Banana Chocolate Cake(s)

As Hugh is definitely one of my cooking idols ...... I make no apologies for blogging some of his recipes. There's nothing fussy about them, and they always taste as good as they look. This is another one of Hugh's lovely recipes from The Guardian, and is a great idea for using up bananas that have gone past their sell-by date:

Banana, Chocolate Cake
Oven: 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
Makes one 22cm cake.

120g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
280g self-raising spelt flour, or "light brown" flour (or 280g plain flour plus 3 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
120g plain chocolate, 70%, coarsely chopped
150g sugar
2 eggs
3 very ripe medium-sized ­bananas, mashed
140g whole-milk yogurt

Butter a 22cm, loose-­bottomed round or square cake tin. Line the bottom with baking ­parchment, and butter the ­parchment also.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering ­water, melt the chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool while you get on with the rest.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth.

Stir in the bananas and yogurt until well blended, then fold in the flour­ ­mixture – don't overmix.

Take a third of the batter and mix it with the chocolate.
Spoon the plain ­batter into the tin, inter­spersing it with spoonfuls of chocolate batter, then use a knife to swirl together to ­create a marbled effect.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out smooth.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out on to a rack to cool completely.

Link to recipe for Banana Loaf/Cake with cardamon & chocolate chunks

OR - you could always make a Very Easy Banana Smoothie!

1 or 2 very ripe bananas

chilled whole or semi-skimmed milk - enough to make a thickish smooth Smoothie:

Add some Maple Syrup - to taste ................. liquidise - and that's it ................ deelicious!

Link to Chocolate & Banana Cake BBC Good Food - this recipe is also ACE!