BANANA – CHOCOLATE CHIP SNACK CAKE

Welcome back fellow food lovers !!!!!

We do not do deserts often. (My doctor complains when I do)

But I LOVE THEM !!!!!! So today we are turning to our friends at Cook's Country for a delicious taste treat.

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Growing up, we all ate snack cakes. Every time I walk down the grocery isle and see all those Cup Cakes and Little What's her names, I feel nostalgic.

Those were good, but we can do just as well at home. And it's

E A S Y  !!!!!

So let's grab our Adult beverage and start in.

FOR THE CAKE

2 Cups (10 ounces) A.P. Flour

¾ tsp Salt

½ tsp baking soda

8 TBL unsalted softened Butter (I used Salted) ONE stick

If you forget to soften your butter (like I did) just take it out of the fridge, and throw it in the RF Box for 15 seconds

1 ½ Cups (10 ½ OZ Sugar)

2 Large Eggs

1 Cup Smashed Ripe Bananas (I used 3 bananas)

A note about the bananas !!!! They must be very ripe. The riper they are, the sweeter they get. I bought these three days ago, and let them ripen. When they get the brown 'speckles' they are ready

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

½ Cup Whole Milk

1 Cup (6 OZ) Semi sweet Chocolate Chips

FOR THE FROSTING

4 TBL Unsalted Softened Butter

1 Cup (14 OZ) Confectioners' Sugar

4 OZ Cream Cheese (cut into 4 pieces and softened)

¾ tsp Vanilla Extract

Make the cake

Adjust oven rack to middle position and pre heat to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan

Smash up the Nammers

Whisk Flour, salt & baking soda together in a bowl

Using your stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium high speed until pale and fluffy (About 3 min) Add eggs, one at a time and beat until combined.

Add the bananas and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

Reduce speed to medium and add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions. (For those of you who went to Florida State, that means flour-milk-flour-milk-flour.)

Scrape the bowl as needed.

Using a rubber spatula, add in the chocolate chips.

Transfer mixture into your prepared baking pan, and smooth the top.

You can also sprinkle more chips on the top before baking (I did not do this)

Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (45-50 min)

Rotate pan ½ way through the baking process

Let cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Now for the Frosting

Using your stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter & sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. (About 2 min) 

Add Cream Cheese, 1 piece at a time, beating after each addition and fully incorporated. Add Vanilla and mix until no lumps remain.

Top the cake with your frosting and chill in the refrigerator.

Serve

 I served ours with a couple of banana slices and a brandied cherry on top.


SO HOW WAS IT ?????

It blew 'store bought' AWAY !!! Damn was it good. "Off The Hook"

Seriously, the best I ever ate.

It was moist and creamy, and the cream cheese frosting kicked it to the next level.

AND BEST OF ALL, IT WAS E A S Y !!!!!

The only thing I would do different would be to use Toll House Chips instead of the fancy ones (that what we had on the pantry shelf)

The ones we used did not soften as much as I would have liked.

 But if you like 'crunchy' these would work JUST fine.

You could also sprinkle some chips on top of the frosting. Or perhaps some nuts on top ??  Be creative.

So there you have it another 'winner winner snack cake dinner'.

Beware, DO NOT give any of this to your dog. Chocolate is POISON to a dog. (Trust me here. I have a VERY LARGE  vet bill to prove it)

So keep it away from Fido, and enjoy !!!!! And don't tell your doctor you made this !!

Be smart, be safe, and STAY HOME !!

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER