We all love a good classic dessert, right? Like a warm slice of apple pie or a rich chocolate fudge cake. But sometimes, you just need a recipe that throws the rulebook out the window and goes completely decadent. That’s where the Elvis Presley Cake comes stomping onto the scene! It takes three of the King’s absolute obsessions—creamy peanut butter, sweet banana, and salty bacon—and somehow turns them into the moistest, most indulgent cake you’ve ever baked.
Trust me on this one; I spent years tweaking comfort food recipes to make them truly unforgettable. This cake, which marries the simplicity of a yellow cake mix with pure, flavorful madness, is my favorite way to honor those iconic Southern tastes. It’s surprisingly simple, surprisingly soulful, and honestly, the bacon topping sounds weird until you take that first, glorious bite. It’s sweet, salty, fruity perfection, and you can whip it up in under an hour!
Why You Will Love This Elvis Presley Cake
Honestly, what’s not to love about this wild combination? If you need quick dessert inspiration, this is it. Here is why I think this cake is going straight into your favorites pile:
- It’s incredibly easy since we start with a box mix. No fuss, maximum flavor, I promise!
- The flavor combination is totally unique—peanut butter, banana, and bacon just work, seriously.
- You get that signature sweet-and-salty hit in every single bite.
- You can have this famous dessert on the table quickly; it’s so fast! Planning on making it a coffee cake next? Check out my recipe for banana bread coffee cake for inspiration!
See? It’s simple, wild, and incredibly delicious. You’re going to hear about it from everyone who tries it!
Essential Ingredients for the Elvis Presley Cake
The secret to keeping this amazing creation fast is starting with fantastic shortcuts, but the flavor comes from making sure those few fresh elements really shine through. Don’t worry, you’re mostly grabbing things from your pantry for this one!
For the cake base, we use one standard box of yellow cake mix, but remember, we swap out the water required on the box for about one cup of perfectly mashed, very ripe bananas. That’s where the natural sweetness comes in! Then you mix those bananas with the eggs and oil the box calls for.
For the incredible glaze that soaks down into the warm cake, you’ll need creamy peanut butter, simple milk, a little melted butter for richness, confectioners’ sugar, and that little splash of vanilla extract for depth. Oh, and the grand finale: four slices of bacon, cooked until they are super crisp and crumbled fine. Sounds wild, but trust me! If you’re looking for more quick bread ideas, check out my list of five delicious quick bread recipes.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making the Elvis Presley Cake
Okay, let’s get baking! This is where the magic happens, and honestly, it’s so much easier than you think. We need precision with the temperature, but everything else is just mixing things in the right order. Make sure your oven is preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit before you even open that cake mix box!
Baking the Banana Cake Base for Your Elvis Presley Cake
First up is getting that base ready. Prepare your 9×13 inch pan by greasing it up well and dusting it with flour—no one wants a cake stuck in the pan! Now, follow the box directions for eggs and oil, but here’s the critical swap: instead of measuring water, use one cup of mashed, ripe bananas. I can’t stress this enough, the bananas need to be speckled brown, almost black—that’s when they are full of moisture and their flavor really pops! Pour that beautiful, thick batter in and slide it gently into the oven. It usually takes about 30 to 35 minutes, but always check it with a toothpick right at the center.
Preparing the Peanut Butter Glaze for the Elvis Presley Cake
While that cake is doing its thing in the oven, we whip up the peanut butter glaze. This needs to be ready to go right when the cake comes out. Grab a medium bowl and whisk together the peanut butter, milk, melted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Keep whisking until it looks perfectly smooth. If it seems too thick to pour easily, just add a tiny splash more milk until you get a gorgeous, creamy ribbon consistency. It should look like thick cake frosting, but pourable.
Glazing and Topping Your Finished Elvis Presley Cake
This is the step that makes it taste truly legendary! Once the cake comes out golden brown, let it sit in the pan for just 10 minutes—not a minute more, not a minute less! While it’s still warm, grab a fork and poke holes all over the top. Make them deep enough so the glaze really sinks in. Pour that peanut butter goodness right over the top, trying to get even coverage.
Finally, take your crispy, crumbled bacon and sprinkle it liberally across the top while the glaze is still wet. The bacon adheres perfectly, and that salty crunch against the sweet glaze is just pure genius!
Tips for the Best Elvis Presley Cake Results
Look, anyone can dump a mix into a pan, but if you want this cake to sing like the King, you need to pay attention to the details. Trust me, these little nudges are what separate a decent cake from a spectacular one!
First things first: those bananas! You need them absolutely squishy ripe. I mean, brown spots covering at least half the peel. If they aren’t soft, they won’t give you the moisture or the deep, caramelized banana flavor we need to replace that water in the mix. If you’re ever debating making a banana loaf, you can find my tips on getting the moistest results right over here: best banana bread moist loaf.
Next, that bacon! It has to be cooked until it shatters when you break it. Soft bacon just turns into oily little pebbles when you sprinkle it on the glaze, and we want crunch, not grease. Cook it flat in the oven, drain it well, and crumble it small.
Finally, if you use a different sized pan, just be cautious. If you use a deeper pan, you must test earlier than 30 minutes, because heat takes longer to travel to the center where the peanut butter glaze will eventually soak in.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for This Cake
Since we are making something a little unconventional here, I get asked all the time about swapping things out. I always tell people that if you can nail the core flavor profile—the heavy banana moisture, the salty element, and the rich peanut butter—you’re golden, even if you have to make a few tweaks.
For instance, if all you have on hand is crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy? Go for it! It just means you get little peanut chunks in your glaze, which is a textural win, in my opinion. It’s a fun variation! You’ll just need to whisk a little extra or maybe even use an immersion blender for a moment to smooth it out if you want that ribbon texture.
What about the milk in the glaze? If you’re dairy-free or just ran out, don’t panic. Any non-dairy alternative works beautifully here. Oat milk or soy milk tend to be the creamiest, giving you the best texture for that thick pourable glaze. Almond milk can work too, but you might need just a touch less of it because it can be runnier than regular cow’s milk.
Also, if you are worried about the sweetness level, remember that the bacon on top provides tons of saltiness, which balances everything out perfectly. If you absolutely wanted to cut down the powdered sugar in the glaze just a bit, you could, but be careful! Too little, and the glaze won’t set up right. If you are looking for more foundational sweet bread ideas, you can explore some of my other similar recipes, like these five delicious quick bread recipes.
Serving Suggestions for Your Elvis Presley Cake
This cake is rich, guys. It’s got fruit, it’s got nuts (peanuts!), it’s got sugar, and it’s got that wonderful salty bacon element. Because it’s so intensely flavorful on its own, you don’t need to load it up with fussy extras!
My favorite way? A big, steaming mug of strong, black coffee. The bitterness cuts right through the sweetness of the peanut butter glaze beautifully.
If you are serving it slightly warm—which is dangerous, I know—a simple scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream melts right into those bacon crumbles. Wow! If you’re into Southern baking besides this famous cake, you absolutely have to check out my secrets for ultimate homemade cornbread; it’s the perfect comfort food side.
Storage and Reheating Instructions for This Cake
You will definitely have leftovers, or maybe you’re just smart enough to bake one ahead of time because you know you’ll want it again tomorrow! Since this cake has that glorious peanut butter glaze soaking right into it, storage is important to keep everything tasting fresh, not stale.
Because of the moisture from the banana and the fat in the glaze, I generally recommend keeping leftovers at room temperature for up to two days, provided your kitchen isn’t super hot or humid. Keep it covered tightly with plastic wrap or pop it into an airtight container. This keeps the glaze from drying out and keeps the peanut butter flavor sharp!
If you need to keep it longer than two days, you should move it into the refrigerator. Just know that the glaze might firm up a bit when it gets cold, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you like a slightly firmer texture! If you refrigerate it, remember to pull a slice out about 30 minutes before serving so it can come back toward room temperature.
Reheating Slices for That Fresh-Out-of-the-Oven Feel
If I’m just planning on eating one slice later on, I never pull the whole cake out of the fridge. Microwaving is the fastest route, but you have to be careful because bananas can get weird when overheated! Pop a slice on a small plate and zap it for just 10 to 15 seconds on about 50% power. That’s usually enough time to warm it through without making the edges tough.
For a slightly better texture, especially if the cake has firmed up in the fridge, try the oven! Wrap the individual slice loosely in aluminum foil—this traps the moisture in. Heat it right on the rack at a low temperature, maybe 300 degrees, for about 8 to 10 minutes. This warms the cake gently, and you’ll get that soft crumb back again! It’s worth the extra five minutes, I promise.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Elvis Presley Cake
I know you might have questions—it’s not every day we put bacon on a cake, after all! I’ve gathered a couple of the things folks ask me most often about this recipe, especially when they are using the cake mix base.
Can I make the Elvis Presley Cake without bacon?
Oh, absolutely! While the salty crunch is what really makes this cake a true tribute to The King, you certainly don’t have to use bacon if you aren’t feeling it. If you skip the bacon, you lose that crucial salty contrast to the peanut butter glaze. I suggest swapping it out for something else salty and crunchy! Toasted, chopped pecans mixed with a tiny pinch of sea salt tossed over the wet glaze works wonders, or even crushed, salted pretzel pieces if you want a serious salty kick. It needs that texture, so plan on adding some crunch!
Does this banana cake recipe freeze well?
That is a great question, especially since this is such a big, rich cake! If you want to freeze it, I highly recommend freezing it *before* you put the glaze and bacon on. Once the banana cake base is completely cool, wrap those slices very tightly—first in plastic wrap, and then a layer of foil helps keep any freezer burn away. It keeps well for about two months like that. When you want to eat it, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. You can then proceed with making a fresh, small batch of the peanut butter glaze and topping it right before serving so the bacon stays crisp. For more great ideas on using cake mix bases, check out my tutorial on cake mix coffee cake!
Estimated Nutritional Information for Elvis Presley Cake
Now, I always tell folks that when you’re baking comfort food inspired by the King, you should try not to worry about the macros too much! This cake is rich—it has peanut butter, it has bacon, it has cake mix—and that’s okay sometimes. But for those of you who like to keep track, I’ve put together a general estimate based on the ingredients list and standard package directions where we used them.
Please remember that these numbers are just guidelines. If you use a different brand of peanut butter or use extra-lean bacon, the final numbers might shift a little. This is just a rough idea for what you are getting per slice of this amazing treat!
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: Approximately 350
- Total Fat: 18g (with about 6g of that being saturated fat)
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Protein: 5g
- Sugar: 35g
Because we are using real fruit (the banana) and a bit of fat from the butter and peanut butter in the glaze, the flavor is really robust. It’s a satisfying dessert that truly hits all the flavor notes—sweet, salty, and fruity!
Print
Elvis Presley Cake
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple cake recipe inspired by Elvis Presley’s favorite flavors: peanut butter, banana, and bacon.
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- Ingredients required by cake mix box (eggs, oil, water)
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Instructions
- Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, substituting the required water with the mashed bananas.
- Pour batter into a greased and floured 9×13 inch baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, prepare the peanut butter glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, milk, melted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Poke holes all over the warm cake using a fork or skewer.
- Pour the peanut butter glaze evenly over the warm cake, allowing it to soak in.
- Sprinkle the crumbled bacon evenly over the top of the glaze.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and moisture in the cake.
- You can use a different size pan, but adjust baking time as needed.
- Cook the bacon until it is very crisp so it crumbles easily.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 35
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 30
Keywords: Elvis Presley Cake, banana cake, peanut butter glaze, bacon topping, Southern dessert