Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Cake

Is there a better combination than banana, chocolate and peanut butter?

I've been craving peanut butter and bananas recently, and I've settled for just smearing fresh bananas with the creamy goodness. But my new job at the bakery has left me wanting to make cake all the time, surprisingly enough. So when I got to work this morning and saw all the bananas, I decided on Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting.

I went to open the fridge and saw a batch of chocolate frosting I had made the previous weekend, and was initially bummed I hadn't yet thought of a way to use it.

While the residents were going over the menu, one mentioned that peanut butter in frosting did not sound good. I told her that I had some extra chocolate and I could frost her piece with that instead, but that peanut butter and bananas are delicious together. She said that was true, and that she'd give it a try.

Once again, my chocolate frosting goes unused. I leave it out at room temperature, just in case.

It was not until the cakes are out of the oven and my peanut butter icing is made that I decide to use the chocolate. I used it as the filling between the two layers of cake, then frosted the outside with the peanut butter, and garnished with chocolate chips to tie it all together.

Yummmmm!

Banana Cake

makes 4 8'' cake rounds, or 2 finished cakes

ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 vegetable oil

1 cup water

2 1/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 plain yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup whole milk (minus 1 1/2 teaspoons- I put the apple cider vinegar in the measuring cup, then fill it up to the 1/2 cup mark with milk)

3 large bananas, pureed in a blender

preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 4 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.

If you haven't already, combine apple cider vinegar, vanilla and milk together to curdle.

Melt butter in small saucepan with oil and water.

Sift and combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in the bowl on an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn on low speed to mix.

Slowly pour melted fat mixture into bowl with paddle running at low speed. Scrape bowl and paddle, mix again briefly.

Combine the curdled milk mixture with the eggs and yogurt, and pour into mixer, running at low speed.

Scrap down sides of bowl, add banana and mix again, just to combine thoroughly. (Do not over-mix- this will form gluten and make your cake tough.)

Divide evenly amongst your 4 pans, place in pre-heated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near middle comes out clean.

When cool, un-mold and place one round on a plate, slather with chocolate frosting and stack on the next layer. Frost the entire cake with peanut butter frosting, decorate as you wish. Repeat with second cake.

 Frostings

I didn't follow a recipe or write one down for the frosting. They are easy to make up as you go.

For peanut butter, I used equal parts butter and peanut butter (about 1 cup each), and mixed until smooth, then added a teaspoon of vanilla, and powdered sugar until the desired consistency and flavor was reached.

For chocolate- same thing, just no peanut butter, add about 1/2 cocoa powder, and a few teaspoons of milk

Date Topped Brownies

Now, this making two daily desserts business is not an easy feat. I have to be creative and try new ideas (that don't always work) and keep coming up with new ones. I don't like to do the same dessert twice, even if they love it. I will eventually, but I don't want to get stuck in a rut where I keep baking the same things from my little stockpile of pastries. So I am building a binder, my pastry arts binder, meticulously organized, of all desserts I have tried and that were successes. There are recipes from culinary school, from my grandma, things I've tried at home, and every recipe that has won a victory at work. So onto to the successful experiment of date brownies- who just made it into my binder.

I found dates at work in the dried fruit box. I had already used the dried cranberries, raisins, cherries... So I tasted a date. I'm not sure if I had ever had one before, but this blew my mind. It was a heavenly shriveled up lump of sweetness, and I had to use it.

I usually would use my little iPhone screen to look up recipes, but I didn't have time. It was already 7:00 AM, and the menu goes out by 7:30- and I had breakfast items to prepare. I quickly searched around, saw the cocoa powder, remembered there was some left-over chocolate frosting I was suppose to use, and decided on brownies. At that point I had not decided whether I was going to put them inside or just on top- but I had something to put on the menu.

I would have called these "date brownies," but then the assumption might have been that they are a healthier brownie version- made with "date sugar," and they are not. I'm sure that would be great though, and there are many diabetics amongst the elderly, so I will try (someday) and get back to you with that recipe as well.

Date Topped Brownies

brownies:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
(1/2 cups chopped dates)
frosting:
2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
5 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dates for topping (1 per brownie)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
Mix together oil, sugar and vanilla, then beat in the eggs.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, then stir into sugar mixture.
Stir in chopped dates, if using.
Spread into prepared pan, and bake 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting:
Mix together the cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar.
Cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth, then gradually add sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk.
Add vanilla, then beat until light and fluffy. Consistency may be adjusted with more milk or sugar.

When brownies are cooled, cut into squares, frost and top each with a whole date.

Enjoy with your favorite seniors!