Instead of wasting the almost-too-ripe bananas, I started to stick them ino the freezer to use for smoothies. I didn't realize just how many bananas I was putting into the freezer! I found out last week, when I was looking for some veggie broth in the bottom of the freezer! I have way too many bananas for smoothies!
I started to look online for some ideas. I figured banana bread would be a great use of the bananas. But there's only so much banana bread Joe and I can eat.
I found a great recipe for Banana Chocolate Coffee Cake also known as Mexican Monkey Cake posted at Mum in Bloom. I already planned on adding chocolate chips to my banana bread, but this recipe sounded so much better with a layer of chocolate in the center! Mmmmm!
I was expecting a visit from an old friend and wanted to make something yummy for us to eat while we chatted and caught up on each other's lives! This cake was perfect! Not only did it save me from throwing away the bananas (or stashing them in the freezer for who knows how long!), it was sooo easy to make and I actually had all of the ingredients!
If you have any bananas stashed away in your freezer, I suggest that you take a few out to thaw and whip up one of these coffee cakes right away! You won't be sorry!
I mostly followed the original recipe, I noted the changes at the bottom. Oh, I changed the name of the cake since I don't drink coffee! I figured that would be okay! This is what I call it:
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 Tbs. sour cream
- 1 Tbs. milk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if using a glass pan)
- Grease and 8" x 8" baking pan
- Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine softened butter, sugar and egg. Mix until fluffy with an electric mixer.
- Add bananas, yogurt and milk. Mix well.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, mix on low speed just until blended.
- Spread about 1/2 the batter into the greased pan.
- Sprinkle top of batter with half of the chocolate chip/brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.
- Spread remaining batter on top.
- Sprinkle remaining chocolate chip/brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes.
- Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on wire rack.
I didn't get a picture of the cake on the plate.
Every time I placed a piece onto a dish,
it was devoured before I had time to grab the camera!
(I'm such a piggy!)
When I made this the second time, I divided the chocolate chips in half. I used less cinnamon and brown sugar when I mixed them with the chocolate chips for the center. For the top, I only added the chocolate chips. I liked it better this way, since the first time, the cinnamon and brown sugar on the top tasted slightly burnt. I don't fault the original recipe for that though. Nor do I blame the baker! Nope, I put all the blame on my really, really old came-with-the-house oven!
I'll be sharing this recipe at the following blog carnivals:
5 comments:
Bananas never get over ripe here!! I have to hide them if I want to cook with them!!! This sounds amazing, I would so love a piece for breakfast!
This reminds me of the GF Bisquick coffee cake I made. Only I love your version so much better with the bananas and yogurt! So much healthier. I'll have to try this Gluten Free. Did you know that Bananas are a substitute in a cake for eggs? I was desperately looking for a solution recently and discovered this.
This sounds very good! Thanks.
I love chocolate chips in my banana loafs. Yours looks great with the addition of the sour cream. That's the only way I like it (in baking). Thanks for sharing this at Vegetarian Foodie Fridays!
My kids and I love to put chocolate on banana cake!
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