Kid & Adult-Friendly Treat: Banana and Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

One of our favorite ways to use bananas is to make this dessert snack cake. Our produce delivery service in Chicago always sent us bananas in every shipment of our fruit box. Since both of us don't like fresh bananas, I used to freeze the bananas for smoothies or use ripened bananas for banana bread or this cake.

A couple of years ago, our neighbor in Chicago, Viviana, brought this cake to our house to share and Aaron raved about it. I asked her for the recipe and she gave it to me, after warning me that she doesn't really have a recipe. She just wrote down what she thought she used to make the cake. I followed the original and it didn't turn out like the way she made it. After many experiments later, I finally perfected it to taste like her version.

The cake has 2 ripe bananas, which means you don't have to use a ton of butter for the rest. The top is sprinkled with chocolate chips so it's really not too sugary. I like to eat with milk. Try this treat and let me know what you think!

Banana and Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
Makes 12 servings
From Viviana Barraza

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cups butter
• 3/4 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Dash cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray baking pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aide.
Blend in vanilla, cinnamon, with melted butter in a large mixing bowl and cool slightly. Beat in eggs and milk. Blend in mashed banana, then flour mixture. Spread in pan and add chocolate chips. Bake for 45 minutes.