Banana Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

The idea for a Banana Cake came from my recent visit to Hawai’i, where I ate banana bread with abandon while simultaneously plotting how I could recreate this joy in my own kitchen. We focused most of our loaf-eating while driving the Road to Hana. My favorite was from Hana Farms where the small loaf was sweet and springy and packed with flavor. I’m not embarrassed to admit that it’s sugary sweet-spicy topping was my reason for getting out of bed one morning.

 

 

For this month’s post, though, I decided to deal with reality – what we call “bread” is, of course, cake. And realist that I am, I figured I should try to recreate and actual cake – with frosting and everything! – to acknowledge exactly what we’re eating. I’m sure I’ll return to try again the mini-loaf like the one from Hana Farms, but in the meanwhile, let’s eat some cake!

 

 

 

 

 

The cake and frosting are quick to make and bake – just don’t make the mistake I did, and frost the cake while it was still a little warm (which is, like the #1 don’t do in baking – sometimes truly don’t know why I do the things I do… ). The chocolate hazelnut makes this cake an extra special treat. If your cake comes out with a dome on top, just cut off the top to make a flat surface to frost.

 

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Banana Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting


Scale

Ingredients

for the cake:

  • 1 stick of butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed (about 4)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup barley flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

for the frosting:

  • 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 12 Tablespoons whole milk

 

 


Instructions

for the cake:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch round baking pan, and set aside.
  2. Using electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. One at a time, mix in eggs, then add in bananas until mix until just combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients. Add to banana mixture and stir until just combined.
  4. Pour into prepared pan, and bake about 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  5. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and let cool completely before frosting

for the frosting:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, chocolate hazelnut spread and powdered sugar for two minutes.
  2. Add the mix, and beat on medium speed for an additional minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, and adding more milk or powdered sugar as necessary.
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