Banana Bundt Cake

Peace at last for all the kids and moms in India - its vacation time after all that exam fever. Yeah, this calls for a celebration. So I decided to try out another cake which will now add up to my list of favorite cakes because it is an ultra moist, and melt in the mouth kind of cake by Dorie Greenspan. You can make this cake in a cinch with readily available ingredients especially if you are a home baker like me who is always on the look out for easy recipes.





BANANA BUNDT CAKE
Recipe by : Dorie Greenspan

INGREDIENTS


All Purpose Flour - 3 cups
Baking Soda - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Unsalted Butter - 227 g (2 sticks)
Sugar - 2 cups
Pure Vanilla Extract - 2 tsp
Eggs - 2 large at room temperature (use 3 if small eggs)
Ripe Banana - 1 3/4 cups
Plain yoghurt - 1 cup

METHOD
Place the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 177 degrees C / 350 degrees F.
Prepare a 9 - 10 inch bundt pan (12 cups)  by buttering it.
In a bowl, sift & whisk the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda and salt.
Cut the butter into cubes.
In a stand mixer or another bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter until creamy.
Add the sugar, beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla.
Add in the eggs one at a time beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in bananas.
Finally mix half the dry ingredient mixture. The batter will look curdled.
Add in the yoghurt and the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Tap the pan on the counter to remove bubbles in the batter and smooth the top.
Bake for 60 minutes( 65 - 75 minutes as per recipe) or until done.
Check the cake after 30 minutes. If it it browning fast cover pan with foil.
Check if it is done by inserting a skewer.It should come out clean.
Transfer the cake to a rack to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack.
It can be sliced and served immediately or the next day. It gets better by the day.

Baking Tips:

Always preheat the oven before baking.
Make sure you grease every nook and curves of the bundt pan. Dust it with cocoa powder and tap off excess.
Do not hesitate to sift the dry ingredients at least once. This way the ingredients are evenly distributed and adds air to the flour. If you are in a hurry sift once and then mix well using a balloon whisk.
It is better to break the eggs into a separate bowl one at a time and then add it to the mixture. This way you don't spoil the whole mixture in case the egg is spoilt.
Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature.
Don't over mix once dry ingredients are added to wet ingredients. Mix on low till just combined.
Place the cake on the middle rack.
Do not be tempted to open the oven before 20 minutes into baking.
Watch the cake through the oven window when the aroma of the cake starts coming. If it looks fully baked test it. Do not over bake. Just pull out the rack a bit ,insert a toothpick or skewer in the middle and if it comes out clean the cake is done. It is better not to remove the cake fully from the oven to do the skewer test. Remove only if it is fully baked.
Do not leave the cake in the oven once baked. It will make it hard.