Sunday, January 9, 2011

Banana Chocolate Walnut Cake


SERVES8
  • ACTIVE TIME:30 MIN
  • START TO FINISH:2 1/2 HR
FEBRUARY 2008
A great way to use very ripe bananas, this easy-to-make cake incorporates everything you love about banana bread and adds a few more favorites—chocolate, walnuts, and cinnamon—for good measure. (It's also much more tender, with a light, moist crumb.)
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
  • 2/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 (3 1/2- to 4-oz) bar 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts (3 oz), toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan.
  • Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Beat together softened butter (1 stick) and 3/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in eggs 1 at a time until blended. Beat in bananas, yogurt, and vanilla (mixture will look curdled).
  • With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
  • Toss together chocolate, nuts, cinnamon, melted butter, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Spread half of banana batter in cake pan and sprinkle with half of chocolate mixture. Spread remaining batter evenly over filling and sprinkle remaining chocolate mixture on top.
  • Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely, right side up.
COOKS' NOTES: Cake can be made 2 days ahead and kept in a airtight container at room temperature.

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