"Always Do Your Best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret."
-Miguel Angel Ruiz
This is a cake I've been making for many years, I can't believe I hadn't blogged abut it sooner. It's really a home run. It's so moist and full of flavor and texture. An awesome cake overall. And who doesn't like bananas and chocolate? But this isn't the cake I intended to make for today's post.
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| Mixing together the streusel |
I made 2 different carrot cakes. The first cake was good. I made it again to see if I could make it better. It was good, but not really great. I knew I could do better.
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| These are my frozen bananas. You can use frozen bananas, just make sure you thaw them first and drain off the liquid. |
Then I decided to go in a whole new direction and make this killer cake!
I tell you about my failures for a few reasons. For one, I want you to know that I really care about the recipes I post here. I only post my best recipes. I don't post recipes that are just o.k. or so so. I like to do my best. One of the greatest little books I've ever read is by Don Miguel Ruiz called The Four Agreements. One of those agreements is, always do your best. That one has always been my favorite and resonated with me the most. I don't want you to make one of my recipes and be disappointed because it wasn't everything I promised. I know you have better things to do with your time and money spent on the ingredients.
Another reason for me sharing my failures, is that even though I'm a decent cook and baker, I still have days where I feel like my baking sucks and I can't seem to get it right. Which is fine, it's just like anything. Even Leonardo DiCaprio didn't get every acting job he went out on when he first started, (it's said that he went on something like 85 auditions before ever getting hired) that's just life. And sometimes we need to carry on with following our dreams and with what makes us happy despite setbacks in the moment.
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| The cake before adding the streusel |
And one more reason for me telling you this? That's why I don't have recipes posted here as often as I probably should. But hey, we're all different and that's what works for me, for now anyway.
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| Ready for the oven |
So, back to the cake. This is seriously delicious cake. So good in fact that I felt the need to add the adjective of "Killer" to it's name. It's moist, it's flavorful, it has streusel on top, and it's a great use of leftover bananas. It's good as a coffee cake during brunch, or for a casual dessert any time of day. This cake really rules, it is my best. So I wanted to share it with you.
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| Hot cake right out of the oven - This cake makes your house smell seriously amazing. |
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Vintage Old Ivory Syracuse Plates, Copper teapot, Noritake M teacup and Tan damask napkins, available at my Etsy shop, House of Lucien.
Killer Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Recipe by Me, Melissa aka The Alchemist
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour (208 g.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup (183 g.) chocolate chips
1/2 cup (50 g.) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (96 g.) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
1 egg
1 1/3 cups (336 g.) very ripe and mashed bananas about 4 medium bananas - previously frozen is fine, just make sure you drain the water from them first
1/4 cup (59 ml) yogurt or sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
For Streusel Topping
1/4 cup (46 g.) chocolate chips
1/2 cup (78 g.) brown sugar
1/4 cup (24 g.) oats
1/2 cup (69 g.) flour
1/4 cup (57 g.) (4 Tablespoons) butter, melted
pinch of salt
Topping
A few tablespoons of chocolate chips for topping the streusel
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, or Gas Mark 4.
Make the streusel. In a medium bowl mix all of the streusel ingredients together except the butter. Add the melted butter and stir together. Set aside.
Prepare an 8 inch square pan by spraying it with non stick spray, set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, set aside. Beat together (with an electric mixer or stand mixer) the butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and mix together until incorporated. Beat in the mashed bananas, vanilla extract and yogurt (or sour cream if using.) Add the dry ingredients and stir it in the batter with a spoon until all is incorporated.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle on the streusel topping. Add a few more chocolate chips on top of the streusel, if desired. (I did, just so they would be obvious on top of the cake, so when you see it you know there's chocolate there.) Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 - 65 minutes. Wiggle the cake to check for doneness. If it's still jiggly in the middle, it needs more time. It's done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool cake on a wire rack. I think it's best served warm. When cool, wrap it well. It should keep a few days. It freezes well. Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap, then place in a zip top bag. Defrost portions at room temperature for an hour or 2. Or microwave a piece for 30 seconds or so for an instant treat from the freezer!
I hope you love this recipe like I do! Happy Baking!
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