Vegan Banana Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

Vegan banana cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting-easy to make, fluffy, moist banana cake filled with smooth, creamy peanut butter and chocolate buttercream. The perfect cake for all occasions! 

The buttercream is light and creamy and has a delicious chocolate peanut butter flavour. Obviously both of those ingredients work really well with banana, making this cake incredibly moreish!

Due to the Corona virus situation, working hour has been cut short therefore not taken any fruits to work. The bananas ripen so quickly that we are unable to eat them all before they get too ripe. When the bananas is full with black spots, to me they are excellent for baking! You can decorate the cake with chocolate curls and banana chips. Unfortunately mine is without the banana chips, none in the larder and it is not essential to go out just to get the chips :(

Ingredients:

• 285g plain flour, sifted
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼  tsp salt
• 3 medium very ripe mashed bananas
• 200g light brown sugar
• 135ml sunflower oil
• 90ml unsweetened plant milk, soy or almond
• 1½ white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Buttercream:

• 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
• 75g dairy free margarine
• 75g vegetable shortening
• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder,sifted
• 75g smooth, creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• a drop of non-dairy milk, if needed

Method:

Preheat oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan oven. Grease 2 x20cm/8" cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.

Whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt on low speed until well combined. 

Whisk together the mashed banana, light brown soft sugar, sunflower oil, plant milk, white wine vinegar and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix or the cake can become tough.

Divide the batter evenly between the tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until firm to touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the buttercream: Melt the chocolate, either in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring regularly. Set aside to cool a little.

Place the margarine and vegetable shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until smooth. Add the sifted icing sugar and mix on a low speed until combined then turn the mixer up to a high speed and whisk for a coupe of minutes until fluffy.

Whisk in the cocoa powder and melted chocolate followed by the peanut butter, vanilla extract and salt. If it is too thick, you can whisk in a drop of non-dairy milk.

Place one of the cooled cakes on a serving platter or cake stand and spread over some of the buttercream. Place the other cake layer on top and cover the top and sides of the cake with buttercream.

Decorate with banana chips and chocolate curls if desired. Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 5 days (keep in the fridge if it is hot out)

Enjoy!