Banana Cake

I'm not really fond of fresh bananas unless they're so underripe that they're almost impossible to bite. Overripe bananas are gross to me - unless I'm gonna use them in baking. Then, the blacker the skin, the better. Such wonderful, strong flavor comes from nearly rotten bananas.

This recipe was published a few months back in a catalog by my favorite baking/cooking company, Penzey's Spices. One of their regular users has shared his family's recipe and this one has gotten countless raves from the people with whom I've shared it, even those who rarely eat sweets.

BANANA CAKE 1/2 cup shortening or butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas (2 large)

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (mix 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar to make sour milk)

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and VANILLA and mix well. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the bananas and buttermilk and mix. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using. Pour the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 60-75 minutes. Test the center to determine whether it is done—it should be risen, brown, springy to the touch, and a toothpick should come out mostly clean.