Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

This Banana Cake is so comforting and delicious, moist and full of bananas and chocolate chips then covered in a sweet vanilla glaze.   It's a little bit lighter in texture then banana bread and perfect for brunch or a snack.

 

 

Recipe ~ Cake
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground mace
2 large, very ripe bananas
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter at room temp, cut into 1" pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Vanilla Glaze ~
1 cup powdered sugar
3 - 4tsps very hot water
2 tsps. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
Instructions ~
Position rack in the lower third of oven.  Preheat to 350 degrees.  Spray a 10" bundt pan with baking spray generously.  Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and mace in a large bowl, set aside.  Cut the bananas into 1" pieces and place in a food processor with the lemon juice.  Process for 30 seconds, then scrape down bowl, process for another 10 seconds, or until bananas are pureed.  Stir the sour cream and vanilla extract into the bananas and set aside.   Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment  and mix on med until smooth, about 2 mins.  Add the sugar slowly mixing on medium speed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.  At low speed add the dry ingredients alternately with the banana/sour cream mixture.  Scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix until incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Spoon batter into bundt pan and bake for 55-60 mins, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack.  Prepare the glaze:  Place the powdered sugar in a med bowl, add 3 tsps. water and rest of ingredients, stir with a fork or whisk until smooth.  Add an additional tsp of water or more as needed to make a thin glaze.  While the cake is still warm spoon glaze over cake and let cool.
Adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins and More, by Carole Walter

Enjoy!

Dutch Apple Pie with Raisins and Sugar Glazed Top

I had a recent request for an old fashioned Dutch Apple Pie with raisins mixed in with the apples, and a top crust that was covered in sugar glaze.  The gentlemen that requested them said he had fond memories of this favorite pie but has not been able to find it in a long time.  I searched my library of pie books and scoured the internet for such a pie with little success.  The Dutch apple pies that I found all had a crumble topping, not a top crust or glaze and none of them included raisins.  I found only 2 recipes that were similar to the request from cooks.com and food.com, so I combined the elements from those recipes with my favorite crust and filling mixture and came up with this.  The filling tasted great, it smelled delightful while baking and the gentlemen that requested them was very pleased!  I'd love to hear your stories and recipes if you are familiar with this type of pie :)

 

 

 Recipe

Crust

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 stick chilled unsalted butter - 4 oz, cut into 1/2" cubes

1/2 cup frozen solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2" cubes

6 Tbsp or more ice water

1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 beaten egg for brushing top of crust

Filling

2 1/2 lbs granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 Tbsps all purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup raisins and 1/3 cup water* - I used a combo of regular and golden - either could be used    *optional can be made without raisins

Sugar Glaze

3/4 cup unsifted confectioners sugar

3/4 tsp lemon juice

1-3 tsps. milk

 

Instructions:  For crust:  Mix flour, salt and sugar in a food processor.  Add butter and shortening and process until coarse meal forms.  Mix the water with the vinegar in a small bowl to blend.  Drizzle this mixture over flour mixture, and process until moist clumps form.  If dough looks too dry add a few more drops of water.  Gather the dough into a ball, divide in 1/2 and form each dough into a disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30  mins.  For filling:  In a med saucepan boil raisins in thewater until liquid is almost absorbed, about 5-7 mins, then drain and cool.  Meanwhile prepare your apples and mix together with sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted butter in a large bowl.    Add raisins to apple mixture. 

Putting it together:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out your first dough to about 12" round, transfer to a 9" pie dish.  Trim overhang to 1/2" and turn edge under.  Stir apple mixture to redistribute juices, then transfer to crust.  Then roll out second dough to about 12 ",  with a small round cookie cutter cut a circle out in center to let steam escape.  Then transfer crust over apples.  Trim overhang to 1" and turn edges under, crimp as desired.  Brush top and edges of crust with beaten egg.  Bake pie at 400 degrees for 10 mins, then reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 45 mins longer or until crust is golden brown.  Let pie cool on a wire rack.  Make glaze:  Mix confectioners sugar, lemon juice and 1 tsp milk, stir until smooth, continue adding more milk until you get a spreading consistency.  While pie is just slightly warm, spread over top. 

 

 

Enjoy!

Time saving gadgets to make apple prep easier:

16 count apple slicer/corer

Available here:
http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B0085LAX62

Apple Peeler, Corer and Slicer, brand recommended by Cooks Illustrated

Available here:

http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B0000DE2SS