Banana Peanut Butter Layer Cake

I wanted to try a new Banana Cake recipe…and this one is nearly perfect!  It’s dense yet fluffy like cake, easily stackable, and super moist.  I’m definitely sticking with this winner.

I added 1 t. baking soda to 1 c. buttermilk…oh the science that ensued!

With three 6″ round layers baked, there was enough batter left over for almost a dozen cupcakes!  I think I’ll send them to school with our youngest daughter.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Filling

I was so undecided on how to decorate the outside of this cake.  I knew the flavors of banana and peanut butter is an outstanding combination – it’s like the perfect after school snack.  Adding chocolate is a no-brainer.  Originally I wanted to frost with peanut butter and cover the top with chocolate ganache – but I just did an almost identical combination two days ago.  Ugh.  Time to try something different.

Frosting with whipped chocolate ganache is a fabulous treatment for this cake.  The colors of the cake, peanut, and whipped chocolate…were essentially the same…a light brown.  Again, I wanted to add much dark chocolate – but, I just did that.

Exploring recipes, I discovered a peanut butter ganache (peanut butter, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla) and said, “Why not?”  It whipped up easily, but I wasn’t crazy about the flavor.  Texture was a bit funny and I’m not sold on it.

Because all the colors were still the same, I gave myself permission to add a dark chocolate drizzle.  Next time, I’ll go with my gut and frost with whipped chocolate and cover with dark chocolate.  It’ll be pretty and quite yummy.

Variation for next time:  Omit chocolate and add bacon crunchies to make this an Elvis Presley Cake.