This cheesecake serves two purposes for me: One, it’s a cheesecake that includes the ingredients of my all-time favorite sandwich. Two, this sandwich happens to be what I named my pet ducks after; Peanut, Butter, Jelly, and Banana Sandwich. I thought about naming this recipe “Quackers Cake”…. and I will probably call it that on my own, but for the sake of search engines, I will leave it as is on here…
The ducks at their pond. From the back to the front: Butter, Peanut, Banana Sandwich, and Jelly
I’ve gotten mixed reactions about the title of the cake. I think for some it conjures up an image of an actual sandwich mashed up into a cake, bread, crusts, and all. But the only “bread” in this recipe is the Shortbread Cookie Crust and it is delicious! I have not, however, gotten mixed reviews on the taste of the cake. It is truly scrumptious, no argument so far.
Ingredients:
Shortbread Crust:
- 2 Cups of Crumbled Shortbread Cookies
- 5 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter; Melted
Peanut Butter Layer:
- 1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (I like Skippy Natural the best)
- 2/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
Banana Layer:
- 2 Ripe Bananas, sliced (speckled skins are best)
Filling:
- 2 Cups of Cream Cheese (use two 8oz. bars of cream cheese; not the tubbed/spreadable kind)
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 Large, Whole Eggs
- The juice from 1/2 of a lemon
- 2 1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Strawberry Preserves (I use Trader Joe’s “Fresh Strawberries” preserves. The larger the chunks of strawberry, the better)
Preheat oven to 300º
For Crust: Use the bottom of a measuring cup to smash shortbread cookies into crumbles. Do not use a food processor or blender; that will turn your cookies into goo. Whisk shortbread and melted butter together thoroughly. Using a glass pie plate, pour mixture onto pie plate and press firmly to the bottom and up the sides.
Put crust into the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and put on a cooling rack.
Raise oven temperature to 350°
Peanut Butter Layer: Put peanut butter and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Using a fork, smash the powdered sugar into the peanut butter until it creates a mixture of small sugar/peanut butter balls. Add brown sugar and continue to smash it into the peanut butter until well mixed.
Keep smashing! The end result should be tiny dry balls of peanut butter
Pour the peanut butter mixture into the pie crust (it does not matter whether or not the crust has cooled). Gently smooth out for an even surface.
For Filling: In a large bowl, blend together Cream Cheese, Eggs, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Vanilla, and Heavy Cream for about 5 minutes, or until creamy-smooth (no lumps).
Using a spatula, gently fold Strawberry Preserves into the Cream Cheese mixture.
Once your filling has been prepared, lay Banana Slices on top of the Peanut Butter Layer in the pie crust.
Slowly pour Cream Cheese mixture on top of Bananas. Using a spatula, smooth out the top of the cake.
Place the Cheesecake into the oven for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. It will not be firm; that is where the chilling process comes in. Remove from oven. Place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours.
This Cheesecake has so much flavor, it does not need to be served with anything extra, but I like to top it with fresh strawberries, just for an aesthetic touch.
Enjoy!
- 2 Cups of Crumbled Shortbread Cookies
- 5 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter; Melted
- ½ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (I like Skippy Natural the best)
- ⅔ Cup Powdered Sugar
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Ripe Bananas, sliced (speckled skins are best)
- 2 Cups of Cream Cheese (use two 8oz. bars of cream cheese; not the tubbed/spreadable kind)
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 Large, Whole Eggs
- The juice from ½ of a lemon
- 2½ tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Strawberry Preserves (I use Trader Joe’s “Fresh Strawberries” preserves. The larger the chunks of strawberry, the better)
- Preheat oven to 300º
- Use the bottom of a measuring cup to smash shortbread cookies into crumbles. Do not use a food processor or blender; that will turn your cookies into goo.
- Whisk shortbread and melted butter together thoroughly.
- Using a glass pie plate, pour mixture onto pie plate and press firmly to the bottom and up the sides.
- Put crust into the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and put on a cooling rack.
- Put peanut butter and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Using a fork, smash the powdered sugar into the peanut butter until it creates a mixture of small sugar/peanut butter balls.
- Add brown sugar and continue to smash it into the peanut butter until well mixed.
- Pour the peanut butter mixture into the pie crust (it does not matter whether or not the crust has cooled).
- Gently smooth out for an even surface.
- In a large bowl, blend together Cream Cheese, Eggs, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Vanilla, and Heavy Cream for about 5 minutes, or until creamy-smooth (no lumps).
- Using a spatula, gently fold Strawberry Preserves into the Cream Cheese mixture.
- Once your filling has been prepared, lay Banana Slices on top of the Peanut Butter Layer in the pie crust.
- Slowly pour Cream Cheese mixture on top of Bananas. Using a spatula, smooth out the top of the cake.
- Place the Cheesecake into the oven for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. It will not be firm; that is where the chilling process comes in. Remove from oven. Place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours.
