May 5, 2010

Guest Post…LoveFeast Table

Hello there! It’s Chris Ann…from over at LoveFeast Table, the food and lifestyle blog, co-written with my blogging partner in crime Kristin. It’s a place we like to share our stories about what’s happening on and around our table! Kristin lives in Baltimore, Maryland where I use to live. I now reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We have two awesome husbands who love to cook and who love to support our diversions adventures…not to mention 9 kids to keep us busy! We started our blog as a diversion from laundry to launch our dreams of blogging stardom!! …like we like to say, “From Dryer-lint to Dreams!” (Um ya’-or maybe as just an excuse to do something other than housecleaning, kid-schlepping and child-rearing!) Most days we’re power-driving our kids from parks, to school, to sports and home, drinking coffee and planning our blog on our cellphones!

But, I digress! I’m really here to share with you Kristin’s my very own, Banana Chip Cake recipe. This cake is wonderful, easy and nearly fool-proof for the well prepared and experienced baker, which is so not me like me…or if you are the type of baker who is gonna’ fake it till you make it show off your awesome and honed baking skills to your neighbors and family. Honestly, I’m not gonna lie. The frosting, or should I say Ganache for this cake threw me into a bit of a panic. I called Kristin once, OK, maybe twice or more to make sure what I was concocting in my mixer was “normal”.

You see, Kristin is the real baker at LoveFeast Table. That’s why we have a category “Boulangerie” for her. And, we have a category “Boulangerie, ya’ baby!” for me. Let me break it down. Kristin has real baking skill. She’s catered. She’s made real wedding cakes for real people. And, they even taste good! I bake things. For my kids, my SuburbiaMan, my family, and my neighbors. You see, I have to send a piece of cake-love over to my neighbors every once in a while – cause I don’t want them talking about why I’m laying prostrate on my front lawn with a camera pointing to a cake in my flowerbed. It’s a lot to explain to nosy neighbors, especially ones who don’t know what a blog is. I have to keep them happy. So they don’t talk.

Kristin and I chose this recipe carefully for Susan here at She’s Becoming Doughmesstic. One, because we wanted to do her proud! And, also because she has “real” baking skills!! Just check out all her classes and her latest cake creations! This is why writing this post right now is particularly worrisome. And, I’m hoping I’m up to snuff! The other reason is that it had to have ingredients we believe in like bananas, chocolate, and coffee. ‘Nuff said. You cannot go wrong if those ingredients are in, or anywhere close to your recipe!!

Truth is though, if you dear reader, or Susan, showed up at my doorstep I’d invite you to join me at the table and I’d share a slice of this cake with you. Yes, it’s true (even though I’ve admitted to hoarding and hiding my baked goods). I’d want to know a little bit more about you, swap stories, relax and enjoy this cake…with maybe a bit of tea. It’s a wonderful cake really. Of course, I have a fondness for bananas. And chocolate…and in this case Whipped Ganache, which Kristin assured me I could not have ruined! (maybe just a tad over-whipped but still delish! and nothing that a little chocolate sprinkle can’t hide…you were distracted by the sprinkles, right?)

Here’s the recipe:

Banana Chip Cake

3 large bananas

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 large eggs

2 tsps. vanilla

3 cups cake flour

1 and 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

10 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate, coarsely grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two round 9 inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Grease again and flour.

In a food processor puree the banana and yogurt. Add eggs and vanilla. Pulse to combine. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with a paddle attachment until smooth and light. Add half the banana mixture and all the dry mixture. Mix on medium speed for two minutes until light and fluffy. Add the rest of the wet mixture and bat on high speed for one minutes. Fold in grated chocolate.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a small, metal spatula around the sides, then unmold and peel of the paper lining. Cool the cake at room temperature.

Whipped Mocha Ganache

3 cups heavy cream

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp. dry espresso powder

Heat cream and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally to melt and blend the chocolate. (You can do this is the microwave…only heating for 30 sec. at a time, stirring and heating 30 sec. again, until fully melted.) Remove from the heat, stir in the powdered espresso, then pour into a clean, dry container. Once the cream reaches room temperature, cover directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the freezer until very cold, about 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, beat the ganache (do not use a whisk beater) on medium-low speed to soft peaks. Increase to high speed and continue beating until the frosting reaches a thick spreading consistency. Spread the frosting immediately, while smooth.

Spread 3/4 cup frosting between layers and then frost the rest of cake.

This cake is a sophisticated, home-made tasting cake. Moist. Not too sweet. And, fluffed on top with chocolate ganache. It’s a no brain-er. It’s going to make somebody happy. So, here’s a piece for me. And, here is a little bit about us over at LoveFeast Table.