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When you hear the words, “caramel banana cake,” do you envision a moist and fluffy banana cake swimming in a pool of rich caramel, or perhaps a thick layer of it smothering the top? A decadent dessert unlike any other? I know I do, because that exactly what I thought of when I came across the caramel banana cake on Technicolor Kitchen’s site. However, that’s not exactly what I got…

What I did get was a perfectly fluffy banana cake filled with walnut chunks, dark chocolate chips and a heavy, spicy dose of cinnamon and nutmeg, with a crunchy, sandy caramel bottom, which was just fine with me! This cake is not very different from any really good banana bread or cake; it’s got just the right amount of spices, the walnut crunchiness is a great addition to the texture of the cake, and using dark chocolate chips sparingly means just occasional hints of chocolate, so as not to take away from the great banana flavour.

My caramel was not exactly the caramel I was expecting though. I think I may have let it sit off the heat too long before pouring it over the hot-out-of-the-oven cake. The texture was sandy, and I had to pretty much spread it on the bottom of the cake. It got a lot harder, and quite crumbly, and adhered well to the cake, so that one I flipped it out of the bundt pan, the thick caramel crunch layer stuck nicely to the cake. I actually enjoyed it this way, it was like having little nuggets of maple fudge in it! Next time, I think I may attempt to fix my caramel error and not let it sit off the heat, and I’ll pour (or spread) it on the cake on the top, as it is a fairly plain-looking cake. But changes or not, I’d definitely make the cake again – it’s an easy, great bundt that is wonderfully flavourful. It’s not a decadent cake, but one that you can enjoy as much as any perfectly-made banana bread, with a little bit extra thrown in.

Caramel Crunch Banana Cake
adapted from Technicolor Kitchen
Printable Recipe

CAKE
2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cups (300ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil)
1 ¾ cups (350g) sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (75g) coarsely chopped walnuts
85g (3oz) dark chocolate, broken into small pieces (or chocolate chips)
3 ripe bananas, diced (or mashed)

CARAMEL:
½ cup (88g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

CAKE
1. Butter and flour a tube pan or a bundt pan that can hold 12 cups; preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF.

2. Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, oil and sugar. With the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that the sugar has been incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix for another 30 seconds.

5. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients a bit at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl every now and then to ensure everything is incorporated.

6. Once the dry ingredients have been added, remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add the walnuts, chocolate and bananas. Gently fold them in with a spatula or a wooden spoon. Don’t over mix.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes and then test the cake to see if it’s done by poking a toothpick or cake tester into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, bake the cake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

CARAMEL (CRUNCH)
1. About 5 to 10 minutes before the cake is done, make the caramel by combining all the ingredients in a small pan. Bring to the boil and stir occasionally to ensure that it doesn’t burn. Let it boil for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.

2. Once the cake is out of the oven, poke holes all over the cake with a skewer. Immediately pour the caramel over the cake, stopping every now and then to let the caramel sink in. If the caramel pools in spots, poke more holes to allow it to sink in.

3. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once it’s cool, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and then unmold it onto a plate.

If you like this, you might also like:

Banana Bread with Hazelnuts
Banana Crunch Muffins
Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting

It was my turn to bring the Friday snack to work, which I look forward to, as it gets me into the kitchen. I had a few bananas ripening up on the counter, so I figured I should use them in whatever I decided to bring. When searching for something tasty to make, I came across these on Miss.Cupcake Face. They sounded wonderfully appealing to me, they became my choice.

I’m so happy I made these! They have a lot of flavour, a great cakey (and sooo moist) texture (more like cake than muffins), and the frosting is incredible. I changed the recipe a bit, using equal quantities of banana and pineapple, and I think it was a wise choice. I found the pineapple flavour to be very noticeable, especially given the juicy chunks of crushed pineapple that are scattered throughout each cupcake. The banana does play a predominant role, but that’s something I’m okay with. I wanted a banana flavour, with just hints of others. The toasted pecans are a necessity, adding a great crunch to the cupcakes and that oh-so-wonderful nutty flavour. I also fortunately upped the cinnamon.

And the frosting? Droooooooool. Again, I upped the cinnamon, and thankfully so. I reduced the amounts of all the ingredients too. I don’t know how much frosting people take on their cupcakes, but even with my reduced recipe and a heavily iced cupcake, I still have at least a cup of this stuff sitting in my freezer right now (which I will of course eat from sporadically with a spoon and nothing else). It’s definitely a cream cheese frosting, and the cinnamon is very noticeable.

These are excellent and versatile cupcakes (I’m thinking next time of adding coconut and using a white chocolate frosting), and good enough to serve at any type of occasion.

Is this what a hummingbird cake would likely taste like?

Pineapple Banana Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Miss.Cupcake Face
Printable Recipe

CUPCAKES
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 medium sized bananas)
1/2 cups crushed pineapple (juice not included)
1 cup pecans, toasted & coarsely chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, salt, baking soda & cinnamon. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until everything is combined. Slowly add the sugar mixture into the flour mixture. Add the bananas, pineapple & pecans. Mix until incorporated. Divide batter between the cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.

FROSTING
3/4 cup butter, slightly softened
8 oz cream cheese
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
Half and half cream, enough to get the consistency you like

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until everything is combined. Add the vanilla and the cinnamon.

If you like this, you might also like:

Banana Bread with Hazelnuts
Banana Gumdrop Loaf
Caramel Apple Cupcakes

It’s difficult to make a bad banana bread. They’re a very forgiving quickbread, but that doesn’t mean they’re always excellent. This one, however, is. It’s my banana bread go-to recipe.

The original recipe asks for pecans, which I have used, and loved! They become crunchy and almost candylike in the bread. This time, I had some leftover hazelnuts, so I used those instead. Pretty much any nut, dried fruit or chocolate can be thrown in here, and the end result will be fantastic.

My favourite thing about this recipe is how some of the bananas are barley mashed, so they’re still quite lumpy. Then they’re added at the end, so it gives the bread chunks of moist bananas throughout.

Banana Bread with Hazelnuts
adapted from Tyler Florence’s Banana Bread with Pecans
Printable Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I used 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup vegetable oil)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped (the original recipe calls for pecans, which I also love!)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

4. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don’t get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that’s no mistake, it’s typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

5. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve.

Do you have a favourite banana bread recipe? I’d love to put another good one on the banana-roster!

Oh! And don’t forget the giveway, one post down. Just two more days!