Brown Butter Banana Bundt Cake

First off, I owe major credit to Mountain Mama Cooks -- I started with her recipe and made just a few tweaks to adapt things to an additional 3,000 feet above sea level.  

This recipe combines one of my most favorite and least favorite brown things -- butter and bananas, respectively.  Put them together though, and the result is delightful.

Yield:  one Bundt cake

Recipe (Brands Tested):

• 12 tbsp. (170 g) unsalted butter (Vita Mantequilla Sin Sal)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (Supermaxi brand)
• 3 large eggs (Supermaxi brand - grande)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract (La Reposteria Saborizante Sabor a Vainilla)
• 3 mashed, ripe, brown bananas
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (Harina Buena y Barata Harina de trigo fortificada para todo uso Especial Para Panadería y Pastelería)
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder (La Reposterita/Levapan Polvo para Hornear)
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda (isly tan simple Bicarbonato)
• 1/4 tsp. table salt (Cris-Sal Sal de Mesa)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk* 
• 1 cup chocolate chips (SMART Selection Gotas Sabor a Chocolate) 
• confectioner's/powdered sugar for garnish at end (San Carlos Azúcar Impalpable Para Repostería)

* Maybe it's just me, but I have yet to find buttermilk in the supermarket.  I made my own by blending 1/4 cup of milk (La Lechera Leche Semi-Descremada) and 1/4 tsp. of white vinegar (Supermaxi brand - Vinagre Blanco), then letting it stand for a few minutes.

Executive chef judging me for letting bananas get so brown in the first place.

Usually, I start my bakes by preheating the oven, but since it takes a while to brown the butter and let it cool, I suggest waiting a bit in this case.

The first step is to melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Once it melts, allow it to bubble and foam while you stir gently.  You want it to brown without burning.  In my kitchen, it took exactly 6 minutes to get the butter to a rich, deep golden color and a nutty fragrance.  Once you get to this stage, remove from heat and allow the butter to cool for at least 30 minutes.

At this point, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Grease the bottom and sides of a Bundt pan (I just use spray oil).

Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer), beat the cooled brown butter with the sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then add vanilla.

Mash the bananas and add them to the batter.  The result will be slightly lumpy.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir to combine.

Add buttermilk and stir until the mixture is smooth.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

  

Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan.  

Bake for 45 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

 

Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then tap it all around to loosen it up.

Flip the cake onto a wire rack to complete the cooling process.

At this point, allow the cake to cool completely.

I like to dust the finished cake with confectioner's/powdered sugar, passed through a fine mesh sieve.  

Store covered at room temperature.  This cake is best consumed within the first 72 hours of baking.