Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Read reviews (14)

Rate recipe

It's super important to make sure the whipped cream cheese is truly at room temperature before you use it. If not, it chills the softened butter and makes for lumpy frosting. —Jeanne Ambrose, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

[X]

Rate Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Click on stars to rate

Would you make this recipe again?

Write a review

[X]

Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Prep: 45 min. Bake: 45 min. + cooling

Yield: 16 Servings

45 45 90

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 large)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup chopped unsalted pistachios, toasted
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 containers (8 ounces each) whipped cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup baking cocoa
4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Additional chopped unsalted pistachios, toasted, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Fold in 3/4 cup pistachios.
Transfer to two greased and floured 8-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add cocoa; mix until blended. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until creamy.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake. Spread top and sides with 2 cups frosting. Press pistachios into sides of cake if desired.
Cut a small hole in the corner of a large pastry or plastic bag; insert #127 petal pastry tip. Fill the bag with remaining frosting. Pipe concentric circles of frosting over top of cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until frosting is set. Yield: 16 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 slice equals 606 calories, 28 g fat (16 g saturated fat), 111 mg cholesterol, 510 mg sodium, 85 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein.

Originally published as Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting in Taste of Home February/March 2012, p71

Banana Basics

Look for plump bananas that are evenly yellow-colored. Green bananas are under-ripe, while a flecking of brown flecks indicates ripeness. If bananas are too green, place in a paper bag until ripe. Adding an apple to the bag will speed the process. Store ripe bananas at room temperature. To prevent bruises, a banana hook or hanger is a great inexpensive investment. For longer storage, you can place ripe bananas in a tightly sealed plastic bag and refrigerate. The peel will become brown but the flesh will remain unchanged. One pound of bananas equals about 3 medium or 1-1/3 cups mashed.