• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Start here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop

The Bake School

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start here
    • Baking 101
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Cake recipes

    Published on: August 1, 2011 by Janice; Updated on: February 7, 2022 21 Comments

    How to make a monkey cake

    1.0K shares
    • Facebook336
    • Yummly
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    How to make a monkey cake with banana cake, chocolate ganache frosting and peanut butter frosting

    Learn how to make a monkey cake, made from banana cake layers, chocolate ganache, and peanut butter frosting.

    Chocolate banana peanut butter monkey cake
    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    What you need to make a monkey cake

    Components of a monkey cake

    • Two 9-inch cake layers plus two cupcakes—I opted for banana cake batter that I split evenly between two 9 inch pans plus two muffin cups
    • chocolate fudge frosting or whipped chocolate ganache to frost the cake and to draw the monkey face
    • peanut butter frosting for between the layers and for the monkey face. , chocolate frosting, and peanut butter frosting

    Special tools/equipment

    • a cake board big enough to accommodate a 9-inch round cake plus two cupcakes so approximately 12 inches should do
    • parchment paper
    • offset spatula for frosting
    • a serrated knife for levelling the layers of cake
    • a piping bag with a round tip for any fine decorating or a freezer bag that you can use as a piping bag (just fill and cut one corner)
    How to assemble a monkey cake from banana cake

    How to keep cake boards and serving plates clean while frosting

    Genius idea: Cut out a parchment round for baking cakes from a big sheet of parchment paper, then use the scraps of paper to protect the cake board when icing and decorating!

    How to decorate a monkey cake with chocolate and peanut butter frosting

    How to make a layer cake look like a monkey face

    Once you've stacked and assembled the banana cake layers with frosting, you can then cover the entire cake with chocolate fudge frosting or ganache, and then apply the monkey face with peanut butter frosting.

    Add the eyes, nose, and mouth with chocolate ganache frosting. This is where you . may want to use a piping bag.

    For the ears, cover the cupcakes entirely with chocolate frosting, then add peanut butter frosting to the tops to give more shape to the ears (see photos). Stick the ears on either side of the monkey face.

    The combination of banana, peanut butter, and chocolate is always a huge hit. The cake layers are firm but moist, and with just enough banana flavour that is not overpowering. To cut down on the sweetness of the decorated cake and to make it more "adult-friendly," I opted to use an unsweetened, lightly salted natural peanut butter to make the peanut butter frosting, and semi-sweet dark chocolate (60–70 % cocoa content) for the chocolate ganache.

    If you aren't in the mood for a monkey cake and rather something a little simpler, try this banana snacking cake with chocolate frosting.

    Chocolate banana peanut butter monkey cake
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Pin
    3.50 from 2 votes

    Monkey cake: Banana cake with chocolate ganache and peanut butter frosting

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Here's how to make and decorate a monkey cake. Start with layers of banana cake (for the face) and two cupcpakes (for the ears), then frost with chocolate and peanut butter frosting and decorate to look like a monkey face.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Banana cake with chocolate ganache and peanut butter frosting, monkey cake
    Prep Time 50 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings 24
    Calories 491kcal
    Author Janice

    Equipment

    • 6-quart KitchenAid Pro mixer
    • Muffin pan
    • Mini offset

    Ingredients

    Banana Cake Layers

    • 345 grams (2¾ cups) bleached all-purpose flour
    • 7.5 mL (1½ teaspoon) baking powder
    • 5 mL (1 teaspoon) baking soda
    • 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
    • 170 grams (¾ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 250 mL (1 cup) mashed banana, make sure the bananas are ripe!
    • 60 mL (¼ cup) sour cream (14% fat), or yogurt (2 % fat)
    • 5 mL (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
    • 330 grams (1⅔ cups) granulated sugar
    • 4 large egg(s), room temperature

    Chocolate ganache frosting

    • 455 grams (1 lb) dark chocolate, chopped
    • 500 mL (2 cups) whipping cream (35 % fat)

    Peanut butter frosting

    • 375 mL (1½ cups) creamy peanut butter, I used natural, organic peanut butter
    • 115 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 250 grams (2 cups) icing sugar
    • whole milk (3.25 % fat), Enough to obtain a spreadable consistency

    Instructions

    To make the cake:

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by greasing, lining the bottom of each with parchment, and then greasing and flouring them, tapping out the excess flour. Set them aside for later, saving the parchment scraps for when you decorate. Do the same to two cups of a 6-muffin pan, but don’t line the bottom of the cups with parchment. Set the prepared muffin pan aside for later.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
    • In a small bowl, mix together the mashed banana, yoghurt, and vanilla. Set aside the banana mixture for later.
    • In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium-low for a few minutes, until it is light. Scraped down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed.
    • Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium-low between each addition, and scraping down the bowl as needed.
    • Add one-third the dry ingredients, mix well and scrape down the bowl, and then half the banana mixture. Repeat this again with half the remaining dry ingredients, and the rest of the banana mixture. Finish by adding the last of the dry ingredients, and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure every ingredient is evenly incorporated.
    • Divide half the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Scoop out about ⅓ cup from each cake pan, and transfer to each of the muffin pans. Fill the empty muffin cups half way with water.
    • Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes (though the original recipe says 30–35 minutes). Check the cakes to make sure they are done by poking through the center with a skewer or cake tester. The skewer should come out clean.
    • Transfer the cake pans to a wire rack to cool completely.

    To make the ganache frosting

    • Heat the heavy cream in a quart-sized, microwavable container and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer; be careful not to allow cream to boil over.
    • Place the chocolate in a medium, heat-proof bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes (don’t rush this step), then slowly stir with a spatula. As you stir, the lumpy mixture will slowly blend together and become a thin, chocolate syrup.
    • Let the syrup set at room temperature for a few hours, then transfer it to the fridge for another hour or so. When the ganache has a thick pudding-like consistency, transfer it to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip it into frosting. Use right away, before it hardens any more.

    To make the peanut butter frosting

    • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter, butter, rum, and the powdered sugar until mixture is smooth.
    • Add milk by teaspoonfuls until the desired, spreadable consistency is reached.

    To assemble

    • Line a 12-inch cake board with the saved parchment scraps.
    • Trim the top off of one of the baked cake rounds so that it is flat and even. Peel the parchment lining off the bottom, and place it in the center of the board.
    • Frost the top of this layer with a thin layer of both the ganache and peanut butter frostings.
    • Peel the parchment lining off the bottom of the second cake round, and place it on top of the first. Do not trim this cake round. Frost the entire cake with ganache frosting.
    • To fix the ears to the cake rounds, frost the bottom with ganache, and skewer them to the cake with toothpicks. Place them at opposite sides of the round. Frost the ears with ganache.
    • With peanut butter frosting, fill in the ears, and paint on the monkey face. For the lines of the mouth, eyes, and nose, use a piping bag with a round tip and the ganache.
    • Refrigerate the cake until you are ready to serve. To cut through the ganache layer, you may want to use a knife dipped in warm water.
    Give backIf you enjoy the free content on this website, say thank you!

    Notes

    Cake recipe tweaked from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, page 157.
    Peanut butter frosting adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2003
    Tried this recipe?Mention @bakesomethingawesome or tag #bakesomethingawesome!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 491kcal

    More Cake recipes

    • Lemon loaf cake topped with lemon icing and fresh raspberries being sliced to serve it
      Lemon loaf cake
    • Oreo mug cake topped with whipped cream and crushed Oreo cookies.
      OREO mug cake
    • Chocolate birthday cake with cream cheese frosting.
      Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting (eggless)
    • Chocolate chip mug cake cooked directly in a mug and served with ice cream and chocolate sprinkles.
      Chocolate chip mug cake
    1.0K shares
    • Facebook336
    • Yummly
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Baking resources

  • Baking conversion charts
  • Baking ingredients and pantry staples
  • Baking substitutions
  • Common baking conversions
  • Choosing baking pans
  • How to measure ingredients for baking
  • Mixing methods
  • Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      August 01, 2011 at 3:10 pm

      This cake was absolutely DELICIOUS and looked AMAZING!!

      Reply
    2. Torviewtoronto says

      August 01, 2011 at 6:54 pm

      cake looks soft and delicious

      Reply
    3. Steph says

      August 01, 2011 at 3:52 pm

      This is so CUTE!!!

      Reply
    4. Emily @ Life on Food says

      August 01, 2011 at 11:03 pm

      So super cute! Love it!

      Reply
    5. Tina says

      August 01, 2011 at 8:33 pm

      Great idea making this lighthearted looking monkey cake in follow up to the serious thesis defense! I am sure that it was delicious-chocolate and bananas were made for each other. Yum!

      Reply
    6. Sarah says

      August 02, 2011 at 12:40 am

      Darling cake! Looks like a perfect way to celebrate! I can't even imagine having to defend a thesis!

      Reply
    7. Kels says

      August 02, 2011 at 12:43 am

      This cake is adorable! I also love love love banana cake. Congratulations to both you and your friend E for your accomplishments!

      Reply
    8. Valerie says

      August 01, 2011 at 9:35 pm

      haha i loooove that cake! Looks really cute and delicious, it's really well done!

      Reply
    9. Erin says

      August 02, 2011 at 1:24 am

      The cake is super cute! What a great way to celebrate after the defense. I am sure it was much appreciated!

      Reply
    10. Ann says

      August 02, 2011 at 1:40 am

      The cake looks amazing and sounds delicious! What a good friend you are and what a good friend you have! Congratulations to both of you!

      Reply
    11. The Daily Dish says

      August 02, 2011 at 5:37 pm

      You are such a wonderful friend! What a beautiful cake and seriously - what a tribute to friendship. I am bookmarking this one for my daughter's next brithday. Brilliant! PS: Congrats to your friend (and to you!)

      Reply
    12. Arnie says

      August 02, 2011 at 5:45 pm

      What a totally awesome cake. Thank you for posting it.
      I intend to make it for my husband and his 2 work colleagues, because they always refer to each other as chimps 🙂
      I know it will go down a storm 😀

      Reply
    13. Lisa says

      August 02, 2011 at 8:14 pm

      Not only are the flavors pheomenal, but this cake is just too cute for words. I can't wait until one of my nephew's next B-Day..I have to make it!

      Reply
    14. Veronica Gantley says

      August 02, 2011 at 7:18 pm

      Absolutely adorable! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    15. briarrose says

      August 02, 2011 at 11:03 pm

      Adorable! Fantastic job on this cake.

      Reply
    16. Juanita says

      August 08, 2011 at 4:14 pm

      That's awesome - the cake and the PhD! Well done to both of you 🙂

      Reply
    17. designjr says

      April 26, 2012 at 4:18 pm

      Love this cheeky monkey cake! Congrats on the phd

      Reply
    18. Mable Hartmann says

      September 17, 2013 at 6:14 am

      I totally agree with you that defending the thesis can really be a big deal. And having successfully defended it can be a big plus! Writing thesis is just one part of the whole journey people have to endure. But good thing is that you successfully defended yours!

      Reply
    19. Samantha says

      March 29, 2016 at 12:36 am

      Made the monkey cake for my son's second birthday (avoided spiced rum) and it came out well. I am completely new to frosting but tried it from your recipe just for my son.
      Many thanks for the recipe! 🙂

      Reply
    20. Natalie says

      July 13, 2022 at 2:31 pm

      I followed the quantities faithfully but the cake has that soapy taste that you get then there's too much bicarbonate of soda. I'm so disappointed as it's a really cute design. 🙁
      I'm glad it worked for others but I don't know why it didn't work for me.

      Reply
    21. Natalie says

      July 13, 2022 at 5:03 pm

      Please ignore my previous 2* review. I think the problem was my baking powder, not the recipe.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    This is a picture of Janice Lawandi

    Hi, I'm Janice! I am a baking-obsessed recipe developer with a PhD in Chemistry who writes about baking and the science of baking.

    More about me →

    Give back

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Eggless chocolate cake

    Chocolate layer cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles on a cake stand.
    Learn to make an eggless chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting!

    Bake for Easter

    • Mini Eggs cookies cooling on a wire rack.
      Easy Mini Eggs cookies
    • Mini Egg bars cut into squares and served on small plates with a glass of milk on the side and a bowl of Mini Eggs.
      Mini Eggs blondies
    • Brownies decorated with Easter eggs cut into squares to serve.
      Easter brownies with Mini Eggs
    • Freshly baked carrot muffins being served on plates with butter.
      Moist carrot muffins
    • A slice of carrot cake layer cake with cream cheese frosting on a pale blue plate with a fork and striped linen napkin.
      Eggless carrot cake
    • Hot cross bun on a pink plate split open and served with butter.
      How to make hot cross buns for Easter weekend

    Bake with citrus

    • Jars of homemade lime marmalade on a cooling rack.
      Lime marmalade
    • Pavlova cake filled with whipped cream, lemon curd, and raspberries being served.
      Pavlova
    • Orange pie with saltine crust and topped with orange marmalade glaze.
      Orange pie
    • A pot of homemade marmalade ready to be canned in jars.
      Orange marmalade
    • A pink glass plate with lemon bars.
      Easy lemon bars
    • A pink plate filled with lemon shortbread cookies and with a yellow napkin.
      Lemon shortbread cookies

    Baking conversions

    Buy the baking conversion charts NOW!

    How to poach pears

    Poached pears on an enamelware plate.
    This easy poached pears recipe is simple and you can use the poached fruit for salads, appetizers, and desserts!
    This is a picture of Janice Lawandi

    Hi, I'm Janice! I am a baking-obsessed recipe developer with a PhD in Chemistry who writes about baking and the science of baking.

    More about me →

    Give back

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Eggless chocolate cake

    Chocolate layer cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles on a cake stand.
    Learn to make an eggless chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting!

    Bake for Easter

    • Slices of chocolate babka bread
      Dark chocolate babka for Easter
    • carrot focaccia with feta and almonds
      Carrot focaccia
    • Let's bake with carrots-
      What to bake with carrots
    • Button-shaped cookies - Honey flavoured cookies
      Honey sugar cookies (cut-out cookies)
    • carrot cake
      Glazed carrot cake

    Bake with citrus

    • Pink grapefruit marmalade on toast on a plate with a striped linen.
      Grapefruit marmalade
    • Slices of orange cranberry cake served on pink glass plates with forks.
      Orange cranberry bundt cake
    • Rubbing lemon zest into granulated sugar in a bowl to make lemon sugar.
      How to make lemon sugar
    • Drizzling lemon cranberry muffins on a wire rack with lemon icing.
      Cranberry lemon muffins
    • A scoop of lemon ice cream served on a speckled plate with a cone and a black spoon
      Lemon custard ice cream
    • Three fruit marmalade

    Baking conversions

    Buy the baking conversion charts NOW!

    How to poach pears

    Poached pears on an enamelware plate.
    This easy poached pears recipe is simple and you can use the poached fruit for salads, appetizers, and desserts!

    Footer

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Buy Me a Pound of Butter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Janice
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and conditions
    • Accessibility
    • Press

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Portfolio

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 · THE BAKE SCHOOL