You can never have too many banana cake recipes. This banana bars recipe is smothered with an easy peanut butter fudge icing… AND feeds a crowd. Perfect for holiday entertaining or a pot luck.
It’s getting to the point where it’s slightly embarrassing how many banana and/or peanut butter cake recipes I have on this blog:
- peanut butter, banana and chocolate chip cake
- banana pistachio cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting
- pineapple, coconut and banana cake (aka Hummingbird cake)
- healthy banana waffles
- sweet and salty peanut butter granola bars (no banana, but very delicious and on the healthier side)
- gluten free banana mug cake with almond butter
I told you…
But I keep posting them because a certain person in our house (who isn’t me) won’t eat bananas as soon as they start to look remotely ripe. He even sometimes puts them in the bin before I can snatch them up and either make something with them or pop them in the freezer for later.
So I do ‘need’ plenty of ripe banana recipes!
What’s so great about this banana slice recipe?
- The recipe makes quite a lot of cake, serving around 20. It would be a perfect pot luck contender for that family gathering or holiday party with friends.
- It’s lovely and moist, like banana cakes should be, but still quite cake-y rather than banana bread-y, if that makes sense. Which is how I imagined it to be (result!).
- The peanut butter fudge icing is to die for – and very easy to make.
- A piece of this banana snack cake is only around 250 calories. Not exactly healthy cake, but not too bad either!
How to make it
This banana slice is really easy to make. You make them like a classic banana cake: cream together butter and sugar, add mashed banana and yoghurt, stir in dry ingredients.
Bake, let cool, then add the quick and easy frosting and decorations!
How to make the icing
The frosting recipe I went for has 5 ingredients in it – just peanut butter, butter, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. But what makes it so easy is the fact that you simply melt the first 4 ingredients together in a saucepan, then stir in the powdered sugar.
No whipping or piping required.
What you end up with is a fudge-y, buttery, peanut butter-y deliciousness to spread thickly over your sheet cake.
Sprinkle over some chopped up peanut butter cups, peanut butter M&Ms, or Reese’s pieces for a bit of extra decadence if you like. You can skip this step if you like, but it isn’t recommended!
More easy snack cake recipes
- Addictive peanut butter cheerio bars
- No bowl chocolate pecan bars
- Rhubarb and ginger oat slices (healthy flapjacks!)
- Easy Italian apple cake
- Healthier double chocolate brownies with avocado
- Or see all of my cakes!
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Banana slice with peanut butter fudge icing
Equipment (affiliate links)
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
For the sheet cake
- 1 1/2 sticks of butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana 2-3 bananas, depending on size
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- 1 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk or sour milk (see note below)
- 2 1/2 cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the peanut butter fudge topping
- 3/4 stick of butter
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- 2 1/2 cups powdered / icing sugar powdered / icing sugar
- 6 peanut butter cups chopped into pieces (optional)
Instructions
- Lightly butter a 9 x 13 inch cake pan / baking dish and preheat the oven to 175C / 350F (170C / 340F fan oven).
- In a food mixer or food processor (or in a bowl with a hand-held electric whisk), soften the butter (about a minute), then add the sugars and cream together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- With the motor / whisk running, add the eggs one by one until combined, then whisk in the mashed banana, vanilla, and milk.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour together with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients (pour wet mixture into a bowl if you’ve used a food processor), mixing until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan / baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out pretty clean. Leave to cool in the pan.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. Combine the butter, milk, peanut butter and vanilla in a saucepan and heat and stir until melted together.
- Slowly add the powdered / icing sugar until you have a smooth and thick frosting. Pour over the cake and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle over the chopped peanut butter cups (if using). Pop the whole pan in the fridge or freezer for a short while to set the frosting a bit, then slice and serve.
Dee says
What is a “stick of butter”…..never heard ovnit before !!
Helen says
Hi Dee! This is one of my older recipes so I’m not sure what I was thinking when I wrote ‘a stick of butter’!!! It’s a common American measurement, but it just means 113 grams (or 4 ounces). Good luck with the recipe! The bars are delicious!
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
Oh… my… gawd! Oh Helen, this looks amazing! I love how banana makes anything you bake so wonderfully moist, and the combo of chocolate and peanut butter – win, win, win!
Helen says
Thanks for your vote of approval, Kathleen! You can’t really go wrong with this combo of ingredients, can you?
Eva says
Miam! Tes photos me donnent envie de plonger dedans l’ordinateur! C’est juste irrésistible! Il faut pas s’excuser pour avoir tant des recettes avec la banane et le peanut butter, c’est tellement bon! x
Helen says
🙂
mira says
Gorgeous and so delicious! Need to try it! Hope you are doing well Helen!
Helen says
Thanks Mira! Doing great, thanks. Hope you and bubs are too!
Bam's Kitchen says
Moist and loving that frosting. I am super glad you have loads of banana and peanut butter cakes on your blog. I have my sights on your banana and pistachio bread! Mmmmmm. Sharing, of course.
Helen says
Oh, do try the banana and pistachio bread, Bam – it’s amazing!
Zainab says
I have been looking for a good banana sheet cake recipe for a while. And I am sure the peanut butter topping here is just an added bonus for my husband!!
Helen says
Hi Zainab! So nice to hear from you! I hope you get around to trying this some time. 🙂
Annie says
I love banana cake. I love peanut butter and banana. However, I have never thought to put them together! Genius! I have to make this!
Helen says
Hi Annie! I hope you’re well. Trust me, the banana-pb combo is perfect!
[email protected] says
Banana and peanut butter are one of the best flavor combinations so there’s nothing wrong with how many desserts you can come up with, them more the better. I live with a peanut butter cup fanatic so I’ll have to make this soon.
Helen says
Agreed! 🙂
Meggan says
I have a special obsessions with banana sheet cakes! Cannot wait to try your PB fudge frosting, Helen. Looks too good for words! <3 Pinned!
Helen says
Thank you, Dear Meggan. I had fun making (and eating!) the frosting.