Peanut Butter Banana Cake With Whipped Ganache

Moist and dense banana cake is filled and frosted with peanut butter buttercream and decorated with whipped chocolate ganache making this Peanut Butter Banana Cake with Whipped Ganache a seriously delicious indulgence. 

Ingredients :

• 3 cups plain flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup bananas, mashed (about 4 medium banana)
• 115g butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Peanut Butter Buttercream

• 227g butter, softened
• 227g shortening
• 450g peanut butter 
• 5 cups icing sugar

Whipped ganache:

• 340g semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup double cream 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C for fan assist oven.

Line the bottom of 2 x 9" cake pans with parchment paper and grease the pans, set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. 

In a bowl cream together butter, oil, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, combining well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and bananas until combined. 

Starting with flour alternate adding the flour and buttermilk into the wet mixture until everything is combined. 

Piur batter even,y into baking pans and bake for about 50 minutes or until centre is set.

Remove from oven and let cool in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile to make the buttercream, in a large bowl mix together butter and shortening until fluffy. Add peanut butter and continue to mix until blended and creamy. Add 1 cup at a time the icing sugar until you reach your desired consistency. 

To assemble the cake: split each cake in half using cake leveller or serrated knife, add the bottom later to a turntable and top with about 3/4 cup buttercream and smooth out the edges. Repeat for all layers. 

Once you place the top layer on pipe remaining frosting onto sides with a long flat ribbon tip and smooth out over sides and top. Place in refrigerator to chill.

Meanwhile to make the ganache, place your chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Place double cream in a pan and heat until about to boil, then remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Cover for 5 minutes. Stir the cream and chocolate until all melted and blended. Let it cool for a few minutes to thicken a bit.

Remove cake from the fridge and spoon a little of your ganache over the edges of your cake so it drips down the sides, place back in the fridge.

Place the ganache in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until completely cool, once cooled remove and using a hand mixer start to whip your ganache until it becomes light and fluffy ( about 5 minutes).

Place whipped ganache in a pipping bag fitted with a large star tip, remove the cake from the fridge once again and pipe desired design on cake.