MOIST CHOCOLATE BANANA CUPCAKES

There isn't a whole lot to say about this recipe... except that it's fantastic! I adapted it from a recipe on the Joy of Baking website (link below, just before the recipe). I used a vanilla frosting, but the one on the website sounds delicious, and as are most recipes on the website, it's very manageable. Although this recipe says it's for cupcakes, it's my go-to recipe for a moist, delicious chocolate cake. This recipe makes one 8 in. round cake.

The hot water makes a difference because it activates the cocoa and draws out the chocolate-y flavour without being over-bearing. Also, butter, olive oil, or coconut oil are really the only fats I use for baking. Generally, if a recipe calls for oil, I use olive oil. I always have it at hand, and it's got natural emulsifiers that results in cakes with a moist crumb even after refrigeration. And no, you won't get an olive oil flavour in your cake at all.

I used *very* ripe bananas for the best flavour. Really ripe. Blackened skin ripe. Blackened skin, soft to the touch ripe. But really, even if your bananas have lots of black spots on them, they're fine to use. Don't bother using unripe bananas... won't work.

Moist Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Servings: 12 regular cupcakes, 24 mini cupcakes

Adapted from this recipe.

**See Notes for additional information on sugar, oil, and eggs**

- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup demerara sugar

- 1/3 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened regular or Dutch-processed

- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 medium sized ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup hot water, not boiling
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

- 3/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.

2. Line 12 regular or 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners, butter each cup, or spray with your favourite non-stick vegetable spray.
3. In a large bowl mix well the dry ingredients - sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients except hot water - eggs, mashed banana, milk, oil, vanilla extract and almond extract if using.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir or whisk until combined.

6. Add the hot water and mix. The batter will be quite thin but don't worry it's fine.

7. Pour or spoon the batter into the muffin cups no more than 3/4 full, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

9. Frost with your favourite frosting - or serve plain with a side of whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes:

1. I always use demerara sugar, but you can also use any other unprocessed sugar like evaporated cane juice. White granulated sugar is heavily processed and I don't recommend it for anything but use it if you must.

2. Olive oil has natural emulsifiers that make cakes moister and softer, so I like using olive oil for baking rather than any other oils. Also, that's really the only oil I always have at hand.

3. I use organic free-range eggs for eating and baking but any eggs will do.

ZUCCHINI BANANA NUT BREAD

I love baking with olive oil. It has natural emulsifiers that result in very moist and delicious cakes and quick-breads like this one... 

Sometimes I have a toasted, generously buttered slice of this bread for breakfast, or sometimes I make an open-faced sandwich with sliced apples or kiwi fruit. Irresistible!

Zucchini Banana Nut Bread

Makes: 1 9 in. x 4 in. loaf

- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

- 1 cup cake flour

- 1 tsp. cinnamon powder

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1/2 tsp. baking powder

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1/2 cup olive oil (or grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil)

- 3/4 cup demerara sugar (or regular white granulated sugar)

- 2 eggs

- 2 medium over-ripe bananas

- 2 small zucchini, shredded

- generous splash of vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup almonds (or walnuts/any other nuts) - optional

- 2 tbsp. unsweetened shredded dessicated coconut - optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.

2. Grease and flour a 9 in. x 5 in. loaf pan.

3. In a bowl, mix together the flours and other dry ingredients except the sugar and reserve for later.

4. In a large bowl, using a spoon mix the oil and sugar till the mixture is creamed - it will feel thickened.

5. Add the vanilla extract and break the eggs directly into the bowl.

6. Mix well till the eggs are completely mixed-in.

7. Peel and dice the bananas - I dice them directly into the mixing bowl.

8. Mix well and mash up the bananas coarsely against the wall of the bowl. Over-ripe bananas should easily mash up.

9. Add in the shredded zucchini and the dry ingredients. Also add in the nuts and coconut if using.

10. Mix well into a batter.

11. Pour into the greased, floured loaf pan.

12. Bake at 350 F/180 C for 1 hour.

13. Remove from the oven and insert a skewer or thin knife into the center of the loaf to check doneness. When the skewer or knife comes out dry, the loaf is done.

14. Let it rest and cool for 15 minutes in the loaf pan.

15. Loosen the sides with a knife and invert the loaf pan over a plate to remove the loaf. 

16. Put the loaf right side up on a cooling rack and let it cool completely, about an hour.

17. Enjoy!

Notes:

1. If you don't have cake flour, you can make it! Here's how: Measure out the all-purpose flour that you’ll need for your recipe. For every cup of flour you measured out, take out two tbsp. of flour and return it to the flour bin. Replace the two tbsp. of flour that you removed with two tbsp. of cornstarch. Sift the cornstarch and flour 4-5 times so that the cornstarch is well mixed with the flour. Et voila! Cake flour!