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Banana Bundt Cake

This banana cake is wonderful with the mocha swirls, topped with a shiny chocolate glaze and sprinkled with bacon. It's reminiscent of a doughnut I had with those flavors. BUT, the cake is perfect without any of that. You can skip the swirls, glaze and bacon, for a simple, lovely banana cake!
Author: Zoë François

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp dark, dutch processed cocoa powder for pan and cake swirls
  • 3 cups / 360g all-­purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 cups / 450g granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cups / 480g mashed very ripe bananas about 4 large
  • 3/4 cup / 175ml mild-­flavored oil such as vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup / 240ml heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Tbsp espresso powder
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Shiny Chocolate Glaze (Optional)

  • 1/2 cup / 120ml water
  • 1 cup / 200g granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup / 40g Dutch-processed cocoa
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup / 80ml heavy whipping cream
  • 4 oz / 112g bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

Bacon Garnish (Optional)

  • 1/4 cup crisp, chopped bacon

Instructions

Banana Swirl Bundt Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Generously spray a 10 or 12 cup capacity Bundt Pan with "Baking Spray" and then dust with cocoa powder using a fine mesh sieve.
    Pro Tip: Tap out excess cocoa powder and reserve it for the swirled part of the cake. No waste.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, oil, and eggs.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir together until just combined.
  • In another bowl, using a whisk or hand held mixer, whip the heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the batter.
  • Divide 1/3 of the batter into the bowl you used to whip the cream.
  • Combine the cocoa powder (use 1 Tbsp of the remaining cocoa powder from dusting the pan), espresso powder and vanilla extract. Add the cocoa mixture to the smaller bowl of batter. Stir to combine.
  • Starting with the banana batter, add about 1/4 of the batter in a thin layer to the prepared pan. Add 1/3 of the cocoa batter on top of the banana layer. Repeat, going back and forth, until you have used up all of the batters.
  • Gently tap the pan on the counter several times to release excess air bubbles and settle the batter into the grooves of the decorative pan.
  • Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
  • Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before inverting from the pan, onto a serving platter. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 24 hours.

Shiny Chocolate Ganache

  • In a medium saucepan, bring water, sugar, cocoa, and salt to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is melted, about one minute. Add the heavy cream and cook, stirring continuously until the mixture is reduced by about 1/3 the volume. It will be the consistency of Hershey's chocolate syrup.
  • Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate, and swirl the pan to submerge the chocolate. Allow to sit for 2 minutes and then gently whisk the ganache until smooth.
  • Loosely cover and allow to come to room temperature before pouring over the cake. 
    Pro Tip: The mixture should be thick but pourable. If it is too thin, chill the mixture for about 5 minutes or until it is thick enough to cling to the cake. If it sets up too much, place it over low heat and soften it very slightly, just a few seconds at a time (this can also be done in a microwave in about 30 seconds).

To Serve

  • Pour your shiny ganache over the cooled bundt cake and top with chopped bacon, if desired.