The Best Banana Bundt Cake (Dorie Greenspan)

blucoat's Note:

This is an incredibly moist and delicious banana bundt cake/banana bread; the best one I've ever tasted. It also makes great muffins. It is so good, I don't feel it needs the optional glaze but I've included the instructions below if you want to make it. You can also simply dust with powdered sugar. The recipe is from Dorie Greenspan's fabulous cookbook, "Baking: From My Home to Yours". You can reduce the amount of butter by up to a 1/2.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 24 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 4 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 cup or 2 sticks)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
• about 4 very ripe banana, mashed (1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup plain yogurt (or a combination of the two) or 1 cup sour cream (or a combination of the two)

Directions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°F Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. (If you use a silicone pan there's no need to butter it.) Don't place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven's heat to circulate through the Bundt's inner tube.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.
3. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes inches Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (don't be disturbed when the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to debubble the batter and smooth the top.
4. Bake for 65-75 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 and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature. If you have time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit overnight before serving - it's even better the next day.
5. OPTIONAL LEMONY WHITE ICING: Sift 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar into a bowl and squeeze in enough fresh lemon juice (start with 2 teaspoons and add more by drops) to make an icing thin enough to drizzle down the Bundt's curves.
6. MUFFIN OPTION: Halve the recipe. You can add nuts or chocolate chips. Bake 28-32 minutes. Yields 12 muffins.

Reviews

[Aaliyah's&Aaron'sMum]

This is a fabulous recipe! Very moist, packed with banana flavour! I also added in 2 cups of chopped apples to it, turned out perfect! It definitely tastes better the next day. I made a simple vanilla glaze to drizzle over the top. Thank you, blucoat, for sharing this wonderful recipe, definitely will be making it again!

[mildredscloset]

This is the best banana cake I have tried and will be the only one I use now. I frosted the cake with a brown sugar frosting and my guests were licking their plates clean. Added bonus is that this cake uses only 1/2 C butter in the batter. Be sure to use a 12 cup bundt pan - mine was slightly smaller and the batter spilled over in the oven. Cook's error, not the recipe. Thanks for a great recipe.

[cakewitch]

Great taste, very moist. famliy like it very much