Instructions

BANANA CAKE

1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
   
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
   
3. Add bananas to the bowl of a stand mixer and on medium speed, mix until the bananas have broken down to a purée. Scrape out the puréed bananas into a separate bowl and set aside.
   
4. Add the butter and sugar to the same mixer bowl and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
   
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Add the puréed bananas and mix on low speed until incorporated. (The batter will start to curdle. That’s okay. Once the dry ingredients are added it will balance out.)
   
6. Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and with a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the flour mixture until no more streaks of flour remain. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
   
7. Evenly divide the cake batter between prepared cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
   
8. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 30 minutes, then invert them on to cooling racks to cool completely.
   
   

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM FILLING

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a little at a time. Once the powdered sugar is combined, increase the speed to medium and beat until light and airy, about 2 minutes.
   

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute, until smooth. Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
   
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar, and mix on low speed to combine. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high speed and beat for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream and mix on low speed for 30 seconds until incorporated. Add more cream if your frosting is not smooth enough.
   
3. Store the frosting at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
   

ASSEMBLE

1. Center the first cake layer on an 8-inch round cake board and place on a cake turntable. Fit a piping bag with a coupler or round piping tip and fill with peanut butter frosting. Pipe a frosting dam around the edge of the cake layer. Add about 2/3 cup peanut butter cream filling on top and spread evenly with a small offset cake spatula until it reaches the frosting dam. Place the second cake layer on top and pipe another frosting dam around the edge of the cake layer and fill with another 2/3 cup peanut butter cream filling. Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
   
2. Place the third cake layer on top (bottom side up) and spread a thin layer of peanut butter frosting over the top and sides of the cake creating a crumb coat. Chill the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
   
3. Line a round 8-inch acrylic disk with parchment paper, attaching the paper with a bit of frosting. Apply a generous amount of frosting on top of the cake and spread out evenly with a cake spatula. Place the disk on top of the cake (parchment paper side down), making sure to line the disk up with the bottom cake board. Apply more frosting to the sides of the cake as evenly as possible. (I like to use a piping bag to apply the frosting. You can use the same piping bag that you used for the frosting dam.) Using a metal cake scraper, heated with hot water, then wiped dry; smooth the sides of the cake by carefully placing the scraper onto the acrylic disk and bottom cake board and turn the cake turntable to smooth the frosting. Place excess frosting back into the mixer bowl to use for decorating. Continue to smooth the sides, filling in any gaps as needed. Once the frosting on the sides of the cake is smooth, place in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, before removing the acrylic disk.
   
4. Carefully insert an offset spatula under the acrylic disk, but over the parchment paper and carefully rotate the turntable until the disk releases. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. Fill in any gaps on the top of the cake with frosting and smooth where needed. Place the cake in the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate glaze.
   

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

1. Place chocolate and heavy cream in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is smooth and completely melted. Cool chocolate glaze for 15 to 20 minutes before using.
   
2. Using a spoon, carefully drip the chocolate off the sides of the cake. Pour remaining chocolate on top of the center of the cake and using a small offset spatula, spread the chocolate out until it meets the chocolate drips and is smooth. Return the cake to the refrigerator to set the chocolate glaze for 15 minutes.
   
3. Fit a piping bag with Ateco piping tip #827 and fill with frosting. Pipe frosting swirls on the top edge of the cake. Add a few mini peanut butter cups on top. Carefully transfer cake to a cake stand and place banana chips around the bottom edge of the cake. Fit a piping bag with piping tip #1M and fill with frosting. Pipe shells around the bottom edge of the cake and serve.
   
   

Instructions

CAKE

1. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and set aside.
   
2. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Then whisk to combine.
   
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low speed and slowly pour the oil into the mixture until combined. On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the champagne in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing until just barely blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. The batter will be thin. Mix in pink gel food coloring on low speed. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter together to be sure you don’t over mix.
   
4. Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached; rotating pans halfway through baking. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in their pans on wire racks for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto wire racks and let cool completely.
   

VANILLA BEAN PASTRY CREAM

1. In a medium saucepan, add half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla bean seeds and salt to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
   
2. Meanwhile, combined the egg yolks, cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
   
3. Whisk in about 1 cup of the half-and-half mixture into the yolk mixture to temper. Slowly whisk in the tempered egg mixture into remaining half-and-half mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is thick and bubbles start to pop on the surface, about 30 seconds.
   
4. Remove from the heat and remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the butter. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours or up to 2 days.
   

CHAMPAGNE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour in the egg whites and sugar and whisk by hand until combined. Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place mixer bowl on top, being sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water and attach a candy thermometer.
   
2. Whisking occasionally, heat the egg mixture until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Once the mixture reaches 160 degrees, transfer to a stand mixer and beat the mixture on high speed for 10 minutes or until medium-stiff peaks form. At this point the outside of the mixer bowl should be room temperature. Switch out the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment and with the mixer on low speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, and then add the vanilla extract and champagne. Once combined, turn up the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is smooth about 5 minutes. Add gel food color to the buttercream a little at a time. (I used a mix of blue and green to create teal.)
   

ASSEMBLE

1. Place a nonslip mat on top of a cake turntable and place an 8-inch cake board on top. Center the first cake layer on top of the cake board, making sure there's even spacing from all around the edges. Fit a piping bag with a coupler or round piping tip and pipe a buttercream dam around the cakes edge. Spread about 2/3 cup pastry cream over the top of the cake in an even layer with a small offset spatula. (Don’t overfill the cake, or the cake layers will start sliding.) Place the second cake layer on top and pipe another buttercream dam around the edge. Spread another 2/3 cup pastry cream over the top of the cake in an even layer. Add the third and final cake layer (bottom side up) on top and gently press to adhere.
   

CRUMB COAT

1. Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, creating a crumb coat. Chill the crumb coated cake in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
   

DECORATE

1. Apply a large dollop of buttercream on top of the cake and spread out evenly. Line an 8-inch round acrylic disc with parchment paper with a bit of buttercream. Line up the acrylic disc with the bottom cake board and gently press on to the top of the cake to adhere. Cover the sides of the cake with more buttercream and gently press a cake scraper against the acrylic disc and bottom cake board and slowly rotate the cake turntable all the way around to create a smooth finish on the side of the cake. Fill in any gaps in the buttercream with more buttercream and continue to rotate the cake turntable with the cake scraper until smooth.
   
2. Carefully pick up the cake with one hand, over a rimmed baking sheet. With the other hand, apply sprinkles to the bottom sides of the cake. To strategically place sprinkles on the upper sides, use your finger to apply each sprinkle one at a time, being careful that your finger doesn’t touch the cake (only the sprinkle should touch the cake). If the sprinkles won’t stick to your finger, you can press your finger on to a moist towel so the sprinkle with attach to your finger. Once the bottom and sides are covered with sprinkles, chill the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes.
   
3. Insert a small offset cake spatula under the acrylic disc, but over the parchment paper and slowly rotate the turntable until the disc releases. Peel off the parchment paper.
   
4. Apply more buttercream to the top of the cake to fill in any gaps if needed and smooth the surface with a cake spatula. Fit a piping bag with Wilton piping tip #1M and fill with remaining buttercream. Pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake and top with more sprinkles. Carefully transfer to a cake pedestal and serve.