Peanut Butter~Banana Jam Cake with Brown Butter Icing

One of the key elements in making a recipe, for me, is history and tradition.  A jam cake fits that bill with over a hundred years of being made in America.  Most of the cakes I've sampled, here in the Pacific Northwest, have had blackberry jam in the middle...and I love them.  However, strawberry jam is one of my favorites and definitely one I made a lot of jars of with my mother, so today after making a batch of jam, I decided on creating my own version of a jam cake.

It didn't take me long to come up with a cake to "sandwich" the strawberry jam filling; I had one banana sitting on the counter for three days and it was apparent my hubby wasn't going to be using it on his cereal:-D  Since I didn't think one banana would make enough statement, I relied on my own childhood memories of peanut butter and banana sandwiches and added peanut butter to the batter.  To top the cake off, I made a brown butter icing to pour on and flow over the sides. A wonderful cake I'm sure to make again!

Peanut Butter~Banana Jam Cake with Brown Butter Icing
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 banana, peeled and mashed
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk*

3/4 to 1 cup jam (your favorite)

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Grease and flour two 8-inch round baking pans.

In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the mashed banana, peanut butter and vanilla, then, mix again.  Scrape down the sides as needed.

Add the dry ingredients and turn mixer on low.  Slowly add the buttermilk while mixing the batter.  Scrape down the sides once again.

Divide the batter between the two baking pans and bake for 28 to 30 minutes.  Test with a wooden skewer to make sure the center in done.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Turn out one of the layers on a rack covered with wax paper or parchment, the other onto a serving plate.

I chose my Grandma Gladys' Depression Glass Cake Plate

 Brown Butter Icing
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cook over low heat until golden brown (about 8-10 minutes)
Transfer the butter to a bowl of your stand mixer to cool.

2 cups confectioners' sugar
Scant 1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Add the confectioners' sugar to the mixing bowl and while it's running, add the almost all of theheavy cream and the vanilla.  The icing should be soft and somewhat "flowing."

 To assemble the cake...
Spoon jam on the serving plate cake layer, spread almost to the end--remember the jam will spread more when the top layer is added.

Add the top layer, then, spoon the entire icing on top, allowing it to cascade over the sides.  Use an off-set spatula to spread smoothly.

All the combinations of a childhood memory in one dessert--Enjoy!!