banana bundt cake with praline glaze

So, how many banana cake recipes can you post, Diana?

More than one, for sure.

Bananas were made to be put into cakes. I am not sure how any one can screw up a banana cake, but it happens. Appalling, I know.

So we were at the supermarket the other day, and Aden took a bunch of bananas and placed them in the trolley. With the sincerity of a 3.5 year old, he was convinced that he HAD to eat those bananas, or he would NEVER grow to be as big and strong as his Daddy.

So the bananas were bought, and they remained on the kitchen counter for 2 days. The LAM ate one, and there were still 5 left. "You need to do something with them," he told me.

ARGH. Baking with bananas was not on my to-do list this week, but throwing out food is against my religion, so it was Google I turned to.

Then I found this recipe. I sort of perked up a little. Well, to start with, the cake is baked in a Bundt pan, and I like baking with bundt pans. Then the recipe called for Greek yoghurt. Now, so I happened to have a tub of Greek yoghurt in my fridge. I was going to make tandoori chicken with it but I had been distracted and forgot about it. As the expiry date was looming, I had to use it up, pronto! So, I immediately printed the recipe and went to the kitchen to start on the cake!

Normally banana cake recipes will instruct you to mash the bananas. In this case, because I had 5 big bananas, I decided to mash 3 of them and slice the remaining 2 so I get a different texture in the cake.

So, I started by creaming together the butter and sugar. I waited and waited, but the mixture did not become light and fluffy.

So I beat some more, and in the end, I re-read the recipe, and realised that the mixture was never going to be light and fluffy because the amount of butter was not enough to make it so!!! AIYAH!!

So, if you do make this cake, the mixture will look like this:

The eggs were then added, one at a time, and beaten thoroughly before the next egg was added, and finally, the vanilla extract.

Followed by the vegetable oil.

The flour and other ingredients were added in the sequence: flour-yoghurt-flour-banana-flour.

Once all the flour had been incorporated, the batter was ready.

It was transferred into a greased and floured Bundt pan, and baked for an hour.

The cake was cooled in the cake for about 15 minutes before being transferred onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, I added butter, sugar and milk into a saucepan. I brought the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk to ensure that all the sugar had melted.

Once the mixture had come to a boil, I took the saucepan off the heat and started adding the icing sugar a little at a time, and whisking it thoroughly into the mixture.

The mixture will get thicker and thicker. Once it reaches the consistency that is thick, yet pour-able, it is ready.

Pour the glaze over the cake. It will set in about 15 minutes, and the cake is ready to be served!

The cake is good enough by itself, but the glaze simply brings it to the next level. :)

RECIPE
Banana Bundt Cake With Praline Glaze (Serves 12-14)
Adapted from bakingbites.com

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
113g butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (approx 3 large) - I used 5 large bananas, 3 mashed and 2 sliced thinly

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 170C. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter with sugar until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by the vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
4. Stir one third of the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, followed by the yogurt. Stir in another third of the flour mixture, followed by the mashed banana. Stir in remaining flour mixture and mix until no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Praline Glaze

Adapted from abakershouse.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar

58g butter

3 TB milk

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Method:

1. Heat the brown sugar, butter and milk in a pan to a boil. 

2. Stir the mixture as it heats, a whisk is the best tool for the job. 

3. Take the pan off the heat and add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. 

4. Let this glaze cool, I waited about 15-20 minutes before it thickened slightly. 

5. Pour the glaze over the cake.