Chocolate-Peanut Butter Banana Upside-Down Cake

A few weeks ago a promised you that I would only be sharing recipes that are summer-worthy, such as things that do not require turning on the oven or calorific bikini-busters.

Well, I may have lied a little bit.

Ok, a lot a bit.

Because this cake that I'm about to share the recipe for is completely the opposite of all those things.

But it is so unique, so "what-the-heck-is-that-it-looks-delicious", that you will forget that you're mad at me for going against my word, and want to jump through the computer screen and hug me for not keeping it to myself.

Just look at this thing.

It's a got chocolate. Peanut butter. Caramelized bananas. And butter. Lots of butter. It's a bikini season nightmare and a potluck season dream.

So here's what I recommend: Crank up the air conditioning and turn on the oven. Check the weather forecast and plan on making this during a particularly rainy week when you will not be exposing your mid-section poolside.

Then cut yourself a {moderately sized} slice of this, take a bite, and try to tell me you're still mad at me. 😉

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Banana Upside-Down Cake
Slightly Adapted from Food & Wine

2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk {I used almond milk & it was still great}
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
¾ cup peanut butter {chunky or smooth, it's up to you}
1 cup brown sugar
4 bananas, halved lengthwise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cream one stick of butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth and spreadable. Spread in a smooth layer onto the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish {glass if you have it, otherwise an aluminum one will do}. Arrange bananas {cut side down} on top of butter and sugar mixture. Set aside.

Combine 1 ½ sticks of butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and incorporate well after each addition. Add vanilla. 

Add flour & milk in 3 additions, alternating between the two.  {I do flour, ½ of milk, flour, rest of milk, flour.}

Transfer about ¼ of the batter into a separate bowl. Fold in melted chocolate until well incorporated. Set aside.

Add peanut butter to the remainder of the batter, and incorporate fully.

Drop spoonfuls of peanut butter batter into baking dish on top of butter/banana mixture. Fill in the gaps with the chocolate batter. Swirl batters together lightly with the tip of a knife to create a marbelized effect.

Bake for approximately 1 hour or until the tip of a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Invert onto platter carefully. {Be careful, the butter & sugar have formed a sticky caramel sauce and is hot!}

Devour. 😉