Monday 16 May 2011

Brown Butter Banana and Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake


I made this quite a few months back but haven't had time to blog about. I still remember it though as it was really moist and delicious. The brown butter although a bit of an extra effort really makes a difference to the cake.  I am actually considering making another one this week as I have a lot of ripe bananas sitting in the kitchen. I tried to coat the chocolate chips with flour to prevent them sinking but most of them still ended up at the bottom. Anyone has any other tips to spread the chocolate chips more evenly through the cake? 






227g butter
250g sugar
3 large eggs
3 medium bananas, finely mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon salt
185g flour
1 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
125g chocolate chips

  • Preheat oven to 180C. 
  • Butter and flour a bundt pan.
  • Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. 
  • Once butter is melted, cook it slowly, letting it bubble until it smells nutty or like butterscotch and turns a deep golden hue, approximately 5-10 minutes. 
  • If butter splatters, reduce the heat to low. 
  • Remove pan from heat and pour browned butter through a fine sieve into a medium bowl and discard the bits in the sieve. 
  • Let the butter cool until its warm, approximately 5-10 minutes.
  • Using a whisk, stir the sugar and eggs into the butter until smooth. 
  • Whisk in the mashed bananas, vanilla essence and salt. 
  • Sift the flour and baking powder directly onto the batter.
  • Pour the chocolate chips over the flour.
  • Using a rubber spatula, fold just until the dry ingredients and chocolate chops are combined and pour into the prepared pan. 
  • Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with only moist crumbs clinging to it. 
  • Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then invert cake onto a cake rack. 

10 comments:

  1. Can't remember who I learned this tip from (Nigella?) but apparently if you coat the choc chips/blueberries/whatever in flour before you put them into the batter, it stops them sinking right to the bottom. Let me know if it works for you!

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  2. Looks scrummy and is another great recipe I'll stash away for using up those pesky ripe banana's. If the flour trick isn't working for you maybe you could try adding the choc chips to the batter half way through the cooking time, although this method kinda throws the 'don't open the oven door until 3/4 cooked' idea out the window!

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  3. I'm not sure about the sinking of the chocolate chips, maybe if you added them last minute before you put the cake into the oven, it wouldn't have time to sink before it baked? I think with the sinked chocolate it gives your cake quite a nice effect anyway!

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  4. Yum, yum and, erm, more yum! I've been meaning to treat myself to a bundt pan for ages- this will definately be at the top of my recipes when I do!

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  5. @Kerry Edwards - I tried coating the chocolate chips with flour but it didnt work for me this time. It has worked with blueberries in the past.

    @Chele - Thanks, I might give it a try next time.

    @Xinmei - Thanks. It tasted good which is probably what matters :)

    @katescakesandbakes - Highly recommend a bundt pan!

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  6. Sounds delicious and I think that layer of chocolate at the top makes it look quite distinguished. The flour tip is the only one I'm aware of I'm afraid.

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  7. Yum!!! I'll have to try this! It looks wonderful, and I know I'd love it! :)

    Wish I could tell you how to keep the chocolate chips from sinking, but I'm afraid I don't. I wish i did. :)

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  8. Totally agree - brown butter is soooo worth the effort!

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  9. What a delicious flavour to the bundt cake! I love using browned butter in baking-it adds that lovely extra nuttiness!

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  10. Mmm, I love banana cake! I've never had one with browned butter, so that is next on my list! I wonder if bigger chocolate chunks would sink more slowly?

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