Banana Cake with THE BEST Chocolate Frosting

Happy Spring-ish! Easter is this weekend so naturally it might snow today in Chicago. Sigh.

Moving right along...you must make this frosting. It's my go-to frosting for just about anything that needs to be frosted. It's also excellent left over and smeared on graham crackers or spoons. :)

And because making an entire batch of frosting for only a spoon is not socially acceptable, I give you a delicious vehicle! Banana cake is a favorite in our house. My oldest requests it every year for his birthday. I have made A LOT of banana cake recipes. While I'm not married to any of them, I come back to the one from my Gourmet cook book most often. I always make it in a 9x13 pan so they turn out like more of a banana bar, but they are quick and easy for a weekday treat.

~Erin

Banana Cake with THE BEST Chocolate Frosting

Author: Erin (adapted from Gourmet and Cake Central)

Ingredients

• Cake


• 1 c. ripe bananas, mashed


• 2 1/4 c. flour


• 3/4 tsp. baking soda


• 1/2 tsp. baking powder


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1/4 plain yogurt


• 1/2 c. butter, softened


• 1 c. sugar


• 2 eggs


• 2 tsp. vanilla


• Frosting


• 1/2 c. butter softened


• 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (such as Hershey's)


• 1/2 c. chocolate syrup (again, such as Hershey's)


• 3 c. powdered sugar


• 1 Tbs. milk


• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350.


2. Spray or butter and flour a 9x13 pan.


3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.


4. Beat butter and sugar together on medium-high speed till light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.


5. In a separate bowl, mix together bananas, yogurt, and vanilla.


6. Gradually add flour mixture to butter and sugar, alternating with banana mixture. End with flour mixture and mix only till just combined.


7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top.


8. Bake on middle rack until top is springy and toothpick comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Cool completely.

Frosting

1. Combine butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup in mixer on low speed till combined.


2. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed till combined. Add milk and vanilla.


3. Increase mixer speed to medium and mix till frosting is smooth. Add a little more milk or sugar if needed to get a nice spreadable consistency.


4. Apply generously to cooled cake. Or to whatever else your heart desires!

Notes

Here's the deal...both the cake recipe and the frosting recipe call for sifting your dry ingredients (before measuring). I am lazy when it comes to this extra step. So unless I'm making it for people I'm not related to, I don't sift. Perhaps my cake is a little denser but otherwise I can't tell the difference. Either way people will love it. :)

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