Friends, I’m so excited to be sharing this recipe on the one year anniversary of the very first post on Daily Ciabatta. I am overjoyed by your responses and couldn’t be more thankful for your support. This has been a great year and I’ve loved having this space to share it.
It was a little over a year ago I found myself stressed out and overwhelmed. Normally in these seasons of life the idea of starting a new project would have me running in the opposite direction, but I was in need of something constructive to focus on at home. Cooking had long been a passion of mine so photographing then writing about different recipes felt like a natural next step in becoming a better at-home cook. Having a space to publish my recipes on a regular basis would be the challenge I needed, thus Daily Ciabatta had come to fruition.
I remember when I brought the idea up to my husband, Jay. I sheepishly asked him what he would think if I started a food blog. ‘So you would make food, take pictures of it, then write about it online?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘And I would get to eat the food?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘That sounds like a great idea.’ His support throughout this past year has spurred me to keep going and his patience while waiting for me to wrap up a shoot before most meals deserves a trophy. What you don’t see in every photo of a venison tenderloin or juicy burger, is a hungry Jay standing behind me waiting to dig in.
It’s been a year of learning and growth. I’ve had moments where I’ve taken a first bite and been amazed by what I made. These are the recipes I can’t wait to share. But I’ve also had moments where I don’t even know how something could go so wrong. The more I learn, the more I realize there is so much more to discover.
So thank you, friends, for all your encouragement. I’m so excited for the next year and can’t wait to share with you some of the recipes I’ve been trying out. But first, let’s eat some cake. Banana cake with chocolate swirls and salted maple peanut butter frosting because it’s not a birthday without cake. If bananas and peanut butter are your thing, you’re gonna love this cake. If you give this recipe a go, tell me about it in the comments below!
Chocolate Banana Cake with Salted Maple Peanut Butter Frosting
For the Cake
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1/3 Cup Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 3-4 Ripe Bananas
- 1/3 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch round pan and set aside. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt then set aside. Cream together the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl with either a stand mixer or hand beaters. Add the eggs one at a time then the vanilla and continue to beat until combined. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mash the bananas then stir into the batter.
Place the chocolate chips in a medium, microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring each time, until the chocolate chips are melted. Add a third of the batter to the bowl and stir until combined.
Pour half of the original batter into the prepared pan. Dollop half of the chocolate batter on top. Poor the rest of the original batter in the pan then dollop the rest of the chocolate batter. Use a toothpick to create the marbling effect. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
For the Frosting
- 1 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1/4 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
Beat the ingredients together until smooth and fluffy. Spread on the cools cake, serve, and enjoy!
