Banana Chocolate Cake with Dried Cranberries
Today is last time our local Hadassah chapter will be hosting a Tea for cancer patients and caregivers at Stamford Hospital. The women have been baking and serving hot tea and pastries for 5 years now — in fact today is our 5th Anniversary — to great festivity and much success. The patients, who have been undergoing chemo and other treatments have looked forward to our bi-weekly party. Their caregivers have also enjoyed the respite that this little get-together brings.
Unfortunately we have to stop. Fortunately, it is for a good reason. Stamford Hospital is in a building boom, growing into a modern, state-of-the-art facility. Construction is going on everywhere and there is simply too much confusion already for so many people to be bringing in tables and teapots and cakes and cookies.
We will be back. Afternoon Tea has meant too much to too many people over the last five years for us to give it up.
So, everyone, we’ll see you later, for sure.
This is the last cake for awhile.
Banana-Chocolate Cake with Dried Cranberries
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup sour cream, plain yogurt or kefir
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a (10-inch) 8-cup bundt pan. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the sugar and eggs for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and beat for one minute or until thoroughly blended. Add the bananas and sour cream and beat them in. Add the flour mixture and beat until the batter is well blended. Fold in the cranberries. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a cake rack to cool completely.
Makes one cake, serving 12-16