Monkey Cake

This month’s NEW recipe from LeAnn! Crabby Apples Cooks

I originally made this cake for my oldest daughters 1st birthday. I was a bit of a fanatic back then ( well still ) and she had never really eaten sugar before then. Unless you count the time that my sister fed her ice cream when she was ONLY 3 months old, but that is a story for another day. Anyway, I knew the cake had to be fantastic because it was her first! Still making this 15 years later – so you know it’s a keeper! It is a little labor intensive, but totally worth it! Moist and dense…everything you could ask for in a cake! Enjoy! LeAnn

Monkey Cake
3 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ginger
3 large ripe bananas
½ cup buttermilk (or sour milk)
1 cup butter (soft)
1 ¼ cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups chocolate chips
1 8oz can drained pineapple (crushed)
½ cup coconut

Frosting
1 8oz package cream cheese (soft)
6 Tbl butter (soft)
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour bundt pan ( I promise it will taste better!). In a medium bowl ,combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mash together bananas and buttermilk. In your mixer, beat butter and sugar on high until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture alternating with banana mixture until combined. Stir in chocolate and coconut. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean – but not longer! About 55 minutes. Cool 10 minutes then turn out onto plate. Frost when cool. Best served after it has been in the fridge overnight – but take it out about ½ hour before serving just to come to room temperature a bit!