Chocolate Banana Cake

When it comes to sweet marriages, banana and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Take a fragrant, familiar, moist banana cake and update it with a double whammy of chocolate -- dark chocolate both in and on the cake that has been smoothed with a chocolate icing. For taste, this is simply the ultimate banana cake. For looks, it's spectacular and professional -- the crowning touch to any meal.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Cake

• 3⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 1  cup granulated sugar
• 3  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 3  cups  sifted cake-and-pastry flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4  ounces  semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups  mashed bananas

• Chocolate Icing

• 3  cups  whipping cream
• 10  ounces chocolate, chopped
• 1  teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Cake: In bowl, cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at.
2. a time, then vanilla. Beat in sour cream. Combine flour, baking soda, and.
3. chocolate; add in 3 additions to creamed mixture alternately with 2 additions of.
4. bananas, mixing just until flour is incorporated. Spoon into 2 greased.
5. 8-1/2-inch (2.25 L) springform pans, smoothing tops.
6. Bake in 350F (180C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until top springs back.
7. when touched. Let cool on rack for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pans; let cool.
8. completely.
9. Chocolate Icing: In saucepan, bring half of the cream to boil; pour over.
10. chocolate in bowl, whisking until melted. Add vanilla. Refrigerate until.
11. chilled, 1 hour, whisking often.
12. On medium speed, beat chocolate mixture just until ridges hold shape. Beat.
13. remaining cream just until soft peaks form; gently fold into cake mixture. With.
14. serrated knife, slice cakes in half horizontally. Place a top layer, cut side.
15. up, on plate. Spread top with 3/4 cup (175 mL) icing; cover with single layer of.
16. bananas, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) border. Cover with 1 bottom cake layer, cut.
17. side down; repeat with icing and bananas.
18. Repeat with remaining top layer, cut side up, and some of the icing and.
19. bananas. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down.
20. Using palette knife, cover cake smoothly with remaining icing. Refrigerate.
21. until firm, about 1-1/2 hours.
22. Refrigerate until firm, about 40 minutes, or up to one day. To serve,.
23. drizzle melted chocolate with fork over remaining bananas; let set. Arrange on.
24. cake. Slice with serrated knife.