Spiced Banana & Chocolate Cake

When we thought we couldn’t see another banana cake after the 2020 Pandemic, when everyone was in lockdown with plenty of time to engage in all sorts of baking, we decided to spice it up a little and add a long lost ingredient; the famed molasses. Rich in texture and taste, the addition of molasses bring the flavour intensity to another level especially with the addition of various spices, to this ever so tender Banana cake. The result is something spicy, rich and quite opulent. It is now a staple in our home and with the addition of banana flambe with cognac, this humble cake, can become quite elegant.

INGREDIENTS
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×9-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
Mix in the mashed bananas and molasses until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Stir in the vanilla extract until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, you can optionally dust the cake with powdered sugar or serve it as is.
Slice and enjoy your delicious banana cake with molasses!

If you want to elevate it to an elegant dessert; here is a classic preparation we used for all kinds of flambe desserts; crepes suzette, cerises jubilees and banana flambe.
In a medium size pan, melt 2 ounces of butter with 1/4 cup of sugar. At medium-low heath, let the sugar melt slowly and let it brown into a caramel. Throw a banana cut in slices and mix well. The banana slices will be covered in this caramel. Add about 2 ounces of Cognac and flambe with a match. Let the alcohol dissipate and the caramel thicken a little. Pour two tablespoons of the mixture on your banana bread slices, just like the picture above.