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Tuesday 1 April 2008

Banana Chocolate cake


Decisions, decisions on what to bake to use up some ripe bananas I’ve had hanging about in my fruit bowl! I find when using bananas in a cake the best flavour comes from those really ripe ones with blackish skins, they may look ugly from the outside but give such great flavour.

I pulled out my large scrap folder I have with hand written notes of my recipes that I have baked before and just haven’t got around to typing the recipes up yet! I’d perhaps find I would have to prise open some of the sheets of paper due to having a paper and pencil by my side as I work out my recipes and splodges of ingredients have fallen onto the paper – you get the picture I’m sure. Well I came across a little gem I baked sometime ago last year before I started blogging and thought this would be a lovely bake to share with you.



The texture is very light to the sponge and speckled through with the banana. I am sure chocolate chips could be added to this recipe, one for next time to try out! The sponge is baked in 20 cm (8 in) x 2 sandwiched tins, which gives a nice tall cake when sandwiched together with chocolate icing and then the whole top and sides of the cake are covered in dreamy chocolate icing. The decorations are optional and the choice is up to you if you add them or not, I think I may have gone a little O.T. with mine *giggle*!




Banana Chocolate cake

Serve approx 8 - 10

Ingredients
For The Sponge
225g (8 oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
175g (6 oz) softened butter
225g (8 oz) caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
100ml (3½ fl oz) buttermilk
2 large ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
For The Chocolate icing
50g (2 oz) butter, softened
25g (1 oz) cocoa powder
90ml (3 fl oz) double cream or whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
450g (1lb) icing sugar
Sugar flowers, chocolate sprinkles (optional)

You will also need 20 cm (8 in) two sandwiched tins, greased and base lined with greaseproof paper.

Method

Preheat the oven 180°C/fan 170°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda together into a bowl and leave aside for later. Place the softened butter and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, (this can take time depending on how soft your butter is and anywhere up to 8 minutes). Add a little beaten egg beating well in each time making sure all the beaten egg is combined before adding more until none remains. Next add the vanilla extract and beat this through the mixture. With a large metal spoon had half of the flour and half of the buttermilk and fold through gently until all combined, repeat this process again until all the flour and buttermilk is fully combined into the sponge mixture. Lastly gently fold through the mashed banana into the mixture. Equally divide the mixture into the two sandwich tins and smooth the tops over with a spatula. Place into the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 25 – 35 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 – 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack until cold.

To make the chocolate icing, place the butter into a large bowl and beat for a little while to ensure it is fully soft. Add the rest of the ingredients working them through until the icing is smooth and fully combined.

To assemble the cake, spread a little of the chocolate icing over the top of one sponge then place the second sponge over to sandwich them together. Pile all the chocolate icing on top of the cake and with a pallet knife work the icing until all the sides and top are covered in the icing. You may want to leave the icing smooth or make swirly patterns the choice is yours. Place the sugar flowers and chocolate sprinkles over the top if using.

38 comments:

Lore said...

Mouthwatering! A mashed banana sponge with chocolate can make anyone's day.

Rosie said...

Hi Lore, welcome and lovely to *see* you here and thanks for your lovely comment :)

Best wishes Rosie x

Lore said...

Rosie I'm glad I found your blog and look forward to many delicious recipes just like this one :)

Rosie said...

Awe thank you Lore and I also look forward to viewing your great treats too :D I will add you to my blogroll to keep on on your posts! :)

Best wishes Rosie x

Donna said...

MyGoodness!!! You DO feel better!! I'm SO relieved! What beautiful goodies!!hughugs

Pixie said...

You sure can bake! I've made a Nigella banana cake, yet to be blogged but soon shall be. It was yummy! I'll have to hold on to this for when I feel brave enough to bake a cake again lol

Peter M said...

Rosie, tell me you have a bakery and if not...why don't you?

I would pay $$ for these cakes you whip up.

Rosie said...

Hi Donna, awe thanks! I am so glad to be back in my little kitchen again I can tell you :) Hugs-hugs Rosie x

Sara said...

Oh fantastic! It's amazing you got yourself to make another layer cake so soon after the Dorie Challenge. I LOVE chocolate and banana, I'll have to try this out...

Dhivya said...

wow!love these:)))great combo

Rosie said...

Hi Pixie, I have much faith in you and I know your cake will be amazing, can’t wait to view it! I hope you’ll try this recipe out of mine and let me know what you think ;)

Hi Peter, you are so kind!! I would really love to own my own bakery just need to win that lotto and I’d be away baking my cakes and breads :D

Hi Sara, I hope you will try my recipe out and enjoy it as much as my family did :D I just can’t help myself baking must be in my blood as they say *giggle*....

Hi Dhivya, awe thanks! I think this is another one of my favourite combos for cakes

Best wishes Rosie x

glamah16 said...

Makes me regret throwing some away the other day. I knew if I baked< I would eat!

Lore said...

Rosie, thank you for adding me to your blogroll, that's so nice of you :D! I just wanted to let you know I've done the same :)

Maggie said...

Such a pretty cake Rosie. I love banana cake and agree that the blacker the banana skins the sweeter the banana is.

RecipeGirl said...

Very pretty, as usual! I don't think I've thought to use chocolate frosting on my banana cakes. I've only used a cream cheese frosting. It does look good!

Rosie said...

Hi Lore, that's so kind of you -thank you :)

Hi M, thanks and I'm pleased someone agrees about the black bananas too in a bake :)

Best wishes Rosie x

Rosie said...

Hi recipegirl, thank you! The chocolate icing goes a treat with this banana sponge :)

Best wishes Rosie x

Namratha said...

Absolutely delicious looking Rosie dear, I simple loved the decoration and the chocolate icing...making me drool :D Thanks for the chocolate frosting recipe :)

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

Oh boy. Yes, please!

Retno Prihadana said...

Your cake looks so good. Can I have a slice? :))

Chibog in Chief said...

oh rosie you never run out of ideas...how i wish we are really neighbors..love this banana cake with tons of chocolate on it :-)

Maria♥ said...

Rosie another gorgeous cake. This looks so moist and the chocolate with banana is a great pairing ;o)

Maria
x

Rosie said...

Hi Namratha, I did wonder if I’d gone a little too O.T. on the decs lol The chocolate frosting is a lovely to use on any cupcakes or cake – enjoy :D

Hi AFFOS, you can have a slice of cake anytime :D

Hi Retno Prihadana , of course you can have a slice and thanks for calling by lovely to *see* you :D

Hi Dhanggit , can’t beat lashings of chocolate in my book heehee oh I so wish we were neighbours too after seeing your lovely muffins – yum :D

Best wishes Rosie x

Rosie said...

Hi Maria, thanks sweetie and glad to hear you had a great weekend for your wedding anniversary :)

Best wishes Rosie x

MrsB said...

wow, chocolate and banana sounds so good, i love the decoration!

Rosie said...

Hi MrsB,awe thanks! The choco banana combo seemed to worked a treat with hubby :)

Best wishes Rosie x

PG said...

Oh yum! Banana and chocolate - such a great combination!

Deeba PAB said...

Great to see you're feeling better Rosie & ROCKING! This is a nice one...glad it was prised out; thanks for posting it! Ripe bananas are always looking for an answer...this sounds just right!

Mansi said...

somehow I've loved banana bread more than cake:) but its pairs well with chocolate, and that's how I make my smoothie:) your layers look fabulous girl!:)

test it comm said...

Banana and chocolate cake...mmm... Great job decorating the cake!

Rosie said...

Hi Psychgrad, it’s a great way of using up ripe bananas and with choccie it was double yummy :D

Hi Deeba, awe thanks sweetie and it’s great to be back baking again and using some of my previous recipes :D

Hi mansi, awe thanks :D oooh smoothie sounds a dream to me!

Hi Kevin, I just love this combo and my only fear was I had gone a little O.T. with my decs on the cake ;)

Thank you everyone for calling by & lovely to *see* you here :)

Rosie x

Ruth Strong said...

Ooooh suit you sir!!!! This cake looks fantastic!!! Save me a slice!

Deborah said...

Oohh, this is my kind of cake! Give me anything with banana and chocolate and I'm happy!

sandhya said...

great combo... the pic's are so tempting...

Rosie said...

Hi Ruth, here you go sweetie a slice just for you :D

Hi Deborah, awe thanks ! If there’s chocolate in a bake I’m a happy girl too ;)

Hi Sandhya, thanks you are so kind and I adore your chocolate cupcakes with a pretty little roses :D

Best wishes Rosie x

dabrah said...

Hi Rosie,
I've always made a banana bread with my overripe bananas, so this looks like a nice change from my usual. However, I'm confused by the two different butter entries in the cake recipe. First is says 6 oz of butter, then 8 oz of softened butter, but in the method section it only mentions using the softened butter. Does it really use 14 oz?

Rosie said...

Hi dabrah, oh gosh sorry that is my mistake on a typo it should be 175g (6 oz) softened butter & 225g (8 oz) caster sugar I have now amended my recipe. Thank you SO much for spotting this!!

Best wishes

Rosie x

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Rosie,
I don't know how did I miss this cake... chocolate and bananas??? Delicious! My kids would love it.
Have a wonderful weekend, Margot