Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Banana Split Coffeecake...

It's time to take a break from those nasty taxes to do a little cake dance! For this round of the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day, Jeff thought it would be nice to bring in a fun and different cake. After describing some cakes I had in mind, we ended up choosing this Banana Split Coffeecake to make.

While this two-toned cake has a few steps in it making the preparation a bit fussy, the end result was very much worth it. When the light golden cake batter had been prepared, a portion of the mixture is combined with slick melted bittersweet chocolate. This will form a striking contrast to the remaining batter that will be combined with a mashed banana. One tip - because there is such a small amount of banana, be sure to use the ripest one you can so you get the most bang-for-your-buck in flavor.

Once this high-rising marbled cake had cooled completely, it has a couple finishing touches to really set it off. The first is a decadent chocolate glaze made by heating together bittersweet chocolate, butter, half-and-half and a touch of light corn syrup. When it was warm enough to make the mixture completely smooth, it is set aside to cool down and thicken up. Now, you don't have to add that little bit of corn syrup, but it helps ensure that the glaze will easily pour and not harden up too much. I was a little thrown off by the term "glaze" - I was expecting something that was a little more fluid. While this did flow down the cake a little, I thought it was a bit too viscous to get an even finish. To round out the "banana split" part of this coffeecake, toasted slivered almonds garnish the top of the cake while the glaze is still wet.

The combo of chocolate and banana in this cake was quite exciting - however, I would maybe think about adding a couple drops of banana extract to the blonde batter. Even though my banana was quite ripe, I just think the flavor could use the boost to stand up to the rich chocolate. Thanks to the buttermilk, the cake was very tender and moist with a delicious mild tang. You probably won't end up with all of the glaze on the cake as some will inevitably (though it may take awhile!) run down. So be sure to do this part while the cake is still on the cooling rack and just place a plate underneath to catch any drippings. The leftovers can be scooped up and stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks to use as a fantastic chocolate-y topping for ice cream when heated back up!

13 comments:

  1. It looks so perfect! I wish I could bake like that. Im jealous!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That looks wonderful. I love the marbeled inside - a little extra treat for the eater.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just OMG! This one will be discussed at the office for sure. I can already see myself slathering the whole thing with chocolate frosting. On the off chance that it isn't already, you know, sublime enough......

    Quinn

    ReplyDelete
  4. This looks sooo good!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'll give you a portion of my tax refund money in return for that coffeecake!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This would probably be a winner in my home.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anything 'Banana Split' I'm all for! :P

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great looking cake! I have been baking with bananas lately too! Your cake sounds heavenly!
    Picky Palate

    ReplyDelete
  9. It look great! Instead of using banana flavouring try roasting your bananas before next time, maybe that will burst more their flavour. Loved seeing the pic from the inside!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That sounds really good. I have three bananas ripening (turning brown) in my kitchen now and I can't decide if I want to do this recipe or a banana cake with chocolate frosting that I found in a southern cake book. Decisions, decisions...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lina - Thank you!

    Katie - I agree, the swirls looked pretty good to me!

    Quinn - The chocolate glaze was certainly a nice touch we thought!

    Oatmeal Cookie guy - Thanks!

    Christina - Tempting, but the cake its all gone!

    Helene - Give it a try!

    Tarah - Yeah!

    Jenny - We already try to keep some ripe 'naners in the fridge for such occasions!

    CC - Interesting twist, I'll have to remember that!

    N&J - Tough call - this cake went quite fast at the office though!

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is one of the best cakes I have ever made! And everyone loves it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Suzanne - Glad you liked it!

    ReplyDelete