Something for the trip...

It looks like we are going to be flying east again the middle of next week for a couple days, so I wanted to make something to have for the long plane ride. I was sifting through the new magazines and pulled out this snack cake to try.

Chocolate-Banana Snack Cake made use of a lonely overripe banana that was pleading to get used up. Instead of copious amounts of butter, using applesauce is a great substitute for replacing some of the fat. Because some butter is still used, you don't get that rubbery texture that can sometimes be found. In this recipe, the applesauce is placed on some paper towels to absorb some of the excess liquid to keep the batter thick. I normally use dutch-processes cocoa in these types of recipes as I find the flavor is a bit less bitter and the chocolate flavor is typically a little more intense. Since part of the leavining is baking soda, it is important to use regular cocoa to make sure you get enough lift. Instant espresso powder is used to intensify the chocolate flavor here instead, but since it is such a small amount, neither of us could taste it. The snack cake is tender and moist with just enough banana flavor in each bite. Love the chocolate/banana combo!

We would normally be watching a DVD tonight, but since we just got back, Netflix didn't receive them in time to send out some new ones! I guess it is time to get caught up on all of the shows that TiVO recorded.

Recipes

Chocolate-Banana Snack Cake