This particular one is banana with a tunnel of fudge. The one thing about getting away from banana
bread to make cake, flavoring is required. You can use the artificial flavoring, which is easily found or go the extra mile for true flavor with freeze dried powder. This is personal preference, but the extract delivers the most intense flavor.
I sometimes think that bundt cakes were invented for the society against frosting. These people are easily detected. They have the "lid" of frosting left on their plate with no cake remaining. This means the cake has to stand alone in flavor. Bundt cakes do just that.
So those that love these type of cakes, the door is open on this one. Split the recipe and add 1/2 a recipe for a chocolate bundt and swirl the batter together. Another option is to make it with mini chocolate chips. Lastly, swirled banana batter with peanut butter batter topped with fudge glaze and nuts. Now that I have you hungry, let's get down to this recipe....
Banana Fudge Bundt Cake
adapted from Kiss My Bundt (fudge tunnel my added twist)
Ingredients
1 very ripe banana
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp banana extract
3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks of butter
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 to 1/2 cup fudge spread
Prepare a 12 cup bundt pan by greasing the interior thoroughly and dusting with flour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together, beating at medium speed for 3 minutes. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add one egg to butter/ sugar mixture and beat 30 seconds. Repeat the same process with the other eggs, incorporating them into the batter one at a time. Mix in the extracts, beating for about 3 minutes.
Fold in 1/3 of the sifted ingredients. Then stir in 3/4 cup of milk. Repeat the process, starting again with the sifted ingredients. After the last addition of the dry ingredients, take out a small bowl and mash the banana in it. The consistency should be smooth with some liquid. Fold into the batter until evenly distributed.
Spoon 2/3 of batter into pan and smooth the top. Fill a ziplock bag with the fudge. Seal and place in hot water. The cut off the corner and squeeze an even line in the center of the batter, moving in a circular direction with the pan. Once bag is empty, spoon the rest of the batter on top, making sure the fudge is completely covered. Smooth the surface and place in oven. Let bake for about 40 minutes or until tester (when inserted off center) comes out clean.
Place pan on cooling rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Then invert onto rack. If cake resists,let cool another 5-10 minutes and try again. Cool cake completely before serving.
Tips and notes:
1. The method of putting the filling on the batter keeps an air pocket from forming. This happens when baking if big spoonfuls of the fudge is placed on the batter.
2.The fudge spread I bought was very thick, more so than peanut butter or Nutella.
3. The bottom of Bundt pans are the last to cool down. If you are havin issues with cake release try sitting the pan on a towel that has been soaked in cold water to speed up the process.
**LAST YEAR:Coconut Almond Topped Peach Pie**