I went to college in Richmond, Virginia and during my four years there I lived in a neighborhood called The Fan. It was a mixed blend of college students and yuppies just starting their families. The closer you got to campus, the more pizza joints and laundromats, further out were fabulous family-run restaurants, bistros and hole-in-the-wall establishments.
One of my favorite spots was a joint that served comfort food. The kind of stuff my Mom would make for me when I went for a visit. Steak piled with caramelized onions and mushrooms, shepherd’s pie, pasta dishes with creamy sauces and their banana cake.
That banana cake was sublime. It was three layers high, incredibly moist and held together by a decadent ganache.
I left Richmond 25 years ago and I still remember that cake. So when I came across this recipe on My Baking Addiction for a banana bundt cake that promised to be uber-moist because of the special cooking and cooling technique, I was intrigued — if not wistful at the thought of that cake from my college days.
I used my nieces’ visit as an excuse to try it (gotta have a dessert for the kids, right?) Besides, I had overripe bananas in my freezer.
The recipe was pretty straightforward but I was reticent about the baking temperature — only 275 degrees — and the baking time — an hour and forty minutes.
The next, scratch my head instruction was taking the hot cake from the oven and placing it directly into the freezer for another hour. Okay.
My biggest issue was getting the cake to release from the pan. I normally just use a spritz of vegetable spray when I’m baking, but after reading the instructions, I thought I should go the “generously butter and flour your pan” route. I did.
But even then, the pan did not want to give up its prize. I flipped it. I flopped it. I poked a knife between the pan and the cake, hoping to pry it loose.
I inverted it on the cake plate and shook the hell out of it. I pounded it with my fist. Come on.
Finally, I felt movement. The cake, ever so grudgingly, yielded.
That said, the moist crumbs that had been holding it in the pan, were still firmly in place. I ran my index finger around the bowl of the pan, scooping up and devouring the tender bits.
I shrugged it off thinking “that’s what the ganache was for” — to liberally cover up any imperfections with dark chocolate.
This is as close as I’ve come to that cake from college and the kids devoured it. It’s a winner!
Banana Bundt Cake
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 over ripe bananas mashed
- 1 lemon zested, 2 teaspoons juice
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, softened
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
For the ganache
- 4 ounces semisweet premium chocolate – ideally Scharfenberger Ghirardelli or Lindt
- ½ cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Thoroughly grease and flour a 12 cup non-stick bundt pan – or spray with nonstick baking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas, lemon zest and lemon juice, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Stir in vanilla.
- Blend 1/3 of flour mixture and then add 1/3 buttermilk until just blended. Alternate flour and buttermilk until batter is just combined, but be careful not to over-beat.
- Add banana mixture to batter and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.
- Transfer the cake from the oven directly to the freezer (still in the pan) for 45-60 minutes. After cooling in the freezer, transfer cake to a cooling rack for at least 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, prepare the ganache. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, until hot, but not boiling. While cream is heating, finely chop chocolate on a cutting board and transfer to a small bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let it set for a few minutes until the chocolate softens. Use a whisk to carefully incorporate the cream into the chocolate until glistening and smooth.
- Invert the cake onto a cake plate or pedestal.
- Spoon ganache over the cooled cake, so that it runs over the ridges.
- Store cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Good luck getting it to last that long.
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
I followed this recipe exaclty like u said. I felt like it was a bit too liquidy. I saw ur photo and urs looked more solid, or thicker. Wonder if it will be ok. It’s in the oven now. Also, I didn’t have buttermilk. Had to replace with yogurt. Hope it works out!!
Froze the cake then defrosted like you told me to. Added the ganache next day. My husband and granddaughter couldn’t have bragged more about any cake I have ever baked I’m just sorry I can’t eat sweets anymore
WONDERFUL RECIPE!
I’m so glad they liked it, Barbara! Thank you for following up and letting me know how it turned out! I’m sorry you can’t eat sweets too, but there are lots of other non-sweet dishes on the site!
My bundt cake came out easily but cake left on sides all around. But that’s what the ganache is for right?
Having large family gathering this weekend Can I freeze cake? Better to freeze with ganache on or without?
Hurry and reply. My husband might cut into cake if left on counter.
Hi Barbara!
I laughed out loud when I read this — Hope I’m fast enough….Freeze the cake without the ganache. Let it come to room temperature before you top it with the chocolate. Have fun!
Shame you didn’t slice the cake so people could see the inside
I hear you, Kristine — that’s the challenge of this blogging thing… My family and friends usually play second fiddle to my photos and consequently haven’t had a hot meal in years… I put the family before the blog on this one and served the “whole cake” before slicing it. They thought that was a bit of a novelty!
I’m going to need you to deliver this to my house today please and thank you. This looks so decadent and yummy. Chocolate and banana is one of my favorite combos!!
LOL! It’s one of ours too, Christina!
Yummy! Genius to add banana for extra moisture. Looks delicious!
LOVE banana cakes. LOVE chocolate. and.. we just got two new fancy bundt cake molds TODAY. no lie. Perfect timing!!!
I’m jealous — my bundt cake pan is 20+ years old…
The only thing better than a homemade banana bread is a homemade banana bread covered in a dark chocolate ganache! Swoon!
There is that!!!
Oh my, this cake looks wonderful. I would do anything to have a few slices of this goodness with a cup of tea right now!
I have never tried bundt cake but this one looks delicious and perfect, Lisa!
Banana bread is delicious and I love the idea of making it bundt cake style. And then adding chocolate on top? YUM. I can understand why this was a favorite of yours!
That bit about getting the cake out made me giggle. Sorry I know I shouldn’t laugh haha but you’re too funny. The technique sounds pretty cool and I definitely need to try this. Low and slow and freezer! The past month Terry has been obsessed with banana bread (i had to eat 3 loaves in a month. cripes -_-) time for him to switch it up to this! 🙂
No matter how experienced you are in the kitchen, you’ve always got to be ready for those curve balls, right? Terry will love this cake, promise. It didn’t last here at all!
Lucky nieces 🙂 This banana bundt cake looks super moist and delicious. I’ve never had banana cake, can you believe it?
Now is the time to try it!
The sticking-in-the-pan situation is what frightens me most about bundt cakes! You can;t even run a knife around the edges like with a cake-tin! *shudder*. Having said that, for this cake though, I might be willing to take the risk!
This banana bundt cake looks delicious! I’m not fond of cooked bananas but my family is and wants me to make a banana baked good every couple of months, So, I will be trying this recipe soon! I know my family will love it!!