mouth texture both in the cake and the frosting.
- Granulated sugar & light brown sugar: A blend that keeps the cake moist and brings a hint of caramel depth.
- Vanilla extract: Infuses the cake and frosting with aromatic sweetness.
- Eggs (room temperature): Bind everything together for a cohesive, fluffy crumb.
- Sour cream: The secret ingredient for unbeatable tenderness and subtle tang.
- Mashed overripe bananas: Use very spotty bananas for the sweetest, most flavorful results.
- Miniature chocolate chips: Ensure every bite is studded with gooey chocolate pockets.
- Creamy peanut butter: Makes the frosting ultra-rich, nutty, and extra smooth.
- Powdered sugar (sifted): Softens and sweetens the peanut butter frosting, making it fluffy and cloud-like.
- Chocolate chips (for garnish, optional): A playful finishing touch that hints at the chocolate hidden inside.
How to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Step 1: Prep Your Pans
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Grab two 8-inch round cake pans and coat them thoroughly with butter before dusting with flour. This will not only help the cakes release flawlessly but also give them a lovely golden edge. Taking this step ensures your Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting turns out as picture-perfect as it tastes.
Step 2: Whisk the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sea salt. Sifting helps eliminate lumps and makes these essentials easier to blend into the batter, which means a lighter, evenly-risen cake crumb and no pockets of spice or soda.
Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugars
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the room-temperature butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed for about three minutes until pale and fluffy. This simple step is key for building a pillowy base, allowing air to work its magic into the cake batter for that irresistible texture.
Step 4: Add Eggs, Vanilla, Sour Cream, and Bananas
Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Lower the mixer speed, and blend in half the dry ingredients. Once just incorporated, mix in the sour cream and mashed bananas. Finish with the remaining dry ingredients. The batter will smell absolutely incredible at this stage — don’t be surprised if you’re tempted to taste it!
Step 5: Fold in the Chocolate Chips
Gently stir the miniature chocolate chips into the batter by hand. Folding prevents the chocolate from sinking to the bottom and ensures each slice of Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is streaked with gooey chocolate throughout.
Step 6: Bake the Cakes
Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and a toothpick pulls out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then flip onto wire racks. For best frosting results, refrigerate the cakes (or even pop them in the freezer for 30 minutes) — chilled cakes are much easier to frost with fewer crumbs.
Step 7: Make the Peanut Butter Frosting
Using a clean mixer bowl, beat the butter and creamy peanut butter together on medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and light. Add the vanilla, sea salt, and then the sifted powdered sugar, beating until the frosting reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency. You’ll want to swipe a finger through this, trust me!
Step 8: Assemble Your Cake
Place one cake layer on your stand or turntable. Pipe or spread a generous ring of frosting around the edge, then fill the center with more frosting and smooth it out. Place the second cake layer (upside-down for a flat surface) on top. Use an offset spatula to coat the entire cake with the remaining peanut butter frosting, smoothing as you go. For that professional bakery look, press chocolate chips all around the base or scatter some on top. Now your Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is ready to wow!
How to Serve Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Garnishes
For a little extra flair, sprinkle the top with another handful of mini chocolate chips or chopped roasted peanuts for crunch. If you want to keep things classic, a few elegant banana slices fanned across the surface can hint at what’s inside without being over-the-top.
Side Dishes
This cake simply shines on its own, but it pairs beautifully with a cold glass of milk, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a hot cup of coffee. If you want to go all out, serve next to a fresh fruit salad or lightly sweetened whipped cream to balance its richness.
Creative Ways to Present
Try slicing the Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting into thin wedges for a dessert buffet, or cube it for a playful cake trifle with layers of whipped cream and extra bananas. For birthdays, decorate with birthday candles or fondant shapes to suit the celebration theme.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Wrap any leftover Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. It’ll stay fresh, moist, and delicious for up to 2 days — just be sure to let it sit at room temperature for an hour before serving for the best texture.
Freezing
If you want to make parts of the cake ahead, you can freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to one month. Wrap them individually in plastic and then foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost as usual. While the finished, frosted cake can also be frozen, keep in mind the frosting might lose a little of its airy texture.
Reheating
The Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is at its prime at room temperature, but if you like your cake slightly warm, microwave individual slices for 10-15 seconds. This softens the cake and slightly melts the chocolate chips, making it even more decadent!
FAQs
Can I use regular chocolate chips instead of mini?
Absolutely! Standard chocolate chips work wonderfully, though minis distribute a bit more evenly. If you love those big melty chocolate pockets, go for the regular size or even chop up a good-quality chocolate bar.
Is it possible to make this recipe dairy-free?
Yes! Swap the butter for a dairy-free margarine, use a non-dairy sour cream alternative, and check that your chocolate chips are dairy-free as well. The cake will still be rich and flavorful, with a subtle difference in texture.
How ripe do the bananas need to be?
The riper, the better! Overripe bananas with deep brown spots give the most sweetness and flavor, which is crucial for that signature banana bread taste in your Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting.
Can the cake be made as cupcakes?
Yes, just divide the batter into lined muffin tins and bake for about 18-22 minutes. You’ll get moist, portable cupcakes perfect for parties or lunchbox treats, with plenty of room for a swirl of peanut butter frosting on top.
What’s the best way to frost the cake evenly?
Chilled cake layers make all the difference. Use an offset spatula and apply a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting) before finishing with a final smooth layer. Take your time and rotate the cake stand as you work for an even finish.
Final Thoughts
This Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting never fails to delight — it’s a showstopper with its lush frosting, melty chocolate bits, and that unmistakable banana aroma. If you’re craving something special that still feels cozy and homey, I can’t recommend this recipe enough. Gather your ingredients, invite a friend to bake with you, and get ready to enjoy cake bliss, one slice at a time!
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Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 2-layer cake 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Indulge in the rich and flavorful Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting. This decadent dessert combines moist banana cake studded with chocolate chips and topped with a creamy peanut butter frosting.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups (317 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (227 grams), at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) sour cream
- 1 1/3 cups (300 grams) mashed overripe bananas, from about 4 medium bananas
- 1 1/4 cups miniature chocolate chips
Frosting:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (227 grams), at room temperature
- 1 cup (270 grams) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 1/2 cups (313 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- Chocolate chips, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time. On low speed beat in half the dry ingredients then the sour cream and bananas. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown and pull away from the edges. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before flipping onto cooling racks to cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to frost. The colder the cake, the easier it will be to frost. You can even pop the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill.
- For the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- To assemble: Place one cake layer on a cake turntable or cake stand. For a smooth and even frosting coverage, use a pastry bag and open tip to pipe a generous ring of the frosting around the top edge of the cake layer. Fill up the frosting ring with additional frosting, spreading to create an even layer. Place the other cake layer upside-down on top of the frosting so that the top of the cake is nice and flat. With an offset spatula, spread the remaining frosting evenly all over the cake, smoothing the edges. Place chocolate chips along the bottom of the cake for garnish. Serve or cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature for an hour before serving.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for best results.
- You can add chopped nuts for extra crunch.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 270mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: Banana Chocolate Chip Cake, Peanut Butter Frosting, Dessert Recipe
