Banana Pound Cake with Easy Chocolate Buttercream (Mardi Gras- Year Four: Volume 12; March, 2014)

Prep time: 25 min

Cook time: 1 hour 40 min- 2 hours
Chill time: 20 min- 1 hour
Ready in: 2- 3 hours, 25 min
Serves: 8- 12

Ingredients: 
FROSTING:
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 c. butter

CAKE:
3 c. sugar
1 c. butter- softened
6 eggs
1 c. ripe bananas- mashed
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. banana extract
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sour cream

Directions: 

- In medium saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over medium low heat, whisking frequently

- When melted, cool completely and chill in fridge until solid

- Preheat oven to 325

- Grease and flour bundt pan and set aside

- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy

- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition

- Stir in bananas, vanilla extract, and banana extract
- In another bowl, combine flour and baking soda

- Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating until just combined

- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan

- Bake until done, about 1 hour, 5- 25 min

- While cake is baking, remove chocolate from fridge and allow to come up to room temperature

- When cake is done, cool in pan 10 min; then remove from pan to fully cool on cooling rack

- Put chocolate in a mixing bowl and beat on medium until light in color and fluffy, about 2 min
- Once cake is fully cooled, frost and serve


*Lisa found the cake recipe here and frosting recipe here