Makes one 9×2-inch cake
Cordon Rose Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Cake:
- 2 large (1 cup) mashed ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup full fat sour cream (remember no low-fat or fat-free stuff here)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- grated zest of 1 medium lemon (2 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour (no need to sift)
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 cups confectioners sugar (no need to sift)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (use less or more depending on the consistency you’re looking for)
- NOTE: This will make more than enough frosting to fill and frost for one 9-inch OR two 6-inch cake with some frosting leftover. I just put the rest of my frosting in the freezer and will use that to fill cupcakes!
Embellishments:
- 4 (1.5oz.) package Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups™ OR whatever candy topping you’d like
- 1M swirl tip for piping swirls
Preparation:
– Position baking rack to middle position in oven. Preheat to 350°.
– Prepare one 9-inch by 2-inch cake pan OR two 6-inch by 2-inch pans. Line bottom of pan(s) with circle of parchment paper.
Cake:
– In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, add the mashed bananas and sour cream. Mix until smooth. If you notice a few tiny bits of banana after mixing, that’s ok. Your cake will turn out just fine. Add the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla and mix just to blend. Put the banana mixture into a separate bowl and set aside.
– In the same mixing bowl that you used for the banana mixture, combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to blend. Add the butter and 1/2 of the banana mixture. Mix on low speed just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to strengthen the cake’s structure. Make sure to stop the mixer halfway through the mixing process to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl.
– Gradually add the reamiaing banana mixture in 2 separate additions, mixing for 20 seconds and then scraping down the sides and bottom after each addition.
– Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s) using a rubber spatula and smooth the surface. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed on top.
– Remove cake(s) from pan(s) and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
– The secret to this frosting is mixing the butter until light and creamy, before adding the remaining ingredients!
– In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix butter on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes until creamy and light in color. Add peanut butter and mix on medium speed until thoroughly blended.
– Add the confectioners sugar in 3 separate additions, followed by 3 separate additions of the whipping cream. So add 1 cup confectioners sugar, start on low and increase to medium speed. Add 1 tablespoon of the whipping cream and beat on medium speed making sure to stop mixer in between to scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Continue this same process. After you’ve added the last addition of the whipping cream, beat on high speed with paddle attachment until frosting is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. You can add more confectioners sugar and/or whipping cream, deepening on the consistency you’re looking for.
Assembling cake:
– For a one 9-inch cake: If you have any slight dome on the cake, cut that off horizontally with a serrated knife. Save this to snack on later! Place cut side down on cake board. you can frost the cake as is, or cut the 9-inch cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife. If you do this, place the bottom layer cut side up on a cake board, fill and place the other layer cut side down.
– For the two 6-inch cakes: Remove any dome on top of cakes. Place first cake cut side up on a cake board, fill and top with the other cake, cut side down. Frost and decorate cake.
– I added peanut butter cups for a simple decoration. Just cut 3-4 of the peanut butter cups in half and decorate around the edges of the cake. Chop up the rest and sprinkle on top of cake.
See full post at Sole Passion Baker