Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake with Bananas and Chocolate Whipped Cream Icing

Last Weeks Sundays with Joy recipe was Peanut Butter Birthday Cake. I didn't have anyone's birthday to celebrate but who really needs a reason to make a cake. Well we did a have a reason actually it is my foster son's 2nd year anniversary in my home. What better way to celebrate than with cake!

As most of you know by now I am trying to lose weight and get my blood pressure down. So I have been making substitutions in many recipes to make them a little healthier.

Here is my take on Joy's Peanut Butter Birthday Cake. You can find the original recipe in her cookbook Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake 

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup peanut butter

6 tbsp non fat greek yogurt

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup plus 2 tbsp buttermilk

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8" (or 9") cake pans. Set Aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set ASide

In the bowl for an electric mixer, combine greek yogurt, apple sauce, peanut butter and brown sugar, until mixed well.

Add one egg at a time and beat for 1 minute between each egg. Add vanilla.

Add 1/2 flour and mix until combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

Add all the buttermilk slowly while beating on medium speed. 

Add the rest of the flour and mix until combined.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Divide cake batter evenly between the cake pans and tap each on the counter to settle the batter.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Icing

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted (or more if desired)

1/4 cup coco powder, sifted

1 tsp vanilla

Pour cream into electric mixer bowl. Beat on medium high until cream begins to thicken. Add vanilla, icing sugar and coco powder. Beat until light and fluffy.

To assemble the cake

Place one cake on the platter. Spoon 1/2-3/4 cup of icing onto cake and smooth out over later. Slice banana and place in layer on top of icing. Place 2nd layer on top. Cover cake with remaining icing.

Sundays with Joy - Avocado Pound Cake

I made lunch for over 15 of my coworkers earlier this week. I decided that it would be a good time to catch up on some of my Sundays with Joy recipes. I decided to try the Avocado Pound Cake, because it was the most recommended by the ladies in the group. I also made Pumpkin Black and White cookies and mini pumpkin pies. For lunch I made pulled pork, for the non pork eater I made Buffalo Chicken and the vegetarian got Sweet Potato White Bean Burgers. 

There is not much to say about the Avocado Pound Cake except that it is AWESOME!! Moist and flavorful  a little crunchy on the outside and I didn't have problems with mine falling in the middle (some others noted this issue). Next time I would make my usual substitutions of using 1/2 greek yogurt for butter, apple sauce for sugar( I would prob use 1/2 apple sauce as it may be too moist with the amount of sugar used) and using whole wheat flour.

I did not make any changes to her recipe! So those of you who want to try it will have to check out Joy the Baker Cookbook or Joy the Baker's blog! as it is on there as well.