Whole Wheat Banana Cakes

Welcome to Tuesday, the day in which hundreds of Internet bakers join together in preparing a sweet treat from Dorie Greenspan's massive baking tome, "Baking; From my Home to Yours." This week's recipe for banana bundt cake was chosen by Mary, The Food Librarian. (She has a beautiful blog with gorgeous pictures-especially this week's bundt cake.)Since our family of four is equally divided into two groups of banana lovers and banana haters, I knew that making an entire bundt cake would be risky. On the one hand, I could bake the cake and not mention that it contains bananas. I've pulled this one before, but the charges are usually astute enough to notice the sudden absence of the blackened bananas on the counter top. As much as they don't like to eat bananas, they watch the progress of their demise with a mixture of satisfaction and disgust. If I get caught not fessing up about adding bananas, it sets me back months in terms of culinary trustworthiness. My girl, with her aversion to almost all things healthful, will often ask me three questions before eating any of my baked goods: Does this have pumpkin? Chopped up raisins? For the love of pete, does this have bananas?

Early in the morning, while the charges were still in dreamland, I mixed up some whole wheat muffins using bananas from the freezer to keep my secret. The batter was delicious and soon the house was filled with a sweet warm aroma. The Quiet Man and I happily ate our banana cakes, and when the charges woke up they stumbled into the kitchen and asked for some too. My little boy happily gobbled his down, never knowing the fruity truth. But my little girl, ever suspicious, plucked off a golden brown corner, examined it, put the daintiest crumb in her mouth, and then looked at me with one eyebrow up. "What kind of muffins are these?" And then she launched into her three questions, I confessed the truth, and she had a bowl of Cheerios. But at least my little boy loved the muffins, and that changes the score from two to two, to three banana lovers and one banana hater. Aha-I'm making progress.

For the real recipe, click here. I made a quarter batch to get six muffins, using half whole wheat, some maple extract, and some chopped pecans as well. When you've got overripe bananas, peel them, cut them into one inch sections and keep them in the freezer for smoothies, baked goods, and other deep dark secrets.

Up Next:

Blackened Corn Salsa with Cheese Quesadillas