I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this fantastic Banana Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting. Did I say, LOVE??? 🙂 The Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting is to die for–I mean it is nothing short of amazing! If you like chocolate and if you like nuts this cake is for you. It’s loaded with two kinds of nuts: pecans and almonds–although the original recipe used black walnuts and almonds. Either way is delicious. The Banana Cake itself is very moist with its buttermilk base and the Chocolate Frosting uses marshmallow creme which just increases the flavor exponentially. All I can say is yum!

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Back in the early 1990s when we lived in Worcester, Massachusetts, our next door neighbor took a vacation during the summer and asked us to keep an eye on their house and get the mail. We were glad to do it. After they got back, Gladys brought over this spectacular cake, decorated pretty much as you see mine.

The cake was so fantastic I marched over the next day and asked for the recipe! Gladys was happy to oblige me. I’ve made that recipe many, many times over the years. I’ve used the frosting recipe for cupcakes, cookies and other cakes as well as this one. Even after all these years, Banana Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting is still probably one of my favorite desserts. It is so mouthwatering. I drool over every single bite!

I will say making the frosting is a little tricky and takes a little patience. You start with mixing the dry ingredients and then add only enough milk to make it barely spreadable. Then you add Crisco shortening and marshmallow creme. If you add too much milk to begin with then when you add the shortening and marshmallow creme it will become too thin and will drip all over the cake instead of staying on the cake!

This is the voice of experience talking. 🙁 It’s easier to add a little more milk after you add the shortening and marshmallow creme if it’s still too thick but you can’t take it out. You end up having to keep adding and adding and adding powdered sugar to get the right consistency otherwise. So to eliminate that headache follow my suggestions and you should be okay.

If you’re looking for a sensational cake to WOW your company, this elegant recipe will certainly do it. Quite frankly, I make the recipe for ME as much as I’ve ever made it for company because I enjoy it so much. 🙂 While this cake is good with ice cream, I prefer it without so I can savor the chocolate frosting instead. Give this recipe a try sometime, and you will drool with me.

Banana Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting is one of my favorite cake recipes.

We love the Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting. It’s so good I’ve used it on cookies, cupcakes and other cake recipes.

We love all the nuts in this recipe. They add wonderful taste and crunchiness.

Banana Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting is the perfect dessert for company, holidays like Valentine’s Day or Easter, and potlucks!

Here’s what I did.

These are the ingredients I used in making the cake. I try to use very ripe or overripe bananas in the cake.

Mix sugar, Crisco shortening and eggs. Mix with an electric mixer to combine.

Add mashed bananas, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk or soured milk. Mix again with an electric mixer to combine.

Add UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour. Bleached flour toughens baked goods. Add nuts. I’ve used walnuts and pecans. The original recipe called for black walnuts.

Stir ingredients with a wooden spoon to combine.

Grease and flour three layer cake pans. Measure out cake batter evenly among the three pans.

Bake at 350 about 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. I think my cake layers actually took close to 40 minutes before they were done. Cool completely.

While cakes are baking prepare frosting: these are the ingredients I used for the frosting.

Mix powdered sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir to combine.

Add vanilla. Add milk a few tablespoonfuls at a time until you get ALMOST the right spreading consistency. The frosting should be pretty stiff and thick when you finish. I ended up using about 18 tablespoonfuls of milk. Use a whisk to work the ingredients together.

Now whisk in the Crisco shortening and the marshmallow creme. If you find the icing is still a little too thick go ahead and add another teaspoon or so of milk until the frosting spreads well, but doesn’t ooze. It’s got to have body or it will basically just drip off the cake.

Here I’ve frosted the first layer.

Add the second layer of cake and secure the cake with toothpicks. Push them down into the cake until the tops of the toothpicks don’t stick out above the second layer of cake. (You will do the same thing when you add the third layer). Spread frosting on this layer.

Here, I’ve secured the third layer of cake with toothpicks and frosted the top and sides of the cake.

Sprinkle almonds on top of the cake. To serve: garnish with whole strawberries. Words cannot adequately express just how mouthwatering this fantastic cake is.

Doesn’t Banana Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting look marvelous?

I ate way too many “slabs” of this sensational cake.

Banana Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting is sensational. 

Here’s the recipe.

BANANA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

(Recipe adapted from Gladys Urbsis, my next-door-neighbor in Worcester, MA)

Banana Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting

Teresa Ambra

Sensational banana cake with nuts, then topped with a chocolate marshmallow frosting to die for. This cake is garnished with sliced almonds and strawberries for a dramatic presentation. It is lovely and elegant for company, holiday baking or special occasions.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cheesecakes, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16

Calories 615 kcal

Equipment

• 2 large mixing bowls
• 1 electric mixer
• 2 wooden spoons
• 1 whisk
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 nut chopper if your nuts are not pre-chopped
• 3 9-inch round layer cake pans
• toothpicks to hold the cake together when assembling
• 1 plate to mash bananas on
• 1 fork to mash bananas

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

BANANA CAKE:

• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening no substitutes
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk
• 3 large ripe bananas mashed
• 1 cup walnuts chopped (measure after chopping)

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:

• 1 1/2 lbs. powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups 2% Milk to make a spreading consistency – I used about 18-20 tablespoonfuls (see directions below)
• 3/4 cup Crisco shortening no substitutes
• 3/4 cup marshmallow crème
• 1 cup almonds sliced, for garnish, if desired
• 4 strawberries for garnish, if desired

Instructions

 

BANANA CAKE:

• Grease and flour 3 9”layer pans or 9x13” oblong pan.
• Mash bananas on a plate with a fork; set aside.
• Cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy.
• Add bananas, buttermilk, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix again with an electric mixer.
• Stir in flour and walnuts with a wooden spoon and combine.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake layer pans for 25-30 minutes at 350° or oblong pan 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool completely before spreading with frosting.

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:

• Mix powdered sugar, cocoa and salt.
• Add vanilla and a few tablespoonfuls of milk at a time to get just barely enough for spreading consistency.
• I started with 4 tbsp., then I worked in 4 more tablespoonfuls, then another 4 tbsp. and finally another 4. Then I stopped ! (It will be hard to stir).
• If you add TOO much milk you will thin the frosting too much and have to keep adding more powdered sugar to thicken it up. You will hardly be able to stir this but use enough milk to just moisten the dry ingredients.
• Then add shortening and marshmallow crème and whisk ingredients to incorporate.
• This will make the frosting of proper spreading consistency.
• This is enough frosting for a generous amount of frosting on each layer, sides and top.
• After frosting cake, sprinkle top of cake with sliced almonds and place whole strawberries on top.

Notes

NOTE: When placing the second and third layers of cake on top, secure each layer with about 6 toothpicks inserted about an inch from the edge around the cake and one in the center. Push the toothpicks down into the previous layer. This will prevent the top layers of the cake from slipping off the bottom layers!

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 91gProtein: 7gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 246mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 4gSugar: 70gVitamin A: 90IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 2mg

Keyword almonds, bananas, cake, chocolate, chocolate dessert, dessert

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Are you salivating yet? I’m starting to feel like Pavlov’s dogs!

Banana Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting is a great dessert for company, special occasions, and holidays. If you love chocolate and enjoy nuts, this cake is for you!

I’ve reserved a piece for you!

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Banana Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting

Teresa Ambra

Sensational banana cake with nuts, then topped with a chocolate marshmallow frosting to die for. This cake is garnished with sliced almonds and strawberries for a dramatic presentation. It is lovely and elegant for company, holiday baking or special occasions.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cheesecakes, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16

Calories 615 kcal

Equipment

• 2 large mixing bowls
• 1 electric mixer
• 2 wooden spoons
• 1 whisk
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 nut chopper if your nuts are not pre-chopped
• 3 9-inch round layer cake pans
• toothpicks to hold the cake together when assembling
• 1 plate to mash bananas on
• 1 fork to mash bananas

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

BANANA CAKE:

• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening no substitutes
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk
• 3 large ripe bananas mashed
• 1 cup walnuts chopped (measure after chopping)

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:

• 1 1/2 lbs. powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups 2% Milk to make a spreading consistency – I used about 18-20 tablespoonfuls (see directions below)
• 3/4 cup Crisco shortening no substitutes
• 3/4 cup marshmallow crème
• 1 cup almonds sliced, for garnish, if desired
• 4 strawberries for garnish, if desired

Instructions

 

BANANA CAKE:

• Grease and flour 3 9”layer pans or 9×13” oblong pan.
• Mash bananas on a plate with a fork; set aside.
• Cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy.
• Add bananas, buttermilk, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix again with an electric mixer.
• Stir in flour and walnuts with a wooden spoon and combine.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake layer pans for 25-30 minutes at 350° or oblong pan 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool completely before spreading with frosting.

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:

• Mix powdered sugar, cocoa and salt.
• Add vanilla and a few tablespoonfuls of milk at a time to get just barely enough for spreading consistency.
• I started with 4 tbsp., then I worked in 4 more tablespoonfuls, then another 4 tbsp. and finally another 4. Then I stopped ! (It will be hard to stir).
• If you add TOO much milk you will thin the frosting too much and have to keep adding more powdered sugar to thicken it up. You will hardly be able to stir this but use enough milk to just moisten the dry ingredients.
• Then add shortening and marshmallow crème and whisk ingredients to incorporate.
• This will make the frosting of proper spreading consistency.
• This is enough frosting for a generous amount of frosting on each layer, sides and top.
• After frosting cake, sprinkle top of cake with sliced almonds and place whole strawberries on top.

Notes

NOTE: When placing the second and third layers of cake on top, secure each layer with about 6 toothpicks inserted about an inch from the edge around the cake and one in the center. Push the toothpicks down into the previous layer. This will prevent the top layers of the cake from slipping off the bottom layers!

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 91gProtein: 7gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 246mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 4gSugar: 70gVitamin A: 90IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 2mg

Keyword almonds, bananas, cake, chocolate, chocolate dessert, dessert

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!