BANANA CARAMEL CAKE

My wife took the recipe PINKNEST posted some time back, and together we whipped up the ingredients and baked it for my sister-in-law's birthday bash Saturday evening. It was a huge hit and I personally loved the taste and consistency of the cake.

It was a little rough on us mixing the ingredients since we don't have a strong "stand" type mixer, and due to the fact that might right shoulder is still sore. However, we made it and it did turn out well.

Thanks Missy for posting the recipe!

unsalted butter and flour for the pan

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups canola oil

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

3 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, chopped into chip-size chunks

1 1/2 cups diced (1/4-inch) ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)

Caramel:

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 12-cup (10 inch) nonstick Bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Mix in the dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl as necessary.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the pecans and the chocolate. Carefully fold in the bananas; do not over mix.

Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, about 5 minutes before the cake is done, combine the brown sugar, milk, and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally as the butter and sugar melt. Once it is amber in color, remove from the heat.

Remove the cake from the oven and immediately, using a long skewer, poke holes all over the surface of the cake. Pour the hot caramel over the top, poking more holes and pushing the cake slightly away from the sides of the pan as necessary to allow the caramel to soak into the cake's top and sides.

Place on a cooling rack to cool slightly.

When the cake has cooled, but is still warm to the touch, unmold onto a serving platter.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 12

(Recipe courtesy of "The Essence of Chocolate" by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg)