This cake started out as a Birthday cake for my sister. It has now become a family favourite with everyone asking me to make it no matter what the occasion. I gave the cake a crumb coat with the PNB frosting but it's equally delicious served with naked sides.
250g unsalted butter, softened
100g brown sugar
150g caster sugar
5 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
300g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 heaped tbsp of peanut butter
Buttercream
450g unsalted butter, softened
700g icing sugar
3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp salted peanuts
14 chocolate buttons
2 tbsp salted peanuts
14 chocolate buttons
You will also need 4x7inch sandwich tins, greased and lined.
Preheat the oven 170ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3
In a large bowl or free-standing machine, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time.
Carefully fold in the flour and baking powder until combined.
Mix the peanut-butter together with the mashed banana and swirl into the batter.
Divide the batter equally between the prepared tins and spread level with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven, on the middle shelf, for 22-30 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes away clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. If the cakes begin to brown too quickly, cover with foil.
Mix the peanut-butter together with the mashed banana and swirl into the batter.
Divide the batter equally between the prepared tins and spread level with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven, on the middle shelf, for 22-30 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes away clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. If the cakes begin to brown too quickly, cover with foil.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes and then carefully transfer on to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat the butter in a bowl, or free-standing machine, until smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar and peanut butter, beat on slow speed to combine.
Once the cakes have cooled sandwich together with 2/3 of the buttercream, then pipe little blobs of the remaining buttercream onto the top of the cake and decorate with the peanuts and chocolate buttons.