Banana Cake

Of all the desserts I make, and there are scores of them, the one most often requested by my children is this banana cake. I began baking this cake in Rehovot, Israel in 1976, when I got the recipe from a book printed by the American Mizrachi Women, Council of Chugim Tel Aviv, ISRAEL. This cake is originally one from Barbara Dershowitz, although I've modified it a bit. It works well either as a large bundt cake or in two loaf pans. I like to serve it in combination with an all-chocolate dessert like brownies or chocolate cake, arranged in alternating rows so that the chocolate in the two cakes complement each other.

Ingredients:

3 cups granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. baking soda
6 ripe bananas
4 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Sift all the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Although flour comes presifted, this step is designed to incorporate the soda and baking powder into the flour and thus avoid salty lumps. Put the bananas in the large bowl of an electric mixer, and mash at low speed. Add the eggs, oil, orange juice and vanilla, and mix for about 1 minute at medium speed. Add the dry ingredients; mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the chocolate chips and mix just until well incorporated. Pour into 2 loaf pans (sprayed with vegetable oil spray and lined with parchment paper) or one 9-inch tube or bundt pan.

Bake at 350°F. for 1 1/4 hours, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack for 15-20 minutes, and then unmold onto the rack. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before wrapping tightly. Banana cake keeps at room temperature for about 5 days and freezes well for 3 months, well wrapped.

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