Chocolate-Covered Banana Cake with Strawberry Filling & Cream Cheese Frosting
This moist banana cake is filled with a chopped strawberry mixture and decorated with both cream cheese frosting and a rich chocolate ganache.
Prep Time:
20 minutes plus cooling time
Cook Time:
28 to 32 minutes
Serves:
12
Perfect for:
Birthday Parties
Ingredients
- 2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 Tsp. salt
- 1 1/3 Cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 Cup vegetable oil
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Cup buttermilk, divided
- 2 eggs
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 Package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cold
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 3/4 Cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 Package (16 ounces) Driscoll's Strawberries
- 1 Tsp. granulated sugar
- 8 Ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3/4 Cup heavy cream
Directions
- POUR ganache slowly over top of cake in the center and ALLOW ganache to push itself outward to flow over the sides of cake.
- REMOVE stems from remaining strawberries and PRESS gently into ganache on top of cake.
- REFRIGERATE cake at least 30 minutes or until ganache is firm.
- SERVE immediately or STORE cake in refrigerator.
- PREHEAT oven to 375°F.
- BUTTER OR COAT lightly with cooking spray two 8-inch round cake pans.
- LINE bottom of pans with rounds of parchment paper.
- SPRAY paper lightly with cooking spray.
- DUST paper with flour and TAP OUT excess flour.
- PLACE 2 cups all-purpose flour into a medium bowl.
- ADD 1 teaspoon baking soda and ADD 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- WHISK ingredients together and SET ASIDE flour mixture.
- PLACE 1/4 cup vegetable oil into bowl of an electric mixer.
- ADD 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar and BEAT mixture until completely combined.
- ADD 2 eggs, 4 mashed bananas, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- BEAT mixture until completely combined.
- ADD one-third of flour mixture and BEAT on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.
- ADD 1/2 cup buttermilk and BEAT on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.
- ADD half of remaining flour mixture and BEAT on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.
- ADD remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk and BEAT on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.
- ADD remaining flour mixture and BEAT on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.
- DIVIDE batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
- BAKE 28 to 32 minutes or until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- ALLOW cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes then TURN OUT onto wire racks to cool completely.
- PLACE 8 ounces cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer.
- ADD 5 tablespoons butter.
- BEAT on medium-high speed until light and fluffy and SCRAPE sides of bowl as needed.
- ADD 2 ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar gradually while BEATING on low speed.
- ADD 2 tablespoon vanilla extract and BEAT until light and fluffy.
- HULL and DICE half of strawberries.
- ADD 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and STIR strawberry mixture briefly.
- PLACE one cake layer onto a serving platter.
- COVER cake layer with strawberry mixture and TOP top with the second cake layer.
- FROST cake evenly with cream cheese frosting and FINISH frosting as smoothly as possible.
- REFRIGERATE cake at least 1 hour or until frosting is firm.
- PLACE 8 ounces chocolate into a medium bowl and SET ASIDE.
- PLACE ¾ cup heavy cream into a small saucepan and COOK over medium heat just until beginning to steam. Do not overcook.
- POUR hot cream over chocolate and ALLOW mixture to rest about 2 minutes.
- WHISK chocolate mixture gradually until ganache is completely smooth.
- SET ASIDE ganache until somewhat cool yet still pourable.
