RECIPE: Caramelised banana choc chip cake

Much like it came to Westeros, winter has come to Canberra.

If you’re not from Canberra and you’ve ever taken a televised journey to Summer Bay via an episode of Home and Away, you might think that Australian winters are a mild inconvenience. Something that causes us to put on a light sweater but doesn’t prevent us from throwing a shrimp on the barbie or hitting the beach. Be under no illusion. Canberra winter is not like that.

Local wisdom in Canberra holds that winter starts on ANZAC day (being 25 April) and finishes around the time of the local Spring flower festival, Floriade (mid-September to mid-October). Winter always makes me pull out my fluffy faux fur socks while binge watching Gilmore Girls and baking some comfort food.

To me, chocolate and caramelised banana is one of the most comforting combinations. It has a ring of nostalgia that I associate with a combination of Sunday morning pancake breakfasts and the standard fare at kids birthday parties. This cake is moist, fudgy and packed with shards of dark chocolate. It’s all tied together with a moreish, slightly salty, chocolate frosting. In short, this cake exists at the intersection of comforting and fun.

Caramelised banana choc chip cake

Makes one 6-inch 3-layer cake. Serves 8 to 10.

Ingredients for the cake

60g of brown sugar

3 medium bananas (ripe)

300g of plain flour

1¼ tsp of baking powder

1¼ tsp of baking soda

1½ tsp of salt

150g of butter (softened)

150g of brown sugar

150g of caster sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla bean paste

160mls of whole milk

100g of dark choc chips

Chocolate frosting

300g of unsalted butter (softened)

700g of icing sugar

30g of dutch cocoa powder

½ tsp salt

150g of dark chocolate (melted and cooled)

200mls of thickened cream

For presentation

Meringue kisses

Make the caramelised banana choc chip cake

1. Preheat your oven to 180◦
2. Peel the bananas and split them down the middle. Place the bananas on a baking tray and sprinkle with 60 grams of brown sugar. Bake the bananas for 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Once the bananas are cooled, place them in a small bowl and mash with a fork.
4. Grease three 6 inch cake tins and line with baking paper.
5. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
7. Add the brown sugar and caster sugar to the butter and cream for 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
8. Slowly add the vanilla bean paste and eggs to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until combined.
9. Add the caramelised banana. Mix until combined.
10. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk until combined.
11. Add the choc chips and combine.
12. Evenly divide the cake batter between the prepared cake tins.
13. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out of the centre of the cakes clean. Set aside to cool.

Make the chocolate frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, cocoa powder, icing sugar, cream, dark chocolate and salt. Mix until light and fluffy.

Assemble the banana choc chip cake

1. Once the cakes are completely cooled, level them to ensure that the tops of the cakes are flat.
2. Using a small amount of frosting, affix one cake to a cake board or plate.
3. Spread around a cup of frosting on the first cake. Repeat with the second layer of the cake.
4. Use the frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake, smoothing with a scraper or palette knife.
5. Decorate the top of the cake with meringue kisses.

Enjoy!

Love to bake? Get the recipe for Amy’s red wine and dark chocolate cake or her lemon and Earl Grey tea loaf with cream cheese glaze.

About the author:

Amy Alyce is a Canberra based dessert blogger with a passion for brunch. By day she works as a lawyer, by night she writes recipes for her love project Blossom and Pearl. Follow Amy on Instagram at @blossomandpearl for dessert recipes and inspo!