This moist banana cake is studded with chocolate chips and topped with creamy peanut butter frosting, for a decadent vintage-style treat.
Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
This vintage-style chocolate chip banana cake is the kind of recipe that feels like it came straight from a well-loved family cookbook. It’s soft and moist with a tender crumb, somewhere between a classic sheet cake and a slice of banana bread. Made with real ripe bananas and dotted with rich chocolate chips, every bite is pure dessert bliss.
This simple banana cake tastes fantastic on its own, served unfrosted alongside a cup of coffee. But if you want to turn it into a special occasion dessert, add a thick layer of peanut butter buttercream for a truly decadent treat!
This is one of those dependable recipes you’ll come back to when you’ve got a few bananas to use up and want something a little different than the usual loaf of banana bread. It’s easy to make, easy to share, and just the right balance of comforting and indulgent!
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Ingredients
- Pantry: Yellow cake mix, oil, brown sugar, vanilla paste, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, smooth peanut butter
- Dairy: Greek yogurt, milk, butter
- Refrigerated: Eggs
- Produce: Ripe bananas
Full ingredient amounts and step-by-step directions are available in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- 9 x 13 inch baking pan
- Offset spatula
Instructions
To Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Make the Batter – Add all cake ingredients (except chocolate chips) to a large mixing bowl and whisk until just combined (about 100 strokes). Fold in the chocolate chips with a silicone spatula.
- Bake the Cake – Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake for about 28 minutes at 350°F. When cake is cooked through in the middle, remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the frosting.
- Make the Icing – Add icing ingredients to bowl of stand mixer and blend until well combined and spreadable.
- Frost – Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting in an even layer on top of the completely cooled cake.
Prep Tips
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for the best flavor and natural sweetness. Mash well so they blend smoothly into the batter.
- Frosting: If the frosting is too thick to spread easily on the cake, blend in a little more milk. If it is too thin, add a couple more Tablespoons of powdered sugar. Because the frosting is made with real peanut butter, it may be a little thicker in texture than traditional buttercream. You’re also welcome to swap out your favorite flavor of icing…chocolate frosting is also delicious on banana cake!
- Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2–3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temp before serving for best texture.
More Vintage Cake Recipes To Try:
- Preacher Cake
- Strawberry Cream Chiffon Cake
- S’mores Icebox Cake
- 3 Day Coconut Cake
- Old Fashioned Pound Cake
- Chocolate Depression Cake
- Dirt Cake
- Hershey Bar Cake
Chocolate Chip Banana Cake Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer
- Mixing bowls
- 9 x 13 inch Baking Pan
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 box yellow cake mix 15.25oz box
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/2 cup butter softened, but not melted
Instructions
- To Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add all cake ingredients (except chocolate chips) to a large mixing bowl and whisk until just combined (about 100 strokes).
- Fold in the chocolate chips with a silicone spatula.
- Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake for about 28 minutes at 350°F. You'll know the cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the frosting.
- Add icing ingredients to bowl of stand mixer and blend until well combined and spreadable.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting in an even layer on top of the completely cooled cake.
Notes
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas and mash well for smooth batter.
- Frosting: Thin with milk or thicken with powdered sugar as needed. Peanut butter frosting is naturally thicker; chocolate frosting works too.
- Storage: Store covered 2–3 days at room temp or up to 5 days refrigerated; bring to room temp before serving.
Nutrition
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