Banana Split Bundt Cake

For the banana bundt cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan. (Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet. You want the oven’s heat to circulate through the inner tube of the pan.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer with a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (do not be alarmed if the mixture looks curdled!), all the sour cream, and then the rest of the flour mixture. Set aside.

For the strawberry filling:
In a small bowl, stir together 1-1/2 cups of the banana bundt cake batter with the strawberry jam, strawberry gelatin and red food coloring. Set aside.

To assemble the cake:
Scrape 1/3 of the banana bundt cake batter into the prepared pan, leveling it out with a spatula. Then add all the strawberry filling, evening out the layer with the spatula. Add the remaining banana bundt cake batter to the pan. Rap the pan on the counter to remove any bubbles in the batter and smooth the top.

Bake for about 65 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes—if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. When done, transfer the cake to a rack to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before unmolding the cake onto the rack to cool completely.

Once the cake is cooled, prepare the chocolate glaze. Place all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and cool for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the glaze is thickened but still pourable. Stir until completely smooth and then drizzle over the cake.

I prefer to wait a couple hours, until the glaze has set, to serve the cake. This cake keeps extremely well for a few days, covered on the counter.

Banana bundt cake adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s “Classic Banana Bundt Cake”, found in Baking From My Home to Yours.

Chocolate glaze from Bundt Cake Bliss – Delicious Desserts from Midwestern Kitchens, by Susanna Short.

Banana split concept from a farmgirl’s dabbles.