Is there something that you bake pretty regularly, that always brings you comfort and you never tire of eating? For me, that would be baked banana items. Breads, muffins, cakes…I love it all!
I’m also pretty smitten with Bundt cakes and found my recipe box void of any involving bananas. This led me on a search, in which I went straight to Dorie, quite certain she would have the answer for me. And my growing faith in her baking was strengthened even more. Dorie’s “Classic Banana Bundt Cake” proved easy to make and just plain perfect.
Recently, though, I was looking for a little bit of fun with that cake…and a little bit of chocolate. So I went ahead and played around with that banana Bundt perfection, adding a thick and irresistible chocolate glaze dripping down the sides and a ribbon of strawberry through the center. I remember as a kid, waiting for the bundt cake to be sliced, so I could see the filling design rippling through it. And I found myself looking forward to that very same thing as an adult, too. So fun and pretty!
This Banana Split Bundt Cake is beautiful, inside and out. It would be a lovely addition to a special weekend brunch or to an afternoon gathering of friends for a casual cup of coffee. I like to serve this cake with some fresh strawberries to enhance that fun ribbon of red. I hope you have some fun with this deliciousness, too!
Banana Split Bundt Cake
Ingredients
for the banana bundt cake:
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 c. unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1.75 c. mashed bananas from about 4 very ripe bananas
- 1 c. sour cream
for the strawberry filling:
- ½ c. strawberry jam
- 3 T. powdered strawberry gelatin
- 5 drops red food coloring
for the chocolate glaze:
- ½ c. heavy cream
- 2 T. light corn syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips I really like Guittard brand.
Instructions
for the banana bundt cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan. (Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet. You want the oven’s heat to circulate through the Bundt’s inner tube.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer with a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (do not be alarmed if the mixture looks curdled!), all the sour cream, and then the rest of the flour mixture.
for the strawberry filling:
- In a small bowl, stir together 1-1/2 cups of the banana bundt cake batter with the strawberry jam, strawberry gelatin, and red food coloring.
to assemble the cake:
- Scrape 1/3 of the banana bundt cake batter into the prepared pan, leveling it out with a spatula. Then add all the strawberry filling, evening out the layer with the spatula. Add the remaining banana bundt cake batter to the pan. Rap the pan on the counter to remove any bubbles in the batter and smooth the top.
- Bake for about 65 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes – if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool for about 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake is cooled, prepare the chocolate glaze. Place all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the glaze is thickened, but still pourable. Stir until completely smooth and then drizzle over the cake.
- I prefer to wait a couple hours, until the glaze has set, to serve the cake. This cake keeps extremely well for a few days, covered on the counter.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Another great chocolate recipe? Try my S’mores Pie!
I was searching for a recipe for a banana bundt cake with chocolate glaze and stumbled upon your recipe! I cannot wait to make this for my book club next Monday. One of the members is always disappointed when the dessert is not chocolate, but I don’t see how anyone would be disappointed with this. I will definitely be adding your blog to my bookmarks! Thanks.
What a beautiful cake!
Hi Brenda!
I just found your blog today! I am a fellow South Dakota blogger. ‘The Rancher’ and I live close to the NW corner of our great State.
This bunt cake recipe looks amazing. I have just the occasionto make it for!
This looks dangerous.
Dorie’s cake is one of my favorites! Love the changes you made!
Thanks, Maria. I’m so happy to have a banana bundt in my banana rotation!
I love Banana Split, this looks so very yummy and mouth watering. Thank you for sharing this.
Hi brenda,
Have had a terrible, emotional morning (and it’s only 8:30am! goodness!) and thought “what would make me feel better?”. So naturally, i checked out your blog (saved on my bookmarks bar of course for desperate occasions such as these) and this recipe made me feel light again. So thank you.
Your honesty and humility in cooking and baking always comes through in your recipes, pics and writing, and helps people like me perk back up again. And lets be honest, sugar and butter can fix just about anything – trust me, i know.
Thanks so much, hope your day is a bright one,
Leila
Leila, this is one of the nicest comments I’ve received. Thank you so much. And I hope your Thursday was a whole lot better! :)
This looks amazing!! Love the banana split concept, so clever!
Thank you, my dear! :)
What a beautiful cake! Pinning it now & making it soon :)
Thanks, Lynda, for the compliment and the sharing! :)
That glaze looks deadly delicious! Yum!
Trust me, it is! :)
Banana bundt with strawberries…deliciously perfect and that chocolate glaze takes it over the top!
Thanks, Paula! :)
This looks gorgeous, every time I read your blog I regret giving up chocolate for Lent! This is one for the folder for after Easter Sunday!
You could make this Easter afternoon, Harriet. I love it best after the chocolate glaze has been allowed to fully set. It gets all thick and fudgy. Perfect for 12:01am on Easter Monday. ;)
Thats a great idea! I’ll be home from uni at that point as well so I can make it in my Mum’s nice kitchen instead of my tiny student one!
I love how you take such wonderful ingredients to create amazing flavor combinations. This bundt cake looks amazing, and it is simply gorgeous, too. Not to mention the fact that your photos are beautiful, too. I truly, truly just love your blog.
:) You make me smile, Natalie. Hope you’re having a great week!
Sooooo funny, just this morning on my run I was thinking, “I could never get tired of baking with banana…” And then my brain started to think of a bazillion ways to bake with banana. I seriously LOVE it! And this looks amazing!
Really…I could eat baked banana “something” every single day. Love it! Nice to hear from you again, Julia. :)
That is the prettiest bundt cake I have ever seen!!! Love that filling stripe inside:-)
Thank you so much, Jocelyn!
I love the strawberry filling inside, it makes the bundt look that much special. And no matter the flavor, I always enjoy a good swril inside my bundt cake :) And that chocolate topping, someone kill me now! It looks delectable! You outdid yourself here.
That chocolate glaze is killer! Especially if you have the patience to let it set…it gets thick and fudgy. Yum! Great to hear from you, Becca.
How fun is this! Absolutely beautiful cake! My dad and my nephews have a habit of sharing banana splits every weekend. I will be sharing this with them immediately. They will love it!
Thanks, Cassie! What a great weekend habit your dad and nephews have!! ;)
This could not be more beautiful!! Genius and wonderful. I just love spending time on your beautiful blog!!!
Thank you so much, Amanda! xo