Baking with Dorie: Banana Cake Big and Small

Here's this week's Baking with Dorie recipe on Serious Eats: It's my friend Ellen Einstein's classic banana cake, cut in half and baked in muffin tins.  Normally made as a sturdy Bundt cake, the recipe calls for four ripe bananas, but since I had only two and it was the day I was leaving for Paris, I just cut the recipe in half and went for a dozen minis.  (When you click over, you'll find instructions for converting the minis back to full-size.)

I also went for some chocolate - I chopped up some dark chocolate (although milk chocolate would be just as good, if not better - milk chocolate and bananas are naturals together) and folded it into the batter at the last minute. 

When I baked these, they rose and worked themselves over the top of the muffin cups and onto the tin, which I thought was great because that way, one part of the cake, the over-the-top part, was just a little crispy around the edges.  I was using a nonstick pan, so it wasn't a problem to unmold the wide tops, but if your pan is "normal," you should butter or spray the area around the muffin cups.

I'm in Paris now and just went banana shopping.  Who knows, by the time I've got to pack and leave, I might be making banana cakelets here, too.

A word about Ellen Einstein:  I met Ellen ten years ago when I was on a book tour (which book? I can't remember) and doing a television show in Nashville and Ellen was the talented food stylist.  We kept in touch after that and have seen one another many times in New York and Paris.  Then, a few years ago, Ellen and her husband, Dan, opened Sweet Sixteenth, the kind of bakery/cafe everyone wants in their neighborhood.  If you're in the neighborhood, GO!  My husband travels to Nashville often and always makes Sweet Sixteenth his first stop - lucky guy.

Comments

[S for Kitchen Confit]

Now that I know Ellen Einstein from just down the road from me (I live in Nashville and love her bakery) is the inspiration for this recipe, I'll have to give it a try. I love your world peace cookies and have made them recently, but this will be one to try next.

[Lisa]

Hi Dorie,

I've been catching up on your blog and decided to unlurk myself to tell you that ever since I received your book, BAKING, back in October of 2006, I've been making this banana cake AT LEAST twice a month. I usually go back and forth between the bundt pan and muffins.. it truly is the best banana cake recipe I've ever had - so thank you so much for including it in your book! And a big thank you to Ellen for creating it! :)

xoxo

[Deborah]

Dorie: I made these on Easter Sunday with a chopped up 3.5 oz bar of Valrhona 56% (I ate the extra .5 oz). What terrific results! I loved the crispy, almost caramelized edges. The texture was just right, not too heavy with luscious banana flavor. I'll be making this recipe alot as I always seem to have brown bananas on the kitchen counter!

[qt]

i just want to thank you for not suing the people participating in tuesday with dories for sharing the recipes. i would buy your books or any cookbook in a heartbeat if i had the money to spare. i know .... people should get the money for the work the do in these books. but i love to bake but have honestly no money to splurge on cookbooks. i wish used book are cheap here or that we have better libraries. i digress. anyways, thank you for bot suing them so that people like me n faraway countries also have the chance to maybe try your recipes. in the meantime, i'll just enjoy looking at the pics and reading the recipes. thanks again and God bless and may you produce mroe cookbooks!!!

[Heidi]

Hi Dorie,
I just tried your "Fave Choc Chip Cookies" out of an old Bon Appetit magazine and loved them. So I'm going to order some of your books.

Question re: baking banana bread. What do you do to prevent the top and sides from getting too dark while allowing the inside to cook through?

Thanks!

[Claudia (cook eat FRET)]

hi dorie - i'm a native ny'er living in nashville and sweet 16th is a wonderful shop...
was fun to see you mention it. and before i read this post (i swear) i also just posted a banana bread recipe with chocolate and sour cream - only i used a greek yogurt.

best to you

[Mark]

As usual, you have developed a keeper. I made the banana cupcakes last night using sour cream, spanish chocolate, one large banana in silicone brioche molds. They were super for breakfast. I don't understand how you do it, but you have an unerring sense of taste. The "muffins" had the right balance between chocolate and banana and sour cream with the right mouth appeal. Your baking book (From my House to Yours) is my standard reference work for baking.