Maple-Roasted Banana Snack Cake

I’m a sucker for snack cakes. There’s something about the square slices that makes it seem perfectly acceptable to eat a slice, sans plate, over your kitchen sink. This cake may look humble, but it packs a wallop of banana flavor, thanks to this sneaky trick: Instead of simply mashing the bananas and tossing them into your batter, roast them first in maple syrup! Though it does add an extra step, the bananas get beautifully caramelized and their flavor, intensified, making it well worth the effort. The frosting, too, is sweetened with maple syrup and freckled with cinnamon. The combination of the two makes this cake appropriate for a brunch table, dessert course or, again, scarfed over the sink. 

Start by roasting the bananas with some maple syrup, butter, and a little bit of vanilla.

Remove them from the oven and mash ‘em up with a potato masher or fork. (If you dislike banana chunks, you can puree the roasted bananas in a food processor or blender once they’ve cooled down a bit.)

Whisk together the dry ingredients and then fold them into the wet ingredients. Smooth the cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan and bake.

Once the cake is cool, pipe little mounds of frosting across the whole thing. Not only does it fancy up the cake, but it also makes it easier to cut slices the same size.

Pass it out on plates with forks or enjoy on a napkin. This cake is as casual as they come, so we won’t judge you if it gets a little messy! Are you a snack cake fan? If so, what kind is your favorite to bake?