Mocha Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Tender banana cake layers with chocolate chip mascarpone filling and mocha buttercream.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (4.2) g salt
- 3/4 cup (169.5 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (73.3 g) light brown sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup (360 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6.3 g) pure vanilla extract
- 3 medium-sized over-ripe bananas, mashed
For the Mascarpone Filling
- 8 oz mascarpone
- 1 cups (125 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- 1 tsp (4.2 g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (170 g) mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (115.5 g) heavy whipping cream
For the Mocha Buttercream
- 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy cream
- 8 ounces Nestle espresso flavored chips FIND HERE
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly chilled
- 5 cups (625 g) cups confectioners' sugar, measured and then sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of coarse salt
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch pans with nonstick cooking spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugars on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next (about 30 seconds). Add the vanilla.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk mixture into the creamed mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated and remove bowl from stand mixer. Using a large stainless steel whisk, stir/whisk the mashed banana into the mixture--you can use use some strength and blend well, ensuring all of the ingredients are well mixed. (If you don't have a large stainless whisk, you can fold the banana mixture in using a rubber spatula until incorporated.)
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans, using a kitchen scale for the best accuracy. (For this recipe, you'll have about 20 ounces of batter in each of the three 8-inch pans).
- Carefully smooth the batter with small offset palette knife, and bake until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Let pans cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks, gently, peeling away parchment rounds. Let cool completely.
- When the cakes are completely cooled, level the cake layers if necessary
- The cake layers can be made up to a week in advance. If you plan to make it in advance, cover each cake layer with two layers of plastic wrap. When you're ready to frost your cake, take the cake layers out of the freezer an hour before you decorate.
For the Mascarpone Filling
- Combine the mascarpone and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until combined, about one minute.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture, followed by the vanilla and chocolate chips. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Mocha Buttercream
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream and the espresso chips on medium-high heat for about a minute. Stir until smooth.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Gradually add the espresso ganache to the butter mixture and beat until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar to the bowl and mix in, slowly at first until incorporated, then increasing the mixer speed to high. Blend in the vanilla extract and salt. Continue to whip on medium-high speed until very fluffy, about 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Continue to mix by hand using a wooden spoon to smooth out air bubbles.
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer, top side up, on a cake board.
- Pipe a rim of mocha buttercream around the cake layer. Evenly spread the half of the mascarpone filling across the cake layer.
- Repeat these steps with the next cake layer and then place the final cake layer, top side down.
- Apply a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze for 10 minutes.
- After the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining buttercream.