Chocolate Swirl Banana Cake with Chocolate Banana Icing

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar, until smooth. Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat until fluffy, then add the mashed bananas and the yogurt, until everything is well mixed.

• Meanwhile, in a smaller bowl, have your younger helper stir together the flour, 1 tsp. (5ml) of baking soda and the baking powder. Add to the banana mixture in a large bowl, and stir just enough to evenly combine all the ingredients. Scoop about 1 cup (250ml) of the batter into a small bowl and set aside. Pour the rest of the cake batter into a well-greased 9 by 13-in. (22 by 33 cm) baking pan. Hang on - you're not finished yet.

• Stir together the chocolate syrup and ¼ tsp. (1ml) of baking soda, then mix this into the reserved cake batter. Plop spoonfuls of this chocolate batter onto the top of the plain batter in the pan, then swirl them together using a wide knife or spatula, just until marbled.

• Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 50 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick poked into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.

• Icing: By far the easiest way to do this is to place all the ingredients in the container of a food processor and whirl until smooth. If you don't have a processor, mash the banana first, then beat all the ingredients together using an electric mixer. This method has the advantage of giving your assistants some beaters to lick.