Banana chocolate pecan bundt cake
Even though I am really good in coming up with alternative ways to using a recipe, tweaking this and tweaking that and adjusting it to my own taste, up till now I had never ever made an entire recipe from scratch. Well that is not counting the cooking. I’m talking about baking in particular. Baking, as everyone who bakes knows, is a bit more particular. You can’t just simply throw in a little bit more of that or a little bit more of this; that will upset the delicate balance of the chemical reaction needed to make that cake or make sure that dessert sets. So I still tweaked and added but always within certain limits. I was careful.
But then today I was left with 3 bananas that were clearly very overripe. Ready to be used right now. And while I love banana bread I had never actually made (a really good) one. Tom is not too big a fan of banana, so anything I bake with banana will either be given away or will have to be eaten by me alone. Not an option, so I normally don’t do a lot of banana baking. But these three babies were just yelling at me to have a go. So I started searching through my endless pile of cookbooks for that perfect recipe, featuring the ingredients I had on hand and… couldn’t find it. Well, I found plenty of banana bread or banana cake recipes but just not exactly what I was looking for.
And then I remembered we still had that book called Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking
So I started jotting down the basic ingredients, subtracting some of the fluids for the banana, changing the flours around to give it a bit of different taste, adding fillings, calculating how much salt it would need and how much baking powder. I also didn’t exactly know how much flour I would need to fill a bundt form so I guessed it and based all the other calculations on that. I was close but it was a tiny bit too much making the batter almost overflow the tin!
Set out all my ingredients; eggs, cinnamon, bananas, almond flour, chocolate chunks, butter (made browned butter for this! Sooo good!), pecans, baking powder and measured and weighed and wrote it all down to make sure I didn’t miss anything. And I had so much fun in the process! Going through my cabinets and fridge to see if there was anything else I could add. I am sure there was but I also didn’t want to jinx my first effort so I just went with the safer options.
Ofcourse I am aware of the fact that there must easily be a zillion banana chocolate bread recipes out there and mine is no rocket science but I had so much fun creating the recipe and doing all those calculations. And what’s even better is when all those calculations turn out to be correct… 
I knew I had overfilled my Bundt tin just a bit but figured it might just hold. I had to restrain myself from sitting in front of the oven for an hour watching the cake rise and seeing what was happening! But I cannot complain really. Call it beginners luck but the cake turned out completely perfect. Moist on the inside, deliciously crispy on the outside. Not too sweet with just the hint of the almond flour and the burned butter coming through. Maybe add a tiny bit more cinnamon for next time but man, I am so thrilled with this recipe!
Banana chocolate pecan bundt cake
Yield: 8-10
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 60 min
Total Time: 1 hrs and 15 mins
Ingredients:
- 400 gr all purpose flour
- 100 gr almond flour
- 300 gr buttermilk
- 300 gr very ripe bananas
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 75 gr chocolate chunks
- 250 gr of browned butter
- 250 gr sugar
- 225 gr of egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 50 gr pecans, chopped
- 16 gr baking powder
- pinch of salt
Directions:
- To make the burned/browned butter put the butter into a saucepan and slowly let it melt until the butter starts to become brown. Careful as it can go really quick at the end. Once it starts to smell amazing you know you're good to go. Turn of the heat and let it cool down a bit.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C.
- Combine all the dry ingredients into one bowl (flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt) and mix well to combine.
- Mix your wet ingredients in another bowl (buttermilk, egg, vanilla essence). Mash your bananas and add them to the wet ingredients. Stir well to mix.
- Combine your wet and dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon into well combined. Don't overbeat at this point.
- Once all mixed ad your melted butter in and also stir in the pecannuts and chocolate chunks. Again, stir to just combine.
- I used a bundt cake form but the batter was just a tiny bit too much for my form. Ofcourse you can use any other tin you want. Just make sure you adjust the baking times where needed.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 min or until a wooden skewer comes out fairly clean. Don't let it get too dry.
Recipe by Simone van den Berg
Appetizer
Asian
Bread
Breakfast
Desserts & other sweets
Healthy
I love Bundt cakes and this one looks/sounds marvelous!
I love your “kitty prop”! ;-P
Cheers,
Rosa
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:46
Haha… Yes kitty props are the best, aren’t they?
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The wife and I have printed the recipe and we are more than excited to try it! She is an amazing cook so this will be something great to eat. When we are done I will tweet you a pic of it
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:47
Can’t wait to see how yours turns out Brian!
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I’m going to look up that book, I’ve been thinking along those same lines lately… I want to have the basic formulas for baking so firmly fixed in my mind that I don’t have to think twice about whipping up a batch of muffins or a quick cake. That’s where real creativity can take over. You did a great job with this cake!
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:47
Thanks Sue. It’s definitely worth buying. I read about the book first on a blog too and have loved it ever since!
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What you wrote about that book which basically explains the various ratios needed to start baking from scratch sounds very good! And I also already know someone I’m going to give this book
And when reading your receipe and looking at your photos, I think I shall also try out soon your receipe.
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:48
Hope you will make the cake Eva! It’s really good, as is the book..
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What a marvelous challenge for your brain – one leap I am not quite ready to make. I am still tied a bit to established recipes. Bravo on your success!
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:48
Thanks so much Robin, although I am a little bit afraid it is one of those cases of beginners luck more then anything else!
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So one does need to be a rocket scientist to bake. Thank you Simone for proving that:)
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:49
Yes Robert, absolutely true. One needs to be a rocket scientist to succeed in baking..
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Looks very spongy and pecan+banana flavors must be a plus. I have to try the almond flour
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:49
Thanks. I love almond flour. It gives it such a lovely additional flavor!
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YAY and good for you!! Better than me! I love this recipe and it would really go over so well here! Bookmarked for next I have extra old bananas! It’s beautiful! Can you tell me the size of your Bundt pan? It looks smaller than mine? Thanks xo
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:50
Ooo now you’re asking me for the size of the Bundt pan… I have no idea.. It’s not mentioned on the thing but it’s a fairly common size here. I normally use the measurements for a 9″ one I think but I will measure it tomorrow in centimeters just to be sure!
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Wow! That looks so delicious and yum!
Best,
Sihi
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:51
Thanks so much Sihi!
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I’m not so good at developing cakes, but I’ve done a few. It really is a science and you nailed this one.
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Simone (junglefrog) — August 20th, 2012 at 22:51
Well after only one try I think it is too soon to be happy about it yet but this one at least is a success! Now on to number two!
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Delicious I am looking for banana recipes as my hubby and princess love anything with banana when it is about baking.
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So, Kitty likes chocolate and banana, too, eh? A lovely little quiet treat for a rainy day!
V
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The cake looks wondetful. chocolate, banana, and pecans is a perfect combo.
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Simone..I said OMG out loud to my BF when I saw this cake! It is magnificent..exactly how I love banana cake..with pecans and chocolate chunks..plus, it looks so moist! I’m pinning it now! (Just joined 2 weeks ago and can’t stop..help!) Oh..I’m also extremely impressed that you put this recipe together with ratios. Whenever I do it…I end up having to do it over at least once and adjust, adjust, adjust. Regardless..I’m in lust with this cake and will definitely be making it soon!
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I love to cook that way and if everything turns out really good (especially with baking): wow, that’s a joy in itself. Another joy is the eating part of course and this looks like a delicious banana cake!
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I love all types of banana cakes and I like experimenting by making different types! Bookmarked this. It looks gorgeous!
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Ratio has been on my wishlist for a while now. I think you’ve now cemented my need for it! Gorgeous cake. I love banana cakes.
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A divine creation. A must make! Your banana bread rocks!
Yummm!
I recently posted my smaller banana breads also a few Smaller Bundt cakes, in my mini silicon baking pans. I think you might love them too, all vegan: Here is the link: http://sophiesfoodiefiles.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/vegan-spelt-banana-breads-individualized-ooh-yeah/
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Sorry I haven’t stopped by in awhile, I definitely can see I have been missing out on fun treats! It really is fun to just create something from scratch:-) Your banana bundt cake looks gorgeous! I love that you added browned butter, it is such a delicious addition and so full of flavor! I need to use almond flour more often, it adds so much flavor to baked treats too! Beautiful, Hugs, Terra
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Simone (junglefrog) — September 4th, 2012 at 06:26
I know how that is! I get sidetracked too and then before I know it I haven’t visited someone’s blog in forever! And yes I love use almond flour. It gives it that lovely taste!
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