BLOW YOUR MIND Banana Snack Cake

Lately I've been making banana cheesecake as my evening snack. Because I eat only 2 full meals per day, I want my snack before bed to contain some protein. Cheesecake is a great option because I can make it with absolutely no added sugar, and it still tastes great. Bananas add a subtle sweetness.

When it was time for me to make my weekly cheesecake, we were out of bananas. So my sweet hubby went to the Weis and found some already ripe ones. Perfect. But he brought home a big bag full, and I only needed 2. What to do with 5 extra ripe bananas?

Yes, I could freeze them. I always use half a frozen banana when I make a smoothie. But I already have plenty of frozen bananas.

Then I remembered a banana bread recipe I recently found in an old Cooks Illustrated magazine. This was a free issue I had been saving since 1996! And when I reread all the recipes, I put the magazine back on the shelf because I decided (once again!) it is worth keeping. But I had never tried the banana bread recipe because I thought it looked like too much work.

When I explained all this to my husband, he made a sad face and asked me if my family wasn't worth the extra work. UGH. Big sigh. Okay, I'll make the fancy banana bread recipe with all the extra steps.

So I did! I used the 5 ripe bananas. I follow the recipe--mostly--except for a couple of small changes. I reduced the amount of brown sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup. The end product is plenty sweet. And I used white whole wheat flour in place of refined white flour. I baked the banana bread in a 9x13 pan instead of a loaf pan, so I am not calling it "bread."

Is it delicious? Yes. Perfect texture. Moist but not wet. Sweet enough but not cloying. Definitely worth the extra work!

Ingredients:

5 fully ripe bananas--riper is better
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, microwave bananas for about 5 minutes. Bananas will exude juices. Drain the bananas in a mesh strainer over a small bowl for about 15 minutes. Microwave the banana juices for 1-2 minutes or until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Mash bananas well. Add butter, sugar, and eggs to bananas and mix well. Add dry ingredients and juice. Stir just until flour is incorporated. Scrape mixture into a greased loaf pan or 9x13 baking pan. Top with walnut pieces. Bake loaf about 55 minutes; bake 9x13 cake about 30-35 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Let cool in pan. Makes about 12 servings.