Dulce de Leche Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

I think there are probably worse places for an overripe banana to spend its last hours than in a cake with dulce de leche and chocolate chips. Like the compost bin for example.


Dulce de Leche Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
adapted from Baker's Royale

For the Cake:
2 bananas blitzed in a blender to give you 1 cup of pureed banana
1 cup dark brown sugar
115g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
170ml dulce de leche recipe below (or store-bought)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cake flour
1 cup mini milk chocolate buttons
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
50g milk chocolate, melted for drizzliing

For the Dulce de Leche:
from Smitten Kitchen
1 litre full-cream milk
1/2 stick cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, scrape the seeds out and keep the pod
1 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1/4 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 2 teaspoons water

Make the Dulce de Leche:
Put the milk, cinnamon, vanilla (seeds and pod), sugar and salt into a 2 litre saucepan (no smaller, as the mixture will bubble up when you add the baking soda). Bring it to a simmer, stirring now and then. Remove the pan from the heat and add the baking soda mixture. Be careful here, this mixture will rise up in the pan and bubbly like crazy, then it will settle down again.

Return the pan to the heat and continue to cook at a lively simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking. You needn't be too watchful at this stage.

After about an hour, the milk mixture will start turning a lovely buff colour. You'll need to start keeping an eye on the mixture as it will start to thicken from now on. Stir the mixture ever 5 minutes or so for about another hour. The thicker it gets, the more likely it is to stick. Towards the last 10 minutes, stir constantly and watch it like a hawk. The dulce de leche is ready with it is thick and is a gorgeous bronze colour. Set aside to cool.

Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a 23cm round cake pan and line the base with baking paper.

Put the sour cream and baking soda into a large bowl and whisk. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt, stir to combine and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat again.

Meanwhile, add the banana puree and dulce de leche to the sour cream mixture and whisk to combine.

Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix to combine. Add half of the sour cream mixture to the butter mixture and mix to combine. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the remaining half of the sour cream mixture and the final third of the dry ingredients and mix to just combine. Do not over mix. Stir in the mini chocolate buttons.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50-55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate.