Banana Cake with Peanut Butter-Cream Cheese Frosting
In my life I grew up around generations of strong women who lived and still live to cook for their husbands and families. They can definitely hold their own in the kitchen, but baking is what the women on both of my Mom and Dad’s side had a love and natural talent for. On my Dad’s side his Grandmother “Grandma Zele” had 6 children, not much money at all and every night she had a four course meal for them including her famous strudels. But this recipe for Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting which comes from my Mom’s side of the family and is one near and dear to my heart because the whole family and I know it very well.
On my Mom’s side her Great Grandmother born Helen Sweet was known to family as “Granny Great.” She was the star baker in the family. Every year; on my Mom’s, Aunt’s and all of their cousins’ Birthdays’, growing up my Granny Great made a Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting. It was a Birthday tradition; they looked forward to it. Even as my Granny Great got older; bless her heart; she would make the cakes and freeze them. Once she passed on, my Mom started to make the Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting for Thanksgivings to remember her with the family. My Mom also made the cake for a couple of my Birthdays and shared her stories with me about Granny Great. I then realized how much my Mom was like Granny Great because of how much she loved to bake. I would sneak chocolate chip cookies for breakfast often growing up as a child because my Mom was always baking.
Growing up seeing my Mom baking all the time and hearing stories and recipes really inspired me to start baking professionally. I am so honored to be baking this cake in homage to my Granny Great. I changed some things around so I could have three layers to sell at BabyCakes. I also added sour cream to the cake & cream cheese to the frosting to cut down on the sweetness. I hope you all enjoy this recipe and can share this with your families!
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8-oz package cream cheese, at room temperature (I used reduced fat)
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
¼ tsp salt
2 cups powdered sugar
Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about one minute. Add the butter and beat for another minute until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and pinch of salt and beat until combined. Slowly add the icing sugar and mix on low until incorporated. Taste and add more icing sugar if it’s not sweet enough for your tastes. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use, but remove from fridge at least 10 minutes before frosting so it is easier to spread.
Sour Cream Banana Cake Recipe
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
4 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sour cream (I used low-fat)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 9” round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat until just combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Sift through a sieve at least once. Add to the wet ingredients in three additions, folding with a spatula until just combined.
Pour the batter equally into the three prepared pans. Weigh each pan to ensure that they are equal, and spread the batter in each pan as evenly as possible. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, rotating pans halfway through. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8-oz package cream cheese, at room temperature (I used reduced fat)
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
¼ tsp salt
2 cups powdered sugar
Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about one minute. Add the butter and beat for another minute until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and pinch of salt and beat until combined. Slowly add the icing sugar and mix on low until incorporated. Taste and add more icing sugar if it’s not sweet enough for your tastes. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use, but remove from fridge at least 10 minutes before frosting so it is easier to spread.
Sour Cream Banana Cake Recipe
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
4 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sour cream (I used low-fat)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 9” round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat until just combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Sift through a sieve at least once. Add to the wet ingredients in three additions, folding with a spatula until just combined.
Pour the batter equally into the three prepared pans. Weigh each pan to ensure that they are equal, and spread the batter in each pan as evenly as possible. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, rotating pans halfway through. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.