I always seem to have a glut of browning bananas in my bowl. I must be so predictable even Harley will walk in and ask if i'm going to make them into a cake. I just love the sweetness and moistness they add to any bake. I made my own banana chips (see the notes at the bottom of the page) and they are so delicious, I always find the store bought ones to taste oily and unpleasant.
Cake
250g stork butter or softened butter
200g caster sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
200g self-raising flour
50g cocoa (I use green and blacks)
3 small bananas or 2 medium mashed
100g dark chocolate chopped into chunks
*16 banana chips
Frosting
150g icing sugar
75g stork butter
vanilla bean paste
Banana chips
2 bananas
lemon juice
You will also need 9x9 baking tin, buttered and lined with baking parchment.
Preheat the oven to 170c
Cream the butter and caster sugar together until pale, light and fluffy, this is easiest in a free-standing mixer or by using an electric hand-whisk. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition. Sift in the flour and cocoa mix to combine. Add the banana and mix again until smooth.
Fold in the chocolate chunks.
Fold in the chocolate chunks.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread level using a palette knife.
Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 40-45 mins, or until well risen and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool for ten minutes, before cooling completely on a wire rack.
Whip all of the frosting ingredients together until light and fluffy, then with a palette knife swirl over the cold cake, mark into 16 square. Decorate with the banana chips.
*The day before you want to make this cake slice 2 bananas into disc the depth of pound coins. Place on a lined baking sheet and brush with the lemon juice, place into a preheated oven 100˚c and bake until dried out, this will take anything from 3-5 hours. I did mine in the simmering oven of my AGA for 5 hours, they should peel away from the parchment and within a couple of minutes be firm.
