Daniel’s Banana Chocolate Cake

      Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

This is my own adaptation of a traditional banana cake. I made it dairy free and added chocolate as a flavouring.

Ingredients:

 

• 3 ounces (85 gr) of dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces = 100 gr) of shortening
• 1 1/2 cups (11 oz = 310 gr) sugar
• 1 cup of mashed ripe bananas (about 3 = 13 oz = 360 gr)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (6 1/4 oz = 180 gr) of almond milk
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 1/4 cup (11 1/2 oz = 320 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Ingredients (optional chocolate glaze):

 

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure:

 

1. Prepare tube pan and heat oven
   • Spray or smear with shortening the pan, then dust with either flour or cocoa powder.
   • Pre-heat oven to 350 F
2. Chocolate Mixture
   • Melt chocolate and shortening in microwave in a large glass or heavy duty plastic bowl
   • Add sugar and mix
   • Add mashed bananas and mix
   • Add eggs and mix
   • Add vanilla and salt
3. Faking buttermilk
   • In a measuring cup mix almond milk with lemon (it may separate).
4. Dry mixture
   • In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and baking soda
5. Finishing the mixture
   • Add 1/3 of flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until incorporated
   • Add 1/3 of the milk mixture and stir until incorporated
   • Repeat two more times until all the flour and milk are incorporated
6. Baking the cake
   • Pour cake batter into prepared pan
   • Bake for 30 minutes (or longer) until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
7. Cool and unmold the cake
   • Let the cake cool until is is just warm.
   • Run a knife around the edges of the pan to release the cake.
   • Invert in a clean cutting board (cake will be upside down).
   • Put a platter at the bottom of the cake and invert into the plate (if planning to glaze the cake invert it on a wire rack and put the wire rack over a large baking pan.
8. Glaze the cake (optional)
   • In bowl set over pot of simmering water, melt chocolate with butter and whisk until smooth. Remove bowl from pot, add corn syrup and vanilla, and mix until smooth and shiny.
   • Spread the glaze over the cake and let cool.