This single layer Peanut Butter Banana Cake is everything you want in a dessert!! A soft and moist banana cake base, topped with the dreamiest peanut butter cream cheese frosting, and finished with swirls of glossy chocolate ganache. If you love bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate, this cake will be your new obsession!
I bought a few too many bananas last weekend (classic mistake 😂), so I've been baking up banana treats in the kitchen. A couple went into my Brown Butter Banana Cake, and the last two became this Peanut Butter Banana Cake: a super soft banana cake topped with creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting and finished with swirls of silky chocolate ganache.
One of my favorite snacks has always been dipping bananas in peanut butter, and that combo inspired this cake! But I couldn't stop there...I had to add chocolate. Basically, I turned my favorite frozen custard order ("Banana & Peanut Butter Cups") into cake form. Banana + peanut butter + chocolate = the ultimate trio. Try my Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting if you love chocolate and bananas.
If you love baking with bananas, you have to try my Caramelized Banana Bread or this cozy Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread. And if peanut butter is your thing (same here!!), my Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies are always a hit. But this cake? It feels like the best of both worlds...bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate all coming together in one dreamy dessert.
And let me tell you…this cake delivers. I even forced a bite on my husband (who doesn't like banana cake or peanut butter), and he said, "oh this is good." That's when I knew it was a winner. If it can convert him, I'm pretty sure you're going to love it too!
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"If you are a peanut butter lover and also enjoy banana bread, this recipe is for you. This cake has a very delicious, complex flavor with very simple instructions."
-Munira
♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Single Layer: This one layer Peanut Butter Banana Cake is only one layer, can be made with one bowl, and comes together quickly. It's a small, snack sized cake that can be made for small crowds.
Easy: Other than the frosting needing a handheld mixer, this cake can be made with simple ingredients and no special equipment.
Moist & Flavorful: This Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is incredibly moist from the melted butter, oil, and buttermilk, and so flavorful from cinnamon, nutmeg, and bananas.
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting: The frosting is so smooth, creamy, and filled with peanut butter flavor. It's not overpowering, or too sweet!
Chocolate Ganache: The addition of a chocolate ganache swirl brings this cake together. I am a firm believer that bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate are flavors that go well together.
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Banana Cake
- Banana: Use very ripe bananas. For this Banana Cake recipe I used two large ripe banana, which is around 1 cup of mashed bananas. If you don't have ripe bananas but would like to make this cake, see notes below for how to ripen bananas quickly.
- Flour: All purpose flour gives this cake the best crumb. Use a scale when measuring to get the best results.
- Spices: I use nutmeg and cinnamon, but you can add more if you like.
- Leaveners: Both baking powder and baking soda are used to help the cake rise.
- Salt: Always needed in cake.
- Butter: For this recipe, we melt the butter before adding the ingredients. I think it gives it a bit of flavor and moisture. I use unsalted butter.
- Sugar: This Banana Cake uses mostly dark brown sugar, and some granulated sugar.
- Oil: Vegetable or any neutral oil.
- Eggs: Room temperature, large eggs.
- Buttermilk: If you don't have any buttermilk, you can make your own by adding ½ tablespoon of vinegar to the milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting & Chocolate Ganache
- Cream Cheese: Make sure to use full fat, block cream cheese. It should be cold, straight out of the fridge. This helps the cream cheese frosting from being too soft.
- Butter: Softened unsalted butter.
- Peanut Butter: I use conventional creamy peanut butter. I've never tried all natural, but I don't think it would work as well, so I suggest keeping with the recipe.
- Powdered Sugar: To sweeten and stiffen the frosting.
- Salt: It helps balance out the sweetness.
- Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips, or if you have chopped chocolate, that will work too. Make sure it's semi-sweet or dark, around 60-70%.
- Heavy Cream: You'll need to warm up the heavy cream for the ganache. Don't scorch it or boil it. Just heat it until it's warm.
See recipe card for quantities.
⇄ Substitutions
Brown sugar - In place of dark brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar instead.
Buttermilk - If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, add ½ tablespoon of vinegar to milk and let it sit and curdle for 5 minutes. Although, I do highly suggest using buttermilk instead of homemade version.
✨ Variations
Spices: You can add extra spices to give the cake a little more spice flavor, like my Spiced Banana Cake recipe.
Cream Cheese Frosting: If you're not a fan of peanut butter, you can leave it out all together, and add a little vanilla extract to the frosting. Use the recipe from my Spiced Banana Cake.
Nuts: Adding pecans or walnuts would be an excellent addition to this cake. You can add it directly to the batter, or sprinkle on top of the cake after frosting.
Espresso: You can add a little espresso to the cake and the frosting for a boost of flavor.
Sheet Cake - Turn this cake into a sheet cake. Use my Banana Biscoff Cake for quantities and bake times.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
In a large bowl, add the slightly cooled melted butter and sugars and mix until well combined.
Step 2
Then add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract and mix. Then add the mashed bananas and buttermilk, and mix until incorporated.
Step 3
Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
💡 Hint: Make sure to line your baking pan with parchment paper so that it's easy to take the cake out of the pan once cooled.
Step 4
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Depending on your oven, it could take more or less time. If you feel like the top is browning too much, cover it loosely with foil. Start checking at 25 minutes.
Step 5
Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth, for about 3 minutes. Then add the peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the salt and the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until each addition is incorporated, and beat for a few minutes until it's very smooth.
Ganache: In a small bowl, add the chocolate chips. In a separate microwave safe bowl, add the heavy cream and microwave for 15-30 seconds until hot, but not scorching or boiling.Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of chocolate chips and let sit for a few minutes, then stir to combine until completely smooth.
If it still has chunks, microwave for 10 seconds, and then stir. Continue this until it's completely smooth.
Swirl the chocolate ganache on top of the frosting.
💬 FAQ
If you don't have any ripe bananas but want to make this recipe, bake bananas on a lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes until the peels are black.
Instead of buttermilk, you can use whole milk, with a ½ tablespoon of vinegar added. Let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Don't boil the heavy cream: Make sure to heat the heavy cream until hot and not boiling, otherwise it could make the chocolate seize when adding the heavy cream to the chocolate.
Don't over mix: Once the flour is incorporated, stop mixing.
Don't over bake: Start checking at 25-28 minutes.
Cool completely: Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
Ripe bananas: If you don't have any ripe bananas but want to make this recipe, bake bananas on a lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes until the peels are black.
Buttermilk: Instead of buttermilk, you can use whole milk, with a ½ tablespoon of vinegar added. Let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
❄ Storage
Room temperature: This cake can be stored unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature.
Refrigerator: Once frosted, the cake must be stored covered, in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Let come to room temperature before eating.
Freezer: Unfrosted, you can wrap the cake in saran wrap, then aluminum foil and place in the freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge over night.
📖 Recipe Card
Peanut Butter Banana Cake
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 2 (228 g) large banana, very ripe (about 1 cup, mashed) see notes
- 6 tablespoon (84 g) unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk see notes
- 1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, cold block, full fat
- 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (125 g) creamy peanut butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 oz. (56 g) chocolate chips
- 2 oz. heavy cream
Instructions
Banana Cake
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Mash the banana and set aside.2 large banana, very ripe (about 1 cup, mashed)
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon, mix and set aside.1½ cups all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the slightly cooled melted butter and sugars and mix until well combined. Then add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract and mix. Then add the mashed bananas and buttermilk, and mix until incorporated.½ cup dark brown sugar, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 3 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup buttermilk, 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Combine: Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Pour & Bake: Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Depending on your oven, it could take more or less time. If you feel like the top is browning too much, cover it loosely with foil. Start checking at 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Peanut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth, for about 3 minutes. Then add the peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the salt and the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until each addition is incorporated, and beat for a few minutes until it's very smooth.4 oz. cream cheese, cold, 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature, ½ cup creamy peanut butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1½ cups powdered sugar
- Frost: Once cake is completely cooled, top with the frosting.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a small bowl, add the chocolate chips. In a separate microwave safe bowl, add the heavy cream and microwave for 15-30 seconds until hot, but not scorching or boiling.Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of chocolate chips and let sit for a few minutes, then stir to combine until completely smooth. If it still has chunks, microwave for 10 seconds, and then stir. Continue this until it's completely smooth.2 oz. chocolate chips, 2 oz. heavy cream
- Swirl some ganache on top of the peanut butter cream cheese frosting. You'll have extra that you can add on individual slices.
- Store cake covered in the refrigerator.
If you are a peanut butter lover and also enjoy banana bread, this recipe is for you. This cake has a very delicious, complex flavor with very simple instructions.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Munira! Thank you for trying it out and leaving a review. 🙂
Incredible flavors, and I love the chocolate ganache that goes great with the pb and banana cake.