Banana Chocolate Coffee Cake

This is the best banana bread/cake/anything ever!

This is the cake you want to make to sway a jury or win friends and favor.

The Best Ever.

It's heavy on the cake, light on the banana.

Perfect.

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Banana Chocolate Coffee Cake

Cake: 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate)

1 large or 2 small ripe bananas (1/2 cup banana puree)

3 large eggs

(I used 2 med tan, 1 med cream, 1 small blue- *hugs* to the chickens!)

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup veg. oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

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Glaze: 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 Tbs butter

1/4 cup cream

1 Tbs light corn syrup

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Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10 inch bundt-style pan.

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Place chocolate chips in a med bowl and melt them in the microwave. Set aside. In another bowl, mash bananas and set aside.

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Place eggs in a large bowl and beat them on high until they are light and foamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture is thick - about 5 mins on high speed.

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Gradually add the veg. oil to the egg mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat for another minute. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.

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Fold in the dry ingredients. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the batter into the melted chocolate and gently mix until the chocolate and batter are well blended. Fold in mashed bananas.

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Pour half white batter into the prepared pan. Pour chocolate batter over this, top with remaining white batter. Swirl 2 batters together.

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Bake for 60 -70 mins. Until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for at least 15 mins before removing from the pan. Glaze when completely cool.

Making glaze: Mix all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Melt. Stir together until the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool to slightly warm. Pour over cake.

White batters and chocolate batter.


Swirling batters together.

Baked and turned out on a pan to cool.

Partially sliced - to allow the chocolate glaze to run down inside and coat each slice.

Glazed.

Look at that!

Mmmm chocolate.

Best ever.... I'm just saying....why aren't you cooking this yet?

Mmmmm, I think I'll have another slice.......

Can Mania!

This last week, I have been canning like crazy in preparation for the county fair (and just 'cause I like to can - the fair's a good excuse).

I had one failure: my black raspberry/guava jelly didn't set up, so now it's raspberry/guava juice. It still tastes good!

So far this last week I have made: the jelly/juice mistake, gooseberry jam, raspberry jam, raspberry/current jam, squash pickles, banana butter and peach salsa.

(Banana butter recipe below)

My canning from last night: 6 pints/4 half pints banana butter

11 pints/8 half pints peach salsa

The bananas were 99 cents for a huge bag. I bought both bags AND they were organic! Score!

Walmart had peaches on sale for 78 cents a pound, so that will be my next adventure.

Because I have a LOT of peaches in my kitchen.

I couldn't resist! Yummy peaches.......

Banana Butter

For every pound of bananas add 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice.

Put bananas and sugar in a large pot; mash with a potato masher.

Cook over low heat until paste rounds up on a spoon.

Optional: add cinnamon and cloves to taste.

Ladle into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Remove air bubbles.

Adjust 2 piece caps.

Process in a boiling water canner for 10 mins.

This is soooooo good! It is like banana bread in a jar.

Watch out - Very addictive - I warned you!