Peanut Butter Snack Cake with Banana Buttercream Frosting

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Saturday Market and the first of our farm stands opened today. We were plied with root vegetables, artisinal breads, various goat cheeses and regaled with high spirits all around. These first markets pull all but the cobwebs from homes in our community. It was a good day that held the promise of more to come. Storm fronts moved in and out, and while clothes were dampened, spirits remained high and an atmosphere of la bonne humeur prevailed. I had intended only to buy leeks and radishes, but I was seduced by the color in the flower stalls and came home with a large bouquet of tulips and some fragrant hyacinths as well. It was too crowded to eat in the market, so we headed to our favorite restaurant and had pho before heading to the reservoir. It's a lovely country drive and a nice way to spend an afternoon these first days of spring. We had a late lunch and an even later dinner of Welsh Rarebit, a shaved asparagus salad and small slices of a peanut butter cake that will lead us to perdition if it's allowed to remain in the house. We each had a piece and sent the remainder to neighbors who have teenage sons. I think you'll like this. It is a snack cake, and in my parlance that means it's meant to be enjoyed rather than admired. The cake is made with peanut butter and iced with a buttercream that's made from bananas, cream cheese and more peanut butter. I finished the cake with a sprinkling of chopped salted peanuts and semi-sweet chocolate. It's a nice everyday cake. If you like peanut butter I think you'll enjoy this. Here's the recipe.

Peanut Butter Snack Cake with Banana Buttercream Frosting...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
Frosting
1 -1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon milk
1/2 cup mashed bananas
Topping
1/3 cup chopped salted peanuts
1/3 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Directions:
To make cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together brown sugar, butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into batter alternately with milk. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top of cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make frosting:
Combine powdered sugar, banana, butter, peanut butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat until it begins to turn fluffy. Add vanilla and blend. Add milk, only if necessary to reach spreading consistency.

To assemble:
Spread top of cooled cake with buttercream. Combine nuts and chocolate in a bowl and toss with a fork. Sprinkle over top of cake. Yield: 12 to 16 servings.

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