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.