Banana‑Chocolate Bundt Cake with Peanut‑Caramel Drizzle

• butter↗200 г g

  melted, plus a little for greasing

• cocoa powder↗3 ст. л. tbsp
• large ripe bananas↗3
• full‑fat milk↗150 мл ml

  plus 1 tbsp for glaze

• large eggs↗3
• vanilla extract↗1 ч. л. tsp
• self‑raising flour350 г g
• baking soda↗1 ч. л. tsp
• soft light brown sugar↗350 г g
• natural yogurt↗150 г g
• dark chocolate↗100 г g

  chunks or bar, cut into small cubes

• salted peanuts↗80 г g

  coarsely chopped

• dulce de leche↗100 г g

  caramel in a jar

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C with convection, gas 4). Grease a bundt pan (2.5 L capacity, 26 cm diameter) with melted butter, distributing it thoroughly into all corners.

2. 2

   Mix cocoa powder with 50 ml of boiling water and set aside to cool.

3. 3

   Mash the bananas, add melted butter, milk, eggs and vanilla, stir until smooth.

4. 4

   In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, soda, sugar and ½ tsp salt. Toss the bowl a few times so the sugar crystals rise to the surface, crush them with fingers and stir again.

5. 5

   Fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, stir, then split the batter in half, transferring one half to another bowl.

6. 6

   To one bowl add the cocoa mixture, 50 g yogurt and chocolate cubes, and to the other – the remaining 100 g yogurt and 50 g coarsely chopped peanuts. Gently mix each portion.

7. 7

   Spoon the peanut portion into the prepared pan, then dollop the chocolate mixture on top. Run a skewer through both layers, creating a marble pattern.

8. 8

   Bake on the middle rack for 1 hour. Check doneness by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake — if it comes out covered with wet batter, return to the oven for another 10 minutes, then check again.

9. 9

   Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the cake onto a rack to cool completely.

10. 10

    Mix the caramel (dulce de leche) with 1 tbsp milk to obtain a pourable glaze. When the cake has cooled, drizzle it with the glaze and sprinkle the remaining peanuts. Store in the pan for up to 4 days.