Banana Roll With Peanut Butter Cream Cheese

I got this amazing deal on bananas, and now we have them everywhere. The first order of business when you are overloaded with bananas is always banana bread, isn't it?
Well, I wanted to try to be different this time.  With fall around the corner, the idea of a pumpkin roll has been floating around in my mind for a while, so I thought, what about a banana roll?

 

 The cake was light, spongy and moist, and could accommodate a number of filling flavors. I have a house full of peanut butter lovers, and peanut butter and banana go so well together, I thought, why not?

 

I think one of the biggest tricks to the success of this cake is the pureeing of the bananas - simply mashing them would not provide the right texture and you will end up with a mess on your hands. Send the bananas for a ride through your food processor or blender and douse them quickly with the lemon juice so it won't turn dark. A grayish cake is not very appetizing. 

 I'll admit, I think I would have enjoyed this with a plain cream cheese filling a little more, because for me, the peanut butter flavor overpowered the banana a bit too much. If you want the banana to shine through, I think the traditional cream cheese, or even a lemon flavored one, would be a better fit. That being said, it was still a fantastic flavor combination that I wouldn't hesitate to make again.

Servings Yield: 16 slices

Cost per serving: .30 per slice

Banana Roll With Peanut Butter Cream Cheese

for the cake:

• 3 eggs
• 1 c sugar
• 3/4 c pureed bananas
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3/4 c flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon

powdered sugar (needed for a towel, to keep the cake from sticking)

For the Filling:

• 2 c powdered sugar
• 1 8-ounce package of reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp light butter
• 1 /3 c reduced fat peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Powdered sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, banana (already mixed with lemon juice when pureed).

In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well blended.

Spray a 10 1/2" by 15" non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray. Pour the batter onto the cookie sheet, spread evenly.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Prepare a clean kitchen towel by sprinkling heavily with powdered sugar.

After baking, turn the cookie sheet onto the towel, the cake should slide out onto the towel. Starting at one end, roll up the cake into the towel. Cool 30-40 minutes.

For the filling, stir together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and butter. Mix well.

After the roll has cooled, unroll it and spread the filling evenly. Roll back up without the towel. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or until filling is firm.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.