SunButter Banana Layer Cake
I wanted to thank SunButter® for sponsoring this SunButter Banana Layer Cake post! As always, all opinions and ideas are 100% my own.
This beautiful two layer SunButter Banana Layer Cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion! Featuring a moist and tender banana cake that has been combined with SunButter®, to create a cake that is reminiscent of Peanut Butter Banana, but safe for those with nut allergies! This layer cake is finished with a rich chocolate buttercream, which is the perfect pairing for the SunButter and banana flavors!
WHAT IS SUNBUTTER?
SunButter, for those who have never heard of it or had the pleasure of trying it, is a seed-butter spread that is made from sunflower seeds! SunButter is an excellent alternative to nut-butters for any one with allergies, sensitivities, or looking to incorporate a delicious, but healthier alternative to most nut-butters! It has 7g of protein per serving, is jam-packed with vitamins & minerals, and has absolutely no trans-fat and actually has less saturated fat than your typical almond butter!
Check out my SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs or SunButter Salted Caramel Cheesecake if you’re interested in more SunButter recipes!
Making the SunButter Banana Cake Layers
1.Warm SunButter: Add SunButter to a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, and place into the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir.
2. Combine wet ingredients: Add the warm SunButter, oil, brown sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla to a large bowl, then whisk well until smooth and combined.
3. Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the mixture well until everything is well-combined.
4. Add dry to wet: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, then whisk until a smooth batter has formed.
5. Bake: Divide the cake batter between 2 prepared 8” cake pans, then place into the oven to bake! When done, allow the cakes to cool completely, then level them off to prepare them for stacking.
HOW RIPE SHOULD THE BANANAS BE?
It is crucial in this SunButter Banana Layer Cake recipe that you use overripe bananas – that means they should be very brown! Why you ask? Well because the texture is better and they are sweeter! The ripening process for bananas turns the starch molecules into sugar molecules, and the results of this are twofold. Most apparent, is that the bananas become significantly sweeter, but the breaking down of the starch structures also cause the banana to become softer and mushier, which is needed to achieve the right texture for this SunButter Banana Cake!
Don’t have overripe bananas?
Sadly, the only way to ripen bananas quickly is to put them in a brown bag and let them sit. The brown bag allows moisture to escape, while still trapping the ethylene gas in the bag, leading to faster ripening. This should quicken the ripening process by a day or two.
Some people suggest that you can put the bananas in the freezer to ripen quickly, but sadly, this doesn’t work. Freezing the bananas will actually completely stop the ripening process in its tracks! Definitely not what you want. As well, some suggest that baking the banana in the oven until the peel turns black will also result in properly ripe bananas, but this doesn’t work either. Baking the bananas will get you the proper texture (mushy), but the process of baking does not turn the starch molecules into sugar, and as such you will not have the proper sweetness or flavor needed for the SunButter Banana Cake. So, sadly, there is no quick fix for unripe bananas, you have just sit and wait it out.
Get the Recipe: SunButter Banana Layer Cake
Ingredients
SunButter Banana Cake
- 240 g (8.5oz) All Purpose Flour,, about 2 cups measured volumetrically
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2/3 cup Original SunButter
- 3/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 ¼ cups Dark Brown Sugar
- 4 Overripe Medium Bananas,, mashed very smooth
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 ½ tsp Vanilla
Chocolate Buttercream
- 2 cup Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
- 7 cups Confectioners Sugar,, sifted
- 1 cup Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder,, sifted
- 1/2 cup Black Cocoa Powder,, sifted (if you don’t have, substitute with more Dutch Cocoa)
- Pinch of Salt
- 6 – 10 tbsp Hot Coffee
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Instructions
SunButter Banana Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8” springform cake pans with cooking spray and parchment. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until well-combined. Set aside.
- Place SunButter in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, and place into the microwave for 30 seconds to warm. Remove and stir.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add the warm SunButter, sour cream, vegetable oil, brown sugar, smooth mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well-combined and smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients, then whisk until a smooth batter comes together.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans, then place into the oven to bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Add butter to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl. Beat on high until butter is doubled in volume, and looks light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Turn the stand mixer or hand mixer to low and slowly add the confectioners sugar, both cocoa powders and salt. Beat on medium until completely incorporated and smooth.
- Add in the hot coffee, then beat until well-combined and fully incorporated.
Stacking & Decorating the SunButter Banana Cake
- Level off each of the cake layers to remove any doming from the cakes.
- Place one cake layer onto your serving plate or onto a cardboard cake circle. Spread an even layer of buttercream, about 1″ to 1 ½” thick, across the top of the layer.
- Add the second layer on top, then repeat step 2 and also frost the outside of the cake. Decorate the top with anything you’d like!
