BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP POUND CAKE and BANANAS FOSTER UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

It seems like I make banana bread a lot in our house - there are always ripe bananas to be used up. As much as I enjoy banana bread and muffins, I was excited to find a couple of recipes that featured perfectly ripe bananas in a slightly different way.

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP POUND CAKE

3 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 to 4 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup bourbon, or milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan, set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, set aside.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Gradually add sugar, beating about 7 minutes or until light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each, scrape bowl as needed. In a bowl combine bananas, bourbon and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beat on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, cool on rack.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, December 2012
www.bhg.com/recipes/collections/december/

BANANAS FOSTER UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

1/2 cup butter, softened and divided
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rum
2 to 3 ripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups baking mix
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350F.
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan (I put the butter in the pan and popped it in the oven as it was heating). Remove from heat, sprinkle with brown sugar and drizzle with rum.
Cut bananas into 1/4 inch thick slices, arrange over brown sugar mixture.
Beat sugar and remaining 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer, until blended.
Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Add milk, sour cream and vanilla extract, beat just until blended. Beat in baking mix and cinnamon until blended.
Pour batter over mixture in pan. Place pan on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in pan over cake.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, November 2011
www.southernliving.com › Food › Recipes