BANANA SPLIT SNACK CAKE

BANANA SPLIT SNACK CAKE image

Yield 6 very generous servings

Number Of Ingredients 25

For cake:
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 bananas, mashed (1 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup maraschino cherries, stems removed, drained, chopped
For frosting:
1 ounce semisweet chocolate chips
1 ounce milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter, very soft
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
For serving:
Whipped cream
2 tablespoons honey roasted peanuts, chopped
6 maraschino cherries with stems

Steps:

Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8"x8" glass baking pan. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy; add egg and mix well. Stir in banana and vanilla. Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda; mix into batter until just combined. Mix in pineapple, chocolate chips and cherries. Pour batter into baking pan, smoothing top, and bake for 30-55 minutes until cake is golden and a tester comes out clean. Let cool completely on a rack. Make frosting: Place semisweet and milk chocolate chips into a small bowl, and microwave on "high" for 90 seconds, until softened and nearly melted. Pour melted chocolate into a medium bowl, and add butter; using an electric mixer, combine well. Add ½ cup confectioners' sugar, and beat on medium-high speed. Add 1 tablespoon cherry juice, and continue beating. Continue to add remaining sugar and juice alternately, ending with sugar. Beat on high speed for 30 more seconds to be sure that all ingredients are well incorporated, and frosting is smooth and light. Spread over cooled cake, smoothing as much as possible. Serve: Cut cake into 6 generous slices (cut in half, then cut crosswise into thirds), and place each slice onto a serving plate. Top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkle the whipped cream with some of the chopped peanuts, and top with a cherry. Enjoy!