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What's not to love about a Bundt cake? I'll tell you what - nothing. They're perfect. Bundt cakes are moist, have a nice crumb, and come in a perfectly sharable shape. Also, they don't need decoration, but a drizzle of ganache or a sprinkle of powdered sugar is never out of place. I love Bundt cakes.
Now, you know I love a made-from-scratch cake. Ninety percent of cakes I make are completely from scratch, but sometimes you need a quick win. Enter the banana Bundt cake. This is a cake my Mom has been making since I was probably in middle school. Maybe earlier. Banana Bundt cake is super easy to make, has 5 ingredients, and uses a cake mix. Again I ask - what's not to love?
As the name implies, banana Bundt cake starts with 4 overripe bananas. You can use the oven trick I talk about in this post about banana bread if you need to speed up the ripening process. You just mash up your bananas in your mixer, add the eggs, oil, water and cake mix, mix that up and add mini chocolate chips. Bake that at 350 in a Bundt pan for 50-60 minutes. Boom. This cake is great served with or without a ganache topping.
What kind of cake mix should you use? I have two suggestions. Growing up my mom always used a yellow cake mix, but when I was talking to her about the banana Bundt cake for the blog, she said she had been using other kinds of cake mix. Gasp! So, because I love you, dear reader, I did some testing.
The Tests
I tested the classic yellow cake mix, as well as chocolate and strawberry. Nobody in my house liked the strawberry. It tasted pretty artificial, and you could see some banana chunks, which was very unappetizing to me. The yellow cake mix was delightful, as always. It's fluffy, golden, and you can see the mini chocolate chips suspended in the cake. It's important to use mini chocolate chips, as large ones might sink to the bottom (the top in the case of a Bundt cake pan once it's inverted) during baking. The Bundt made with chocolate cake mix was also great, especially the day after baking.
It does not matter what brand of cake mix you use, just choose your favorite! Also, ignore the directions on the back of the box, as we're changing the ratios of dry to wet ingredients with the bananas. Don't worry, I will lead you to victory. Just follow the recipe.
The Topping
My Mom never served this cake with a topping. It doesn't really need one. However, if you decide to drizzle it with ganache, you will be very happy. A dusting of powdered sugar would also be nice.
I can't wait for you to make this Banana Bundt Cake. It's a winner. When you do make it, will you please tag me on Facebook or Instagram @athometestcook? I'd love to see your creations. Until next time!
Recipe
Banana Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray your Bundt pan liberally with baking spray.
- Peel the bananas and beat on low speed in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth-ish, about 1 minute. You could also use a hand mixer, or mash the bananas in a bowl and do the rest with a whisk.
- Add the cake mix, eggs, and oil, and mix on low to medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the mini chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.
- Pour batter into Bundt pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs sticking to it.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then invert the cake onto a cooking rack. Cool completely.
- Place your chocolate in a medium heat safe bowl.
- Heat the cream on the stove until it just starts to simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Stir cream and chocolate together until very smooth.
- Add the corn syrup, if using. This makes the ganache very shiny. Mix thoroughly.
- Ganache thickens as it cools. Pour it over the cooled cake when it reaches your desired consistency.
- Dig in!
Stephanie Heaps says
This was so yummy! We went with yellow cake mix, and, you’re right, you don’t even need the topping!
athometestcook says
I'm so glad you liked it!