Chunky Monkey Cake

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I you like banana bread, then this is your cake. This cake is a dense, very banana-y cake. I cut  this cake into half to make layers and filled it with some caramel frosting that I had left from another cake. Then I topped it with a cream cheese frosting. The caramel frosting was a last minute idea. You can just ice it with the cream cheese frosting but I really love caramel and the banana. In fact the cake would be delicious with just the caramel frosting, but why stop at just one flavor of frosting??
This cake is kind of a slightly sweeter version of a banana bread with the added bonus of frosting...or in this case two kinds of frosting!

The flavors of the cake reminded me of one of my favorite flavors of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, hence the name Chunky Monkey cake.




Chunky Monkey Cake
source: myrecipes (adapted)
PRINTABLE RECIPE

CAKE:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted pecans, (chopped)

CARAMEL FROSTING:(optional)(not really!)
1/2 cup butter 

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half

2 teaspoons bourbon (optional)

1- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans, optional
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

METHOD:
For the cake:

 Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray two  8x4 inch loaf pans, or one 8x8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, oil and sugar. Beat in the eggs and egg white, add the  vanilla. Mash up the bananas with milk.
Gently mix in half of dry ingredients into butter mixture, then stir in banana mixture. Mix in remaining dry ingredients. Pour batter into baking pan(s). Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack.
For the caramel filling:
Melt butter, stir in brown sugar and salt. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add the cream and the bourbon, if using. Return to heat and bring to rolling boil. Boil caramel for 1 minute, or until any lumps that may have formed are melted. Cool to lukewarm and stir in powdered sugar. After cakes have cooled completely cut them in half horizontally. Ice with the bottom half with caramel filling and place the top half back onto the cake. (Any left over frosting can be frozen for up to one month.)For the cream cheese frosting:
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Reduce speed of mixer and gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a little milk until the desired consistency is reached.  Frosting the top of the cake with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with walnuts and mini chips, if desired.