Banana Pecan Snack Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Perfectly moist and tender, this cake features buttermilk, ripe fresh banana, and toasted pecans. Cake layers topped with a light coat of chocolate frosting. A great cake for snacking or serving at a casual get-together.
Equipment
- two (8-inch) round cake pans
Ingredients
Banana Pecan Cake:
- 100 grams cake flour (1 cup)
- 85 grams all-purpose flour (2/3 cup)
- 5 grams baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- 1 gram baking powder (1/4 teaspoon)
- 3 grams fine sea salt (1/2 teaspoon)
- 60 grams egg white (from 2 large eggs)
- 100 grams granulated sugar (1-1/2 cups)
- 113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick)
- 40 grams egg yolk (from 2 large eggs)
- 2 each ripe bananas, mashed
- 120 grams buttermilk (1/2 cup)
- 60 grams chopped pecans, toasted (1/2 cup)
Chocolate Frosting:
- 113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick)
- 250 grams powdered sugar (2 cups)
- 30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (1/4 cup)
- 15 grams heavy cream (1 tablespoon)
- 2 grams vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon)
Garnish:
- 30 grams chopped pecans, toasted (1/4 cup)
- 45 grams shaved dark chocolate (1/4 cup)
Instructions
Banana Pecan Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of two (8-inch) round cake pans. Line the bottoms of both pans with parchment paper rounds.
- Add cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt to small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add the egg whites to stand mixer. Beat on high to soft peaks. Transfer egg whites to small bowl. Set aside.
- Add granulated sugar and butter to stand mixer. Beat on medium for 2 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolks to sugar mixture. Beat on low until combined.
- Add mashed bananas to sugar mixture. Beat on low until combined.
- Add buttermilk to sugar mixture. Beat on low until combined.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer. Add flour mixture and chopped toasted pecans and fold in using a large spatula, just until combined. Avoid over mixing.
- Fold in reserved egg whites.
- Transfer cake batter to prepared cake pans. Bake cake layers in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cakes are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cake pans from oven and cool on wire racks for 15 minutes. Invert pans and remove cakes. Cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Frosting:
- Add softened unsalted butter to stand mixer. Beat on medium high for 5 minutes. Scrape down stand mixer bowl, if necessary.
- Add powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder to stand mixer. Beat on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium high and beat for 5 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and vanilla bean paste and beat on low for 1 minute.
- Apply light coats of frosting to the top of both layers. Arrange one layer on top of another.
Garnish:
- Top frosting with additional chopped toasted pecans and shaved chocolate. Serve at room temperature.