Chocolate Banana Cake

As you've no doubt noticed, for the most part this has been a week of repeats in our household because it's Birthday week, thus a week of favorites. Last night's dinner included these Clam, Corn and Basil Cakes that we've shared with you before. Loaded with the obvious along with fresh basil and sundried tomatoes, they make a fabulous light dinner along with fresh crunchy veggies - in our case a JBug version of Greek salad made of vibrant red and green peppers, sweet onion, little persian cucumbers, pearl tomatoes and feta on a bed of fresh spinach.

Since I had some bananas left over from the Big Guy's Birthday pie earlier in the week, I figured I'd best make use of them before they turned into a stinky black mess. With the heat back on here in Tucson and a string of 90 degree days, things don't last long if you know what I mean. For some bizzare reason, bananas in their natural state last a lot longer in this house, than a cake made from said bananas ever will. Is it like that at your place too?

The Big Guy's quite partial to chocolate so a little research yielded a recipe for Chocolate Banana Cake that quite honestly is out of this world. It whipped up in no time flat and baked in a sweet round cake pan with 3 inch sides that was part of my birthday loot from Home Goods. The glory of this cake is that it is incredibly moist but not too sweet, even with the mound of buttery chocolate frosting on top. It really doesn't require frosting and would be fabulous with just a dusting of powdered sugar on top but we're kind of into excesses around here.

Chocolate Banana Cake (adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle)

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Trader Joe’s)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1-1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 medium)

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of 9 inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, beat butter until creamy – about 1 minute. Add sugar slowly and beat until mixture is light and fluffy – about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Scrape sides of bowl down and beat on high for additional 2 minutes. Slowly add mashed bananas and vanilla, beating just until combined. Add flour mixture in thirds alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until blended. Fold in chopped chocolate and turn batter into prepared pan. Make sure top is even.

Bake for 45 to 40 minutes in middle of the oven, or until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and a tester comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in pan, then turn out on a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Butter Frosting (adapted from Purity Cookbook)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Dash of salt

2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons warm half and half

In bowl of electric mixer, beat together butter, vanilla, salt and cocoa powder until butter is light and creamy and mixture is well combined. With mixer on low, slowly beat in powdered sugar, adding cream as needed to make frosting spreading consistency. Increase mixer speed to high and beat for 2 minutes until frosting is light. Spread frosting on top of cooled cake. Download Chocolate Banana Cake

Comments

[Nanan]

You and the Big Guy can share dinner - I'm heading straight for dessert - bananas AND chocolate!!!! I'm not called NANAN for nothing and I always tell my child "I love you more than chocolate!!!!

[June]

Ha, ha, ha! I'm with ya' Lea. I told him the chocolate was for him and the bananas for me - love the things. It's a great cake and really needs nothing but a fork (although some home made ice cream would be fine). Ha.