Tuesdays with Dorie: Lot's of ways Banana Cake

July 20, 2010


Is it crazy to be obsessed with a baking pan? A mini bundt cake pan to be exact. Seriously, if I could make cookies, pies, pasta, and salad in this thing, I would. Everything goes into it's softly rounded contours, come out so beautifully. I bet that even make my culinary arch nemesis, Brussels sprouts, would look appetizing in tiny ( even smaller than these ) bundt shapes... although a large amount feta or goat cheese would have to be involved somehow. On second thought, maybe not. I wouldn't want to taint my beloved pan with any negative feelings that I have towards the bitter little cabbages. We'll keep those two worlds separate and in their respective happy places for now. My point is simply that I adore my mini bundt pan. It's a baker's thing. Odd? Yes. When it first arrived I lovingly ran my fingers through each of it's six molds. Sweater/cat had to avert his eyes.


Enough about the pan, what about these cakes? They're delightful! Whenever I say the world 'delightful', I always hear it said with James Lipton's voice. Sorry. These cakes are a refreshing twist on banana bread. Please don't let the word bread put you into a state of boredom. This recipe merely has the flavour of your favourite banana bread. But, it also has a softness to it that's reminiscent of a cake. And just as the name implies, it can be made into a variety of shapes.

The cake contains coconut and has the optional ingredient of rum (which I of course used.) These 2 combinations, along with the fact that it's a banana cake, gave it a tropical Caribbean vibe. Hello, Jack Sparrow. The chocolate ganache is not a requirement. In fact, I ate my cake plain...after it took a rum-soaked bath. Because I'm evil, I served everyone else with a healthy dose of ganache. They were a hit! Who can resist bananas and chocolate?


For the complete recipe, please visit Kimberly, of the delicious Only Creative Opportunities. Or buy a copy of Dorie's infamous book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. Thank you, Kimberly, for giving me yet another excuse to play with my mini bundt pan...and to use rum. Please visit the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers for more incarnations of this versatile cake!

If you decide to make the mini bundt versions, half of the recipe yields 6 splendid cakes.

21 comments:

  1. Everything looks better in a bundt, everything. :) Especially these little banana bundts! I love your chocolate icing - what a great presentation. Next time I'm trying the rum syrup (aside from the rum in the batter). Never enough rum. Beautiful photos and bundts!

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  2. Your mini bundts look fantastic! Thanks for baking with me this week!

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  3. Oh my gosh, from that first pic I thought you made this recipe into doughnuts! They look WONDERFUL :) This was my farewell post with TWD after almost two years of baking along. Hope you'll stop by and say goodbye!

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  4. DONT YOU talk about brussel sprouts that way!!! LOL

    Looks gorgeous

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  5. I adore my mini bundt pan! So no, it's not a bad thing to be obsessed with it!

    These look delish!

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  6. just like everyone else, i thought DONUT!!! :) Tia

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  7. Oh Jack Sparrow would love this cake! I would too-with a hot cup of tea, please.
    Very pretty, Valerie. I was just thinking I need to buy that type of pan-amongst other things...

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  8. i wouldn't be able to resist them--they look delicious!

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  9. Rum-soaked bread with chocolate ganache is as far from boredom as I can imagine! The bundt pan is so cute too. Please please do not put brussel sprouts in them! :)

    Btw, I LOVE the new banner. It looks fantastic!

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  10. I have some mini bundts but I like your rounded ones better. I must go shopping! Delicious cake.

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  11. Sounds like you are the definition of evil indeed ;) Those are beautiful little cakes--I understand your love of the pan.

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  12. I used up some bananas last night on your Coco-Nana Bread recipe, but now I wished I'd waited! This recipe looks fantastic. (By the way, I tried linking through to Kimberley's website, but I couldn't make the connection.) I will definitely give these a try.

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  13. Thanks for the heads up, Beth! Sorry about that. The link is working now. :)

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  14. Yum! I just want to rest my head on one of your pillowy little cakes. My face, actually. I may have to get a mini-bundt pan, as these look wonderful.

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  15. If I ever find a mini bundt pan, I'll snatch it right up. The chocolate icing looks so delicious.

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  16. I need to get me some of those mini bundt tins! I doused mine in rum too and was definitely feeling all caribbean with it. Your aversion to brussel sprouts made me laugh. Just never come to England for Christmas. They show up everywhere and the English love them. I am with you all the way.

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  17. Oh my goodness, your mini bundts look amazing! SO delicious. I love that chocolate icing, your pictures make me wish I could reach out and grab one from my laptop screen :-)

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  18. Oh, if only my ganache had turned out as lovely! Oh, well...there's always next time, right?

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  19. I love bananas, love the versatility of this one, love that you used chocolate, love how they look!!! I should probably make it soon right, considering how much of it I love? :P

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  20. Loved the mini Bundt banana chocolate cake! I loved the chocolate icing melting on top!

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  21. "A single, compromising neat freak .."

    You had me at th description. The mini-bundt pan was lagniappe.

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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