Smell This!

Banana Chocolate Pecan Cake

2 1/2 c flour

1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 T melted and cooled
1 c sugar, divided
2  eggs
1 1/4 c mashed very ripe bananas, about 3
2/3 c plain whole-milk yogurt
1 t vanilla
1(3 1/2 to 4 oz) bar of bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 c pecans, toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped
1/2 t cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter a 9" square cake pan
• Mix together flour, baking soda and salt 
• Beat together the stick of butter and 3/4 c sugar until light and fluffy and then add the eggs to blend. Beat in bananas, yogurt, and vanilla (will look curdled).
• Add flour mixture, mixing until just blended.
• Mix together the 2 T of butter, nuts, chocolate, cinnamon and remaining 1/4 c sugar.  Spread half of batter in pan and sprinkle with half of chocolate mixture.  Spread the remaining batter over that and sprinkle with remaining chocolate mixture.
• Bake until cake is golden and a wooden tooth pick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting.  

I've used creme fraiche or sour cream instead of the yogurt, chocolate chips instead of the chocolate bar and if you prefer walnuts (can't imagine it) to pecans use them instead.  This cake seems to improve with time if covered or kept air tight.  So buy more bananas than you can eat...