What Are Elvis Cakes? The Peanut Butter, Banana, and Bacon Dessert Trend

Ariella Blythe

28 Oct 2025

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Elvis Cake Ingredient Calculator

Calculate Your Elvis Cake Ingredients

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Ingredients for 8 Servings

Peanut Butter Frosting: 1 cup
Fresh Banana Slices: 1 cup
Crispy Bacon (crumbled): 1 cup
Bacon Grease: 2 tbsp

*Note: For best results, use a recipe that makes 2 x 8-inch cake layers. Bacon grease is optional but recommended for authentic flavor.

Elvis cakes aren’t something you find in a bakery catalog from the 1950s. They’re a modern twist on a rock ‘n’ roll legend’s favorite snacks - and they’re surprisingly delicious. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when peanut butter, banana, and bacon come together in a cake, you’re not alone. This dessert started as a joke among food bloggers, then became a viral sensation on TikTok and Instagram. Now, it’s showing up at bake sales, bridal showers, and even birthday parties across the U.S. and the U.K.

Where Did Elvis Cakes Come From?

Elvis Presley didn’t invent this cake. But he did love the combo of peanut butter, banana, and bacon. His personal chef, Red West, confirmed in interviews that Elvis would make grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches with crispy bacon on the side. Sometimes, he’d even fry the banana in bacon grease. It sounds wild, but it worked for him - and now it works in cake form.

The first known Elvis cake recipe appeared in 2018 on a food blog called Down Home with the Kruse Family. The creator, a fan of Southern comfort food, decided to bake the flavors into a layered cake. She used peanut butter frosting, sliced bananas between the layers, and crumbled cooked bacon on top. It got 800,000 views in a month. Since then, hundreds of variations have popped up - some with chocolate, some with caramel, and a few with bourbon-soaked bananas.

What’s in an Elvis Cake?

At its core, an Elvis cake has three main components:

  • Peanut butter cake or frosting - Usually made with creamy peanut butter, not crunchy. The flavor needs to be rich but not overpowering. Some bakers add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
  • Fresh banana layers - Ripe but not mushy bananas are sliced and placed between cake layers. They add moisture and natural sweetness. Too many, and the cake gets soggy. Too few, and you lose the Elvis vibe.
  • Crispy bacon bits - Cooked until crisp, then crumbled. The saltiness cuts through the sweetness. Most recipes use thick-cut bacon, cooked low and slow so it doesn’t burn.

Most Elvis cakes are vanilla or yellow cake bases. Chocolate versions exist, but they’re less common. The frosting is almost always peanut butter-based - whipped with powdered sugar, butter, and a splash of cream. Some bakers add a touch of honey or maple syrup for extra depth.

The bacon isn’t just a garnish. It’s folded into the frosting or sprinkled generously on top. A good Elvis cake should have a salty crunch in every bite. The banana should be visible, not hidden. And the peanut butter? It should taste like a classic sandwich - just in cake form.

How to Make an Elvis Cake

Making an Elvis cake isn’t hard, but timing matters. Here’s how to get it right:

  1. Bake your cake - Use a simple vanilla or yellow cake recipe. Two 8-inch rounds work best. Let them cool completely before assembling.
  2. Cook the bacon - Lay strips flat on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes until crisp. Let cool, then crumble. Save 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease - you’ll use it later.
  3. Make the peanut butter frosting - Beat 1 cup softened butter with 1 cup creamy peanut butter until smooth. Gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. If the frosting is too thick, add more cream. Too thin? Add more sugar.
  4. Assemble the cake - Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting. Arrange 1 cup of banana slices (about 2 medium bananas) on top. Add another layer of frosting. Place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides. Sprinkle bacon crumbs generously over the top and sides.
  5. Chill before serving - Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This helps the banana stay firm and the bacon stay crisp.

Pro tip: Brush the banana slices with a little lemon juice before layering. It stops them from turning brown too fast.

Hands assembling a cake with banana slices and bacon crumbles in a cozy kitchen.

Why Does This Cake Work?

The secret isn’t just the ingredients - it’s the balance. Sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy. Each bite has a different texture and flavor. The peanut butter gives richness. The banana adds softness and natural sugar. The bacon? It’s the surprise. It doesn’t taste like meat - it tastes like umami. Like a savory candy.

People who hate bacon often love this cake. Why? Because the bacon is cooked until it’s almost crispy candy. It dissolves slightly when you bite into it. It’s not chewy. It’s not greasy. It’s just… there. Like a seasoning.

And the peanut butter? It’s not the gritty kind you’d spread on toast. It’s whipped into a cloud. It clings to the cake, not overwhelms it. The banana slices? They’re the bridge. They tie the sweet and salty together.

Who Should Try an Elvis Cake?

If you like salty-sweet combos - think salted caramel, pretzel crusts, or bacon-wrapped dates - you’ll love this cake. It’s perfect for:

  • Foodies who want to try something new
  • Elvis fans looking for a tribute dessert
  • Bakers tired of vanilla and chocolate
  • Anyone who thinks dessert should have a story

It’s not for everyone. If you’re squeamish about bacon in sweets, skip it. If you hate peanut butter, don’t bother. But if you’re curious? Give it a shot. It’s not just a cake. It’s a conversation starter.

A floating Elvis cake with peanut butter, banana, and bacon fragments swirling around it.

Alternatives and Variations

Some bakers tweak the classic recipe. Here are a few popular versions:

  • Chocolate Elvis Cake - Swap the vanilla cake for chocolate. Add a drizzle of melted chocolate over the top. The chocolate pairs well with peanut butter and bacon.
  • Mini Elvis Cupcakes - Perfect for parties. Use cupcake liners and top each with a single banana slice and 3 bacon crumbles.
  • Vegan Elvis Cake - Use almond butter instead of peanut butter, plant-based butter, and coconut bacon (made from coconut flakes, soy sauce, and liquid smoke).
  • Elvis Cheesecake - Layer graham cracker crust, peanut butter cheesecake filling, banana slices, and bacon crumbles. Chill overnight.

There’s even an Elvis cake roll - a sponge cake rolled with peanut butter cream and banana, then dusted with bacon powder. It’s wild, but it exists.

Storage and Serving Tips

Elvis cake doesn’t keep well at room temperature. The banana browns. The bacon gets soggy. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving - the flavors bloom better that way.

Don’t freeze it. The banana turns mushy. The bacon loses its crunch. If you must freeze it, freeze the cake layers without banana or bacon. Add them fresh after thawing.

For presentation, use a cake stand and sprinkle a few extra bacon bits on top. Add a tiny flag that says “Elvis has left the building.” It’s a gimmick, but it works.

Is bacon really safe to eat in a cake?

Yes - as long as it’s fully cooked and crispy. Bacon used in Elvis cakes is baked until crisp, then cooled before being added. It’s not raw or undercooked. The small amount used adds flavor, not risk. Many restaurants serve bacon in desserts, like bacon chocolate bars or maple-bacon ice cream, with no safety issues.

Can I make an Elvis cake without sugar?

You can try, but it won’t taste like a traditional Elvis cake. The peanut butter frosting needs sugar to become light and spreadable. The cake base needs sugar for structure and browning. You could use a sugar substitute like erythritol, but the texture will be different. The banana provides natural sweetness, so you can reduce sugar by 25%, but don’t eliminate it entirely.

Why not use crunchy peanut butter?

Crunchy peanut butter adds texture, but it can make the frosting gritty and hard to spread. Creamy peanut butter blends smoothly into the butter and sugar, creating a silky frosting that clings to the cake. If you love crunch, add a few chopped peanuts on top instead - they’ll give you texture without ruining the frosting.

Does the cake taste like meat?

No. The bacon is cooked until crisp and crumbled fine. It doesn’t taste like a breakfast plate. It tastes like a salty, smoky crunch - similar to how salted caramel tastes like salt, not seawater. You notice it, but you don’t think, “Oh, this is bacon.” You think, “This is delicious.”

Is this a Southern dessert?

Yes - in spirit. The combo of peanut butter, banana, and bacon is rooted in Southern cooking, where sweet and savory flavors often mix. Think of pecan pie with bacon bits or fried green tomatoes with honey. Elvis cakes fit right in. They’re not traditional, but they carry that same bold, unapologetic flavor philosophy.