Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Bacon
The following recipe and photography were provided by our partner, Megan Weimer of Dollop of Dough.
Could there be a better flavor combination than peanut butter, banana, and bacon? If you ask legendary singer Elvis, the answer is most likely no! Inspired by the “Elvis Sandwich,” which features peanut butter, sliced banana, and crispy bacon between two slices of bread, this banana sheet cake is a sweet and salty dream that’s soft, moist, and packed with ripe banana flavor!
Topped with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting and crispy bacon bits, every bite offers the perfect mix of sweeet and salty flavors.
This cake is baked as a sheet cake in a single pan, which makes it easy to prepare and even easier to serve! No layers or fuss here! Just mix, bake, frost, and enjoy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a great way to use bananas before they go bad. When bananas start to turn brown, most people toss them in the garbage or turn them into banana bread. If you’re looking for something new to try, grab your overripe bananas and make this treat. The bananas make the cake sweet and tender while still offering that classic banana bread flavor.
- It’s features a peanut butter cream cheese frosting. If you love classic cream cheese frosting, this recipe is for you! Rich, creamy, and slightly tangy, traditional cream cheese frosting gets a face lift from Heinen’s creamy peanut butter, which brings the nostalgic flavor of a peanut butter and banana sandwich to life.
- It’s topped with crispy bacon. It may sound strange, but smoky bacon is the perfect partner for this sweet cake! In addition to smokiness, a sprinkle of crispy chopped bacon adds a salty crunch that takes this cake over the top.
Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Bacon
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the Banana Cake
- 3 overripe bananas, about 1 ½ cup mashed
- ½ cup Heinen's unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Heinen's brown sugar
- 2 large Heinen's cage free eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup Heinen's whole milk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 4 strips Heinen’s CARE Certified bacon
For the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup Heinen's unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 oz. Heinen’s creamy peanut butter
- 2 ½ cups Heinen's powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
Instructions
For the Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mash 3 overripe bananas in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add the butter and oil to the of a stand mixer and beat for 3 minutes until creamy. A hand mixer can also be used.
- Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating on high until the mixture becomes fluffy with a pearly sheen, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and Greek yogurt.
- Stream in the whole milk and mix in the mashed bananas on low speed.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low until no dry streaks remain.
- Spread the cake batter into the pan. Bake for 28-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- As the cake cools, line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place the bacon on the foil and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until crispy. Set on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the grease.
For the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together with a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium-low speed until creamy. Mix in the creamy peanut butter.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until completely combined and smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add the vanilla and salt and mix well on medium-low speed.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled sheet cake. Spoon dollops of peanut butter on top of the frosting.
- Chop the bacon or crush it in your hands and sprinkle it on top of the cake. Slice and serve!
