Peanut butter banana cake is a great alternative to banana bread. As much as I love banana bread, I needed to change it up. I had some bananas that were on the way out. I needed to do something different. Siena had been asking for cake so I took the bread idea and decided to expand it to cake. However, I feel like this would work well as a bread. I love the combination of peanut butter and bananas. The chocolate icing just makes it extra special. I also added a little bit of brewed coffee to the icing and I think it makes a BIG difference.

Peanut Butter Banana Cake with Chocolate Buttermilk Icing

ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

• 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 3 eggs

• 2 tbsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup peanut butter

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 1 1/4 cups of flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp salt

  Chocolate Buttermilk Icing

• 1/4 cup butter

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/3 cup buttermilk

• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, about 3 1/2 cups

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp brewed coffee

  (icing recipe adapted by the Spruce Eats)

instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x12 baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl mash 3 bananas, then add the melted butter and stir to incorporate.

3. Then add in the brown sugar. With a hand mixer on medium/low speed cream together all ingredients until incorporated. Then add in the peanut butter, eggs, vanilla extract, maple syrup and milk. Blend until smooth, but do not over mix. About 3 minutes.

4. In a medium size bowl whisk together your dry ingredients. The flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

5. Then add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir them together gently with a rubber spatula. Again, try not too mix to long, just enough that ingredients are combined.

6. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Smooth with the back of the spatula!

7. Place in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean when you place it in the middle of the cake. Oven times vary so start checking the cake at 30 min.

8. Let the cake cool before putting the icing on. Also, wait ten minutes or so before trying to take it out of the pan.

   Icing

   1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, and buttermilk. Whisk together well and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat.

   2. Sift confectioners' sugar and add it to the cocoa and buttermilk mixture along with vanilla and coffee. Whisk until smooth, adding more buttermilk or confectioners' sugar, as needed.

   3. Ice the cake with the warm icing. I found as as the icing cooled and dried it hardened nicely over the cake.

RECIPE NOTES: When taking the cake out of the pan run the dull edge of butter knife around the perimeter to help loosen but not damage your pan!

Also, buttermilk may not be readily available in your home. You may substitute with sour cream or yogurt! Combine 3/4 cup of sour cream or yogurt with 1/4 cup of water. This is for every 1 cup of buttermilk. Tip via Spruce Eats.