Banana Chocolate Cake with Peanut Caramel Sauce

Description

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, or line bottom and sides of pan using parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until combined; set aside.

2. Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until a smooth paste forms, about 30 seconds. Add mashed bananas, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla; whisk until fully incorporated and smooth, about 30 seconds.

3. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; whisk until fully combined and no dry patches remain, about 1 minute. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan.

4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool in loaf pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from loaf pan, discarding parchment paper, if used; let cake cool completely on wire rack, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.

5. Bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; cook, undisturbed, until a light amber caramel forms, about 8 minutes, washing down sides of pan using a wet pastry brush as needed to prevent sugar from crystallizing. Remove from heat, and carefully but quickly whisk in cream until mixture is smooth and no longer bubbling. Whisk in peanut butter, vanilla, and salt until combined. Let cool at room temperature, uncovered, at least 10 minutes or up to 3 hours before drizzling over cake.